To think £4 each for school nativity is too much

[cheekynicolle]

So state Infant school have finally after covid deigned to do a Christmas performance - and for some reason (not disclosed) are charging parents £4 per ticket to watch!

I wouldn't mind £1-2 per person but really should they be charging parents so much to attend a school performance? And are all schools doing this or just this one school who have a history of bizarre decisions.

My sympathy for the OP's position vanished when I saw that she said the school had "finally deigned" to put on a play.
She is not coming from a position of supper for the school! What was the wording - some things say a cost but it's actually phrased as a donation. Parents who can't afford it could obviously contact the school and ask for a free ticket. Children on FSM might already be receiving one.

Sorry, support for the school. Though I doubt she'd give them supper either

We have to provide the costume as well.

They didn't charge in 2019 which is the last time they did a Christmas performance.

My children’s school MIS in a rich pocket in a very poor area, so quite mixed.
school meals are free (for all primary school children), club and all trips are free - so that no child will feel left out. They do ask for donations though (to support a school in Africa). I think this is the right approach

So, 2020 - just prior to second lock down, high covid rates and no vaccines.
2021 - in school, staff in masks, parents not allowed in school for events (government guidelines).
Any chance of a comment OP on why you describe this as "finally deigned"?

Because last years loads of local infant schools managed to do a nativity safely even if they just did one in the hall and filmed it for the parents.

I've never heard of charging/Fund raising for a nativity. I know most schools will help with these sorts of things if they are unaffordable though so I'd just speak to the office or whoever is collecting the money.

Our pta do loads of fundraising but also help out when they can with ghis sort if thing and giving out free gently used uniforms to anyone who wants them etc

I'd just raise it

I love all the people asking for 'suggested donations'.

All that all happen is that the school will not cover costs because not even those who could afford it would pay more than a pound.

Have you checked how much licensing rights cost? SMH

It should be free.

We’ve always bought our own costumes 🤷🏼‍♀️ to be honest the nativity is pretty generic so most parents end up swapping between themselves or reusing a siblings old costume. I wouldn’t expect the school to provide costumes as aside from anything else where would they store them the rest of the year?

I can see why schools do it, they are desperate for money. I'd think a better way would be to allocate one ticket free per child, then a (comparatively high) cost for each extra ticket.

That way each child has someone there to watch them, if some families want to bring grandparents etc the extra tickets raise money to benefit all the children.

So they just skipped one year of potential nativity?
What are some of the other bizarre decisions the school has made, OP?

Its a fair point, if you're not happy to donate four quid op how would you have felt if the school had to make drastic cutbacks to pay their fine for breaking covid guidelines to put on a concert?

Another alternative could be four quid per ticket but anyone who had volunteered their time to help the school in the last year gets a freebie - whether that's being on the pta, manning a stall at the fete, listening to readers an hour a week, whatever.

@latetothefisting schools were definitely allowed to do indoor nativities last year - It was not illegal.

So they've only missed one then if you're accepting they couldn't have done one in 2020?
Besides even if something isn't illegal doesn't mean its a good idea! The vast majority of schools in my area didn't do a concert last year.
You'd probably be moaning if they had held, and your family had covid over Christmas after catching it there!

At the end of the day it's money for the school, not a bonus for the teachers, and for an extra curricular event...its not like they are suggesting they don't let your kid learn maths if you can't pay.

Never paid for the nativity but music evenings etc from secondary onwards were around £5, more recently £10. Still paying for university concerts! More fool me

@latetothefisting you're never going to get this OP to admit to be hasty in her comment! She clearly has other issues with the school.

Parents were allowed in school for events in 2021, teachers weren’t wearing masks either?
I agree £4 is a bit on the high side, where is the money going?

Not in the part of the U.K. I'm in, @BungleandGeorge though admittedly I don't know where OP is.

Would you rather no nativity at all?

There are reports stating about 80% of schools will be in deficit next year. I was in a meeting the other day where school leaders were discussing which local schools were likely to close. Schools are desperate for funds