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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think school shouldn’t be charging for this?

366 replies

Indella · 09/12/2019 17:34

Our school has a habit of expecting parental contributions for everything possible but the latest 2 things we’ve had letters about I don’t think falls under what a school can charge for.

The first one is my child has now started the compulsory school swimming lessons. These are part of the curriculum and so can’t be charged for. However parents have to pay £3 per child, per week for the transport to the swimming lessons. Is this not the school’s responsibility to fund as the swimming lessons are compulsory?

The second one is an “art and crafts day”. Letter says children will be spending the day, still in school, doing Christmas themed arts and crafts. They have asked for £12 per child for the materials. This is being held at school, in school hours and is instead of the normal lessons. I legally have to send my child to school so it’s compulsory. Letter doesn’t say voluntary contribution so I assume again we have no choice but to pay but surely the school can do arts and crafts with the children that don’t cost so much. 28 children in the class so £336 of art supplies! Sounds like they are using parents to re-stock supplies for the year.

I know they are not huge amounts but add that to the fact we paid £3 each entry to the school Christmas fair (including having to pay for the accompanying parent) and £10 each for tickets to watch the Christmas performance. Plus the never ending non-uniform days it’s really starting to add up and it feels like the school are simply using parental contributions to fund what should be covered by the school.

AIBU to think these things shouldn’t be charged for?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
VenusTiger · 09/12/2019 18:59

@NorthernLightsInWinter Labour intend to raise taxes heavily on small businesses and entrepreneurs which will result in redundancies/job losses and higher unemployment- it’s swings and roundabouts.

Maybe the crafts day wouldn’t be a big deal if it were not to take place.

My DH worked for a council many years ago, designing - he was furious at how schools were “happily chucking money up the wall” purchasing £6k reception area desks and IPads for 60 children etc. Absurd!

Louiselouie0890 · 09/12/2019 18:59

My little boy started school this year, im already out of my mind how many non uniform days there is some weeks theres 2! Then theres chocolate donations for bingo then cupcake donations which you then have to send in money for as well so your child can buy a cupcake back. I can see how people struggle.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 09/12/2019 19:00

They have chosen to hire a coach to take them to swimming lessons and back when they pool is 0.4 miles away and IMO walking distance for year 3 children.

I agree that year 3 children should be able to walk that distance. At my previous school we wanted our year 5 children to walk less than half a mile to the local train station and the OUTCRY! Honestly you’d have thought we were sending the children up Everest! Over half the parents said they would not allow the children to walk that distance and “what about if it rains?”

We charge £15 per term for the transport to swimming lessons but it costs us £150 per return trip. Plus the cost of the pool, the instructors etc.

Sewingbea · 09/12/2019 19:01

Merging reception and year 1 is not a good idea, they fall into different key stages and as such the format of the school day and the curriculum expectations are also different. Have a look at the school cuts website if you truly want to understand how pressured for money schools are. This is what austerity brings. Though I don't think that politicians who send their own children to private schools really care.

SellFridges · 09/12/2019 19:02

Our school appears to be incredibly well managed compared to some. Mixed area, but they:

  • charge a flat rate for three trips per class (some parents ask to pay the full amount)
  • provide a free coach to swimming lessons, including providing lessons for more than the statutory requirement
  • stopped charging entry to performances
  • has a fairly inactive PTA, who just do a few fundraising events per year
  • ask for no other monetary contributions

How have we got into a situation where schools are funded so differently? At what cost to education and future prospects. Bonkers.

Ironmanrocks · 09/12/2019 19:07

I haven't read the full thread, but I can charge up to £150 per day to go into a school and do an 'Art Day'. Often schools like to get specialists in for things they can't offer - and it costs. It does sound like a heck of a lot though. My local school I offer art days for free once a year. Swimming is fine - your school play is a reasonable charge if you are using a theatre. If its a school hall/village hall it should be around £5. Schools have to hire the lights/sound board etc etc.

Divebar · 09/12/2019 19:08

Oh we have the mother of PTAs at my DDs school... it’s a relentless churn of requests for money, donations and time volunteering ..£30k raised so far this year. Charge £4 for entry to Christmas fair and we volunteered on a stall, £4 for the school disco, £4 to watch a DVD after school, £2 for Christmas jumper day plus they got donations of jumpers and sold them for £2, non uniform days £2, baking days where parents donated the ingredients and you then had to go in and buy the biscuits back 50p each. The school trip is an overnighter and costs £70 per child. No idea how much swimming will be as we haven’t got that far yet but I imagine most parents will have funded swimming lessons themselves at this point. It’s completely relentless

nancy75 · 09/12/2019 19:09

Schools are skint, if you can pay it please do.

