Is this a normal amount of requests from the school - its non stop!

[SchoolRequests]

Dc started reception just over 5 weeks ago and already had

• An ongoing weekly donation request
• Request to buy waterproofs (with 5 days notice of when needed)
• Non uniform day plus donation
• Harvest festival donation
• School photos
• Request to go through books with no words on a night and write in communication dairy on a daily / weekly basic
• Harvest bag to fill with leaves and pinecones
• Panto trip in december to pay for

I'm dreading opening his school bag to find more letters requesting things. It is just constant requests for time and money. Is this a normal amount? Do schools think parents have lots of free time and money to get stuff with little notice constantly and don't have work or other children to look after?

What is it like at your kids school?

Normal unfortunately.
I have Dc in Primary and secondary-
Secondary have requested £100 already towards 2x trips, that arnt compulsary and A PE Top at £35 (specific to PE GCSE, only to be worn on GCSE PE subject so 2hrs a week) this is additional to the normal £35 one I bought on Sept 1st!
Im not paying for trips or buying the top!

Our school is out of control. It’s about 2/3 special things a week and huge amounts of voluntary contributions. They have no money though. I don’t think it’s unreasonable on either side, it’s just hard!

Apart from weekly donation - very standard
”yes, just let me produce some Victorian era clothes out of thin air for my kid to wear in 2 days time…”
”of course I can home bake themed cupcakes for the bake sale tomorrow”
(I’m being ironic there, it’s a nightmare!)
late night supermarket runs and keeping some old clothes / cardboard boxes for emergencies are part of having school aged kids

Yes, all sounds normal. I found the requests for things like pinecones/egg boxes for crafts have mainly stopped now in year 3. Our school take donations on a monthly DD, asking for cash each week is just annoying.

Yeah. I’d decline the weekly donation. But the other stuff id do.

I think it’s probably normal for English primary schools to be asking for donations but definitely wouldn’t be common here in Ireland.

There are no regular requests for money during the year other than;
the school photos (optional),
once a year flag appeal in late Spring,
school sponsored walk in May,
and the school trip (tour) in June

There are no trips during the year other than the annual day out.

Our Primary sets homework from day 1 which initially is reading a page of their book and ends up being about an hours worth of homework most days by the time they’re 10 mostly coveting Maths, Englush and Irish. Parents have to sign their daily diary to say they’ve done the homework and we’ve checked it.

The homework has been great to get him into a good routine after school and now he’s in secondary, he’s actually getting less homework at the moment. Probably to assist those children who’ve never had to do homework before.

It’s a lot, I’m a teacher (was a reception teacher for years) and I think it’s too much. The main problem is that schools have no money to buy anything. I have to buy everything for my class myself, even pencils and whiteboard pens most years. Now I’m down to part time and I just can’t justify buying it when I’m on half my wage. This week a message came out on the school app asking for second hand socks to be handed in (for using if someone’s socks get wet etc). I read it and thought surely someone could have nipped to Asda for a dose of socks 🙈 but no, there’s no money

The ongoing weekly donation request is unusual.

Waterproofs are pretty normal and our nursery and school ask for them from day one

Non uniform days again common but not with a donation.

Harvest festival donation never heard of it.

School photos are normal but you don't have to buy them.

Books with no words are unusual. My kids do books, reading and sentences (youngest is nearly 6) as homework

Harvest bag to fill pretty normal in our school. I have a request for one of my kids to do it.

Panto trip - Actually shocked by this especially with the cost of living crisis. Our parents council pays the local theatre company to come in and do an afternoon panto. The kids love it and it ensures all kids regardless of additional support needs and financial backgrounds can attend. It's totally free.

That isn't reasonable. Lots of people will come on to talk about school budgets but harassing parents, many of whom may be on very low incomes, isn't the answer.

Schools are going to have to get smarter with fundraising. Maybe initiatives targeting local businesses? I don't know. Especially as teachers want a double digits pay rise.

The reading and collecting nature are pretty normal though - surely you want to support your child's learning?

As a reception teacher I just want to confirm that noone does ALL of the requests and noone expects you to. Remember these requests aren't all coming from one person, some are the teachers some the head some the PTA.

arethereanyleftatall · Today 11:37
slowquickstep · Today 11:29
A weekly donation to what ? Ask the head to give up just 5% of her monthly wage instead if it is for equipment”

That's horrid. If you're being serious. Yes, it should come from the government, but as/if it doesnt, and the choice is between me or the teachers, I would a million times rather it came from my own pocket for my own children than the teachers.”

this. Why should staff pay for equipment? What a stupid thing to say.

Normal.
Before Christmas I predict you'll need to

• buy or make a Christmas jumper
• provide a costume for the nativity
• provide donation to the Christmas fair

If it's Children in Need, Sports Relief or Comic Relief, I predict dressing up day but are they early next year?
World Book Day in March
class assembly at least once
Sports Day
Summer Fair
some sort of sponsored fundraising thing
Maybe an Easter competition of some sort- bonnet or egg perhaps
permission slips for visits from outside visitors
letters about nits
letters about attendance
letters about not coming in if you're ill
lettrrs about where to get Covid vaccines
bump letters
letter when children get weighed and measured

and so on...

Yes, although we don’t have weekly donations and when they’re older they’re expected to write in their own reading diary.

Save all your shoeboxes and £1 coins. You never know when you’ll get a random text for either!

Sorry got loads more predictions flooding in like end of term class parties, community events like fireworks...

Its much easier in secondary

Yes, it sounds similar to ours and it is incredibly frustrating.

My Dfather is on the verge of passing away, I've just started the second year of an integrated masters and as silly as it sounds the constant demands from school have nearly broken me since September.

I muted the 'Myed' app and just ignore it all for now.

Send a letter saying in these times of financial hardship you are able only to provide what is absolutely necessary under school regulations. And send a copy to the governors.

Seems like a lot. The weekly donation is shocking tbh.

My DC just started school too. We've had:

• School photos (but no pressure to buy them)
• Request for harvest donation of tinned food
• Invitation to visit the classroom and see a phonics lesson taking place.

Yes but will the requests can be overwhelming you can ignore some. It should say with lots of these requests particularly money are voluntary. You are not obligated. Check what the policy is if a family can't afford something. If it is beyond your situation please don't pay

Mines left now but I always found the autumn term very "heavy" for various requests. He was at a special school sontjere from reception to end of a 3 year sixth form (a special school "thing") and it was the same all through!!

I think the weekly donations is due to the current cost of living crisis. All the rest looks standard.

That's 8 requests in 5 weeks - less than 2 per week. You're hardly inundated! Most parents expect to hear regularly from school: you can't please all of the people ....

My DS has started reception and he hasn't been given a single piece of homework or reading to do! Have other parents found this too? Is this unusual? I have a meeting with the teacher tonight to find out why this is

Wait until there in years 3 upwards and it's £300 pounds for a school trip £100 for another and all the usual you have listed 🤷‍♀️

Yes and from year 5-8 you will be randomly required to buy certain things for PE that they will never actually use or be required to wear. Until you get wise to it.