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AIBU?

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Original poster

School asking parents to subsidise cookery lessons

118 replies

jcoc147 · 01/10/2020 08:43

DS attends a special needs primary school with approximately 7 students per class.
The school have sent out a letter to all parents advising that they can no longer subsidise they children's weekly cookery class and asking for parents to pay £20 a term. This I have no problem with and completely understand how underfunded schools are etc, but the letter then goes on to say that if a child receives free school meals parents do not need to pay. Failure to pay for children who don't receive free school meals means that although they can participate in the lesson they will not be allowed to taste any of the food they make or bring any home.
We live in quite a deprived area and I know that every child in Ds class receives free school meals apart from my ds.
I am a single parent and earn just above the amount to be entitled to any help but money is very tight.

Sorry for the long story but my question is AIBU to think all parents should have to pay a smaller amount rather than the few parents who's children do not qualify for free meals being asked to pay.

OP posts:
Lochroy · 01/10/2020 09:26

@badg3r

How much over the free school meals threshold are you? If it is less than the total cost of school meals plus cookery class subsidies then I think you would be perfectly reasonable to point this out.

I think this seems fair. Or indeed to say you'll now have to choose between his lunch or paying for these classes.

There should be an element of discretion.

lazylump72 · 01/10/2020 09:27

I have always found this to ne the case this and school trips seem to work the same. Our school asks for voluntary contributions to trips and sets anamount expected and if not enough parents pay to cover it it doesnt happen.The children on FSM dont have to pay as its often covered for those families.

TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 01/10/2020 09:27

I’m a Dt teacher. Our food dept charge lower school a tenner a year. No contribution in any KS3 Dt subject is above a fiver a year.

GCSE is about 12 quid a year and A level about 15. This is per year not term.

Very wealthy suburb

Nottherealslimshady · 01/10/2020 09:30

FSM is an obvious boundary, the parents cant afford to pay for their kids standard food so why would they afford additional food. £20 a term isn't alot. When I was at school we had to take the ingredients in ourselves.

NoSleepInTheHeat · 01/10/2020 09:31

They could have asked £3/term from each family but they chose to ask for £20 from just one family, how ridiculous!

I wouldn't pay in this situation, it feels so unfair. Nobody pays but your DC will be the only one not allowed to taste the food...

I would email the school saying you can't afford it and ask what they intend to handle this in an inclusive way so that your non-paying DC isn't othered from the other non-paying pupils.

Lougle · 01/10/2020 09:32

At our Secondary, it's made very clear that for eligible pupils, these contributions will be deducted from their Pupil Premium budget. It's fair enough.

If we received FSM, that would be about £45 a week.

Shooglywheel · 01/10/2020 09:33

I think it’s ok. My children had to take in ingredients each week which was a real pain. The cost was probably similar when you added it up.

ZoeTurtle · 01/10/2020 09:34

Failure to pay for children who don't receive free school meals means that although they can participate in the lesson they will not be allowed to taste any of the food they make or bring any home.

That is really horrible. How on earth did that policy get approved?

lifestooshort123 · 01/10/2020 09:35

It sounds OK to me - it's unfortunate for you but another year the ratio might be reversed. I would see it as awkward that everyone knows everyone else's financial status tbh - are free school dinners common knowledge now.

Original poster
jcoc147 · 01/10/2020 09:36

@IWantToBeMelissaWhenIGrowUp

"that although they can participate in the lesson they will not be allowed to taste any of the food they make or bring any home."

Am I missing something. Your DS will be the only DC allowed to taste the food (and take some home) while the other DC just look on?

My first thought in that situation wouldn't be about the £20 Hmm

Am I reading it wrongly? Apologies if so but on the face of it it sounds extremely uncomfortable and I would not be happy with it at all.

Sorry if it came across that way, my ds will be the only one not allowed to taste or bring food home if I refuse to pay
OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 01/10/2020 09:37

I don't think the set up is unfair. As someone else said, FSM is an obvious boundary. People will always fall just outside of limits set.

However if it is a genuine struggle for you to find the money, then you should tell them that.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 01/10/2020 09:38

What you've described is common practice for schools in Scotland and has been for over 30 years

Is it? Certainly not in my experience. Just because that's what you've found in the few schools that you're aware of, doesn't mean the whole of Scotland operates in the same way!

Original poster
jcoc147 · 01/10/2020 09:39

@lifestooshort123

It sounds OK to me - it's unfortunate for you but another year the ratio might be reversed. I would see it as awkward that everyone knows everyone else's financial status tbh - are free school dinners common knowledge now.
The only reason I know the other children do not have to pay is that it was discussed in the parents whats app group
OP posts:
pastandpresent · 01/10/2020 09:39

I think you rather feel unfair because it's such a small number of children in the class, who all happens to qualify. But in the case of class of 30, if we don't pay, a lot of things couldn't happen. So, I understand it seems unfair to you, but it's really not.
But as pp says, we always had the line saying if any parents are having difficulty, to contact the office.

