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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To thinks schools can’t be that short of money then?

84 replies

AwakeNotAwoke · 02/08/2021 16:22

DD has just had a wonderful week attending her soon to be secondary school’s summer school.

I was very surprised that the 200+ kids who attended were given -

a free trip to a theme park(including travel)
free water bottles (expensive metal ones)
free stationery sets and pencil cases
free lunches everyday
a BBQ with an ice cream van on site (all free)

They were also given a good quality t shirt and a hoodie embroidered with the name of school and ‘summer school 2021’ so won’t be worn again

I’m not knocking it at all. It was an excellent way to introduce the DC to the school and DD is really looking forward to starting next month but I’m surprised that the school had so much money to throw around when we’re constantly being told how underfunded they are Hmm.

Even the extra embroidery on the t shirt and hoodie would have cost a lot when they could have left the ‘summer school 2021’ off and said they could be used as part of the PE kit. As it is the mandatory PE top is in the same material but a different colour and costs £22!

AIBU to think this was rather a waste?

OP posts:
VienneseWhirligig · 02/08/2021 16:24

The DfE provided specific funding for summer schools so they will have used that to cover the costs.

FenceSplinters · 02/08/2021 16:30

The summer school funding can only be spent on that, so it’s great that the students have had a positive time from it.

LadyCatStark · 02/08/2021 16:32

Yes as others have said, the extra funding was for summer school and schools have to use it for that.

MsMarple · 02/08/2021 16:32

I totally agree that the T-shirt and hat could have been re-wearable p.e. kit items - presumably they will get future use out of the water bottles and stationery though?

In the main though YABU schools were given separate funding for summer school, so it was most probably ring fenced for this purpose.

PumpkinPie2016 · 02/08/2021 16:35

Extra funding was supplied for summer schools, same with catch up funding.

We ordered resources using the catch up funds that simply wouldn't have been possible without it.

Demelza82 · 02/08/2021 16:36

This reply has been deleted

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Hellocatshome · 02/08/2021 16:36

My son is yet to attend his summer school week at his new comprehensive school but the itinerary includes water sports, theme parks etc although we have to provide packed lunches. Its also open to the existing school pupils but very few have taken it up as it isnt 'cool'. Unfortunately this is what happens when government controls what school.can spend their money on. Its nice for the kids going but I bet the school has a million other things they would rather spend the money on.

ahaydt · 02/08/2021 16:38

As others have said, our school has specific funding for the summer schools this year.

LaurieFairyCake · 02/08/2021 16:39

Yes they're NOT ALLOWED to reallocate the money so of course it's a white elephant

Noodledoodledoo · 02/08/2021 16:39

We had to spend the money on Summer school items - we spent ages trying to design suitable summer school activities that we could buy equipment for to enhance our department long term!!

jendifer · 02/08/2021 16:40

What would you rather the dfe funding was spent on?!

ahaydt · 02/08/2021 16:43

@Noodledoodledoo

We had to spend the money on Summer school items - we spent ages trying to design suitable summer school activities that we could buy equipment for to enhance our department long term!!
Yes, we've also done this too.
lavenderandwisteria · 02/08/2021 16:44

@jendifer

What would you rather the dfe funding was spent on?!
I think you could make a case for it going towards something of direct benefit to education, although I appreciate the sort of items the OP links to can have indirect benefits, so I am not necessarily saying this should be the case.

I have known schools waste money like pissed sailors though, so while the OP is being unreasonable in this instance, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to question how public money is spent.

Malbecfan · 02/08/2021 16:46

We wrote up a wish list for our department and quite a lot of that equipment is being covered by the summer school fund. It will firstly be used by the incoming y7s but then incorporated in our provision which will enhance the learning for all students. The remaining equipment will have to come out of our diminished capitation budget.

Schools are most definitely "short of money" - do you not access reputable media stories?

roses2 · 02/08/2021 16:48

@Demelza82

Love to see you get put back in your box OP. Not the brightest are you?
What a horrible comment. Are you normally this rude?
lavenderandwisteria · 02/08/2021 16:50

Yes, she is @roses2.

AgentProvocateur · 02/08/2021 16:50

Some people will always find something to complain about.

Moonsick · 02/08/2021 16:55

Ds has his next week. We were told it was to close the gap in attainment due to months of Covid/homeschooling and the money has been given by the government strictly for that purpose. Free meals each day, free trip to local attraction, bag of school supplies and calculator and also a tablet if they attend for all 5 days.

My school parent groups are divided almost equally into "whoopee free childcare" and "fuck that, they've had enough bloody school".

StormyTeacups · 02/08/2021 16:55

Ours did 2 days of lessons 😂

Wolframhart · 02/08/2021 16:56

Also are you sure it wasn’t funded by donations? Most of the extras at our school are funded by the parents.

DanglingMod · 02/08/2021 17:00

A tablet? Trips out? Hoodies?

Is this another postcode lottery thing? Our secondary school is running a year 6 into 7 summer school but the govt funding only just covers staffing and basic materials (food tech/art/paper supplies etc). No way would it cover some of the things quoted in this thread!

Notebooksarefabulous · 02/08/2021 17:06

Extra funding maybe but the things the op has listed must have cost a HUGE amount per pupil. Surely far more than the extra funding?

Plus the ridiculous environmental waste with the hoodies and t shirts.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 02/08/2021 17:06

Primary here so no idea really what’s going on in secondary schools but I know that my school would have tried to allocate the money as creatively as possible. Used it for summer school but on things that would have long term benefits and could be reused.

Neondisco · 02/08/2021 17:11

I work in the cultural sector and used to work in the charity sector. There various specific funding sources for things like this. Dependant on geographical area and the activities in the summer school.

I work on lots of projects through my work and it's completely normal for money to only be able to be spent on certain things. So it would be only available for the summer club.

It's a bit of a mad jump to assume because one simmer club is seemingly well funded all schools are rolling in it.

HelplessProcrastinator · 02/08/2021 17:17

My daughter is attending summer school for new year 7s but it is the same scheme they run every year. Free lunches and most activities on site. I guess this must be a postcode lottery situation. New school already had subsided extra curricular activities I guess because of inner city catchment but nothing new due to COVID catch up.