If you don’t like the fact that schools are having their funding cut & need to rely more & more on parents contributions then do something about it - you can change it when you vote on Thursday.

ratsnest · 09/12/2019 19:14

There's a potential solution for sorting out the chronic underfunding of schools this Thursday. Use your vote wisely.

Ohyesiam · 09/12/2019 19:16

You are v right they shouldn’t be charging, but don’t blame the school. Dof Ed finding has taken a nose dive.
They doubt want to be asking any more than you want to be giving.

Aarghhelpplease · 09/12/2019 19:17

Is it a private school by any chance? Tend to find that they would charge for everything.

LoveNote · 09/12/2019 19:21

they are taking the piss

nobody needs expensive supplies for a bit of christmas crafting!! they just know they have got you where they want you so are chancing their arm

they need to lower their expectations and do something less ambitious.....all that £300+ tat will end up in landfill anyway

sarralim · 09/12/2019 19:22

You know what to do Indella. Just don't vote Tory on Thursday. That goes for everyone else on here too.

Musix · 09/12/2019 19:22

Complain to the government. It is not the fault of the poor school teachers.

indyandlara · 09/12/2019 19:24

Any Christmas crafts my class do this year will be solely funded out of my pocket- glitter, card, Christmas decorations etc. It’s tough and getting tougher. This isn’t about poor financial management in schools. It’s just the reality of a smaller amount of money which is having to cover an increasingly large number of things.

Frenchw1fe · 09/12/2019 19:25

You have a vote on Thursday. Use it wisely.

absolutelyknackeredcow · 09/12/2019 19:26

My children walk 400m to school and back - it takes ten mins each way and you know really is good for them

Pinkblueberry · 09/12/2019 19:27

However parents have to pay £3 per child, per week for the transport to the swimming lessons. Is this not the school’s responsibility to fund as the swimming lessons are compulsory?

This is pretty standard - you do realise how much a coach costs don’t you? It’s not compulsory to pay, but if most parents choose not to then they simply can’t afford to go whether the the lessons are compulsory or not. If you really want something done about it, make it known to your MP that you’re not happy with this. If more parents (voters) complained to the right people instead of the school then our education system would have a lot more money.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 09/12/2019 19:31

Schools aren’t funded equally either. In my borough we actually get over £2000 less per pupil than schools in our neighbouring borough. The per pupil funding is decided by pupil numbers on census day in October. We have actually taken on seven more children since census day but only lost one - we don’t get any more money for those extra children. Four of those children are in KS1 so we also have to pay for their meals. We are horrendously underfunded and have had to me staff redundant... which costs a lot of money in itself.

lyralalala · 09/12/2019 19:31

They have chosen to hire a coach to take them to swimming lessons and back when they pool is 0.4 miles away and IMO walking distance for year 3 children.

If they are walking then it’ll be more time out of school, but more importantly they would need more adults with them and the school likely don’t have anyone spare

nancy75 · 09/12/2019 19:31

If you want to see just how skint they are look at this website & then contact all of your local candidates asking them to fight against these cuts to education spending
schoolcuts.org.uk/

BoomBoomsCousin · 09/12/2019 19:33

It’s not compulsory to pay, but if most parents choose not to then they simply can’t afford to go whether the the lessons are compulsory or not.

Except, as the OP has mentioned, they could afford to. They could make different choices around staffing and run the number of classes they are expected to, given the number of students they have, or they could walk to the pool instead of using coaches. Both choices the OP has indicated she'd prefer.

dingit · 09/12/2019 19:35

Back in the day, I paid for swimming lessons for my two, and the school had a pool!

Katjolo · 09/12/2019 19:37

Blame the government. Schools are massively underfunded. The art day is a bit silly though.

ThreeLittleDuckies · 09/12/2019 19:39

I think they'd be better off asking for donations for classroom resources and activities. Either money or say a classroom pack of pencils, glue etc.
It'll create less resentment and a lot more honest. I'd maybe suggest that to the head.
Not that schools should be in this position to begin with though....Sad