Rosebel · 01/10/2020 09:41

We pay £10 a term for all DT lessons so £20 for both of them but on top of that we also have to provide the ingredients for cookery. So my eldest who is doing Food Technology as her GCSE we pay the school and pay for her (usually incredibly long) list of ingredients. That seems unfair.
£20 sounds a lot though as it's a small class and will be using £20 from the PP for all the other children. What on earth are they cooking?

Original poster
jcoc147 · 01/10/2020 09:42

Thank you all for your comments I was unaware that pupil premium was such a thing and presumed it was only lunches they qualified for.
I will find the £20 and pay as I don't want my ds to miss out I just wanted to know others views on the situation.

OP posts:
Florencex · 01/10/2020 09:44

@IWantToBeMelissaWhenIGrowUp

"that although they can participate in the lesson they will not be allowed to taste any of the food they make or bring any home."

Am I missing something. Your DS will be the only DC allowed to taste the food (and take some home) while the other DC just look on?

My first thought in that situation wouldn't be about the £20 Hmm

Am I reading it wrongly? Apologies if so but on the face of it it sounds extremely uncomfortable and I would not be happy with it at all.

No that is not what OP said.

The school has said that if somebody who is not on FSM refuses to pay the child cannot taste ten food. The other children are all on FSM so they will be allowed to taste the food.

thenightsky · 01/10/2020 09:45

@Witchend

We always had to provide ingredients. I'd far rather they'd asked for a contribution. No, more buying a jar of something you never use, to use 1/2 teaspoon of it to produce food the family doesn't eat, and then the jar sits in the cupboard until you throw it away because it's gone out of date.
Completely agree with this. £20 a term to not have to arse about sourcing random small amounts of ingredients you'll never use again, and enough tiny tupperware pots to hold it all would be worth every penny.
arethereanyleftatall · 01/10/2020 09:46

It's great that they're helping out those on fsm. But it's yet another kick for those who work who end up on less disposable income on those who don't. It's the system at fault. It's so difficult - no child should ever miss out, but at the same time, the government can't pay for everything for everyone all the time; especially at the moment.

beachedwhales · 01/10/2020 09:46

There can't be an element of discretion because the school are given extra money for the fsm children which will cover the cost of the cooking lessons ingredients. They don't get that money for ops child so if they pay it it's coming out of school funds which will mean it can't be spent in something else, op isn't entitled to fsm and that's just how it goes. The cut off has to be somewhere.

Petportraits · 01/10/2020 09:46

If you can afford it I don’t know why you have a problem?

planningaheadtoday · 01/10/2020 09:46

We have paid for home economics at school, it was a welcome relief when the school offered to purchase ingredients.
Before this we would take our own ingredients. £20 is much cheaper than buying ingredients each week for the module of 10 weeks.

They are recognising that families who need the extra support probably won't be able to pay.

Surely the £2 a week is cheaper than you sourcing all the herbs and ingredients yourself?

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 01/10/2020 09:46

I think uts pretty fair. It doesn't change the fact you have to pay fornschool dinners. Its unfortunate that your child is the only one that has to pay, but he very likely won't be the only child in the entire school.
What is a bit strange, is that they will still be given the ingredients to cook but not allowed to even taste them.

Original poster
jcoc147 · 01/10/2020 09:47

@Rosebel

We pay £10 a term for all DT lessons so £20 for both of them but on top of that we also have to provide the ingredients for cookery. So my eldest who is doing Food Technology as her GCSE we pay the school and pay for her (usually incredibly long) list of ingredients. That seems unfair. £20 sounds a lot though as it's a small class and will be using £20 from the PP for all the other children. What on earth are they cooking?
They are a group of children with very complex needs so are only making basic recipes things like shortbread, pizza etc
OP posts:
IWantToBeMelissaWhenIGrowUp · 01/10/2020 09:52

@jcoc147 Apologies, my fault!

If you can afford the £20 (perhaps you could pay in instalments if it makes it easier?) I would pay it. A couple of my DC had to bring their own ingredients (which usually included expensive items or stuff you had to buy but only needed a pinch of, for example saffron Hmm) so not only the expense but the hassle of getting it, and then there was the added irritation of them bringing home inedible squashed food which wasn't enough for a family meal.

I do realise the separate issue of being the only one pay to pay is annoying, but it's circumstances that dictate this and it's just unfortunate your class has this "make up" (can't think of the proper word!). Don't forget at a mainstream school it might not be the case, with a larger cohort it could be eg half and half in which case it would be the same situation but "feel" fairer?

Probably explaining this badly. I also had a DC at specialist school with small intake, but we were the opposite, the other 99% of the class were wealthy, so it was always a SIOB for us when visits to theatres etc were proposed.

I find that lots of things at school (especially at the moment) give people an exasperated FFS feeling - this is probably one of them! Thanks

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