IIU to charge to see school Christmas production

[VanessaShanessaJenkins]

Is it unreasonable (rather than am I) to charge parents for tickets to Christmas production?

For context: bog standard KS1 Christmas production of songs and a little acting, taking place during school time, in the school hall, with costumes parents have provided.

Schools pay for the sheet music and downloads, there is no spare money for that from their budget, it’s a £2. Unless you are on the breadline YABU.

Perfectly reasonable thing to charge for - as long as it is a reasonably small amount. It's something you will all want to see, and schools need to recoup the cost of things they do, where ever they can.

Our school is charging for the 1st time this year £1 per ticket with max 3 per child per show. We also have to supply costumes for whatever part dc have. I don’t mind supporting the school, it’s a church school so receives a very small amount of council funding compared to other schools in the borough but the autumn/winter term is relentless for £. Easily been 1-2 requests a week since sept, worked out by the end of term we’ll be in for about £100+ with only 1 dc attending.

Our school asks for donations to help stage performances. You send in money or items
during the planning/rehearsal stage. Wealthy school catchment so they always get enough that way.

Sounds like a very good idea, but you will meet with so much "outrage" from some parents -usually the ones who can easily afford it! -- that a voluntary donation is easier to manage.

When you see how many threads about people disgusted about having to pay for a school uniform, don't even start them on the Christmas production.

Our school do a 50p programme which is basically a list of the names and roles in the play with one of the songs printed in the back and design by a ‘winning’ child on the front.
I hear the argument about paying for a play script and music etc but surely this is then retained by the school and can be used again in coming years?

it’s a church school so receives a very small amount of council funding compared to other schools in the borough

What makes you think that? Are you in England?

To clarify on the above points- no scripts/ music are purchased. It's a basic small scale Christmas play/ production which involves mostly singing. A teacher play the piano. Costumes are provided by parents (school dictate what the child needs to be ). It's not a numbers issue as in the past parents have been allowed 2 tickets (for free) and if they would like more they go on a waiting list. This year they have decided to charge and parents are not happy. No explanation for the decision to charge has been provided.
£2.75 per ticket!

As they are providing the costumes I think it is unreasonable, especially as they are told what they need to be so unlikely they can use stuff they already have. A bucket at the end is okay, but I'd be a bit miffed. What exactly is the money supposed to be going towards?

The school isn't likely to repeat the same show for a few years, so they do need to buy in quite a few. We bought some new costumes every year too, to replace ancient ones or for new roles. Christmas shows cost money, although not a huge amount, but the worst thing about them, in my experience as a teacher, is the number of complaints from parents they generate. See the 'only the PTA kids get speaking parts' threads, the 'that grumpy cow of a teacher wouldn't let my toddler up on stage' threads, the 'the staff wouldn't let me film the show, and I NEED to' threads. If the Nativity threads aren't on Mumsnet yet, they soon will be.

Pretty standard now.

I think a raffle for the front row seats is fine, otherwise a bucket for donations at the end.

Remember, the money isn't going in the teachers' pockets. It will most likely be used for paying for a theatre group, or class parties etc. You could ask?

Budgets are so tight in education now and parents will always pay to see a Christmas show.

It's maybe not fair but I can understand why.

I'm a teacher myself. I know exactly what goes into a school event of any description! I've written multiple class assemblies etc and I've never known a school to charge for this type of event. A year 6 production which is performed in the evening and usually to a purchased script indeed but not ks1 kids singing carols during normal assembly time.
Was trying to gather if it was normal/ acceptable to charge and most so far don't seem to think so.

They usually charge to give an idea of numbers. Free tickets mean people are more likely to drop out

I think it is unusual, for a school time event, but might it be a one-off charge for a specific reason? Have the parents asked, or are they just moaning on Facebook? Although obviously the school should have let you know if that's the case.

Parents have only just realised. Was just announced on the weekly newsletter sent out after school yesterday (tickets priced £2.75 available to purchase from the school office from x date). No explanation given for cost/ decision to start charging.

I'll speak to the head next week.

No explanation given for cost/ decision to start charging.

Not sure why an explanation would be needed. Schools are famously and badly under-founded, every one knows that.

We charge £1 for tickets and there is no limit, it's a great way for a few extra funds for school and we are using it to help raise money for a new electric piano. I wouldn't mind paying £1- it's not expensive and parents don't mind - however £2.85 seems steep and a strange amount to me x

Even if purchased scripts are reused, you still have to buy a new licence if you perform another year. It’s a tricky one as , I would hate to think a parent didn’t watch because they didn’t have the money, but equally we know how cash strapped schools are so it’s hard to begrudge them trying to fundraise. We just have a bucket for donations.

We , a High School, always charged for school productions. The cost of licensing was massive, I was in charge of Front of House and tickets, I always massaged the figures as the amount was partly based on ticket sales.
When we go to the grandchildren's plays etc we always slip a fiver into the bucket and buy raffle tickets.

sandra I was simply providing information that previous posters had requested!

Was trying to gather if it was normal/ acceptable to charge and most so far don't seem to think so.

That wasn't the impression I got from reading through the thread, so sad that I am I've just counted.

6 people said they don't think it is fair / normal / acceptable to charge
4 suggested shaking a bucket for donations
4 said it is normal in their experience and didn't express if they thought it was a problem or not
14 said it was a perfectly reasonable thing to do

Not sure how you get from that, that "most don't seem to think {it is reasonable}"

At secondary school I’m pretty sure my parents paid £2/3 for a ticket to our plays