PTA Christmas party in school hours, only if you pay.

[Pickleandtomatoes]

AIBU? The PTA at my child’s school has decided to put on a Christmas party during the school day (probably an hour long or so). They get a drink, festive snack and gift, along with party games, but only if I pay £4.50 for this. I know we are not talking about a huge sum of money, but this is in school hours and if I don’t pay this, my child will be excluded from the event and sit in the classroom (possibly without any friends) and watch a Christmas film. The mental impact on my child of being excluded from the shared Christmas event is almost forcing my hand to have to pay. I have reached out to the school and had no response yet. AIBU to assume that they can’t do this? Thanks.

Nah, if a parent tells the Head they can't afford it, no way will the kid be excluded.

Even if the parent just chucked them a pound.

Our secondary school does this- don't think it's PTA, i think its the school/pupil social event group, but they have had christmas and halloween events for a charge during school hours, and everyone who doesn't attend just goes to class as normal. There's not even enough tickets to go round either- I guess the benefit there is that a lot of kids are still not class so it's not as isolating.

They also did similar with children in need but that didn't feel as off when it's a charity event.

Parent council at primary generally holds paid-for events outside school hours. Things like raffles and sponsored events do creep into the school day, but are also much more optional- everyone takes part in the sponsored events regardless of whether they are being sponsored!!

I'm surprised the school are allowing this.
I'm on the PTA at our primary school and any event held in school hours has to be free.
I would query it.

Have they specifically said in writing that children won't be allowed to attend unless the £4.50 is paid?

£4.50 could be a breaking point for some families at this time of year - especially if they’ve got more than one child. YANBU.

We have to fill in an online form for consent to attend and agree to pay the £4.50. The form cannot be completed without ticking the box to say that I understand I must pay £4.50 and how I will be paying this (cash/bank transfer).

I suppose if it’s presented as two options of Christmas activity, a movie or a party, and one is free then that is within guidelines? Similar to when there are activity days and one option is a paid trip?

If you find that there will in fact be children excluded cna you please PM me with details of the school and I will give them the money for any children that cannot attend due to funds, this is outrageous

Another one agreeing that's completely out of order. I cannot imagine this being sanctioned in the school I work in.

I agree. To some 4.50 can be petrol or food. This is in very poor taste. At best 1, a miminal amount as a donation not mandatory.

@Pickleandtomatoes your last update makes it even worse! Literally forcing you to agree to pay. Not acceptable.

I think this is bang out of order.

School trips by law must be voluntary contribution only, and no child can be excluded because of lack of payment. Either someone else (usually PP or PTA) covers the cost, or the trip does not go ahead.

I think events such as this should be on the same principle, because it is within the school day, but don't know if that's a legal requirement @prh47bridge - what do you think?

Even if legal, I think it's wrong

I've always vetoed any PTA activity during school hours that requires kids to pay

That’s dreadful. £4.50 is a lot of money if you don’t have it. I would complain and hope that enough parents refuse.

School trips are educational though. Or at least you can see there's a cost there because it involves transport, a business of some kind being involved, etc. If you want to do a school Christmas party for kids you don't need to buy food, drinks and gifts, just put music on and do some Christmas games using what you already have in school. Kids are excited enough by music and all being in the hall together instead of being in a lesson, it doesn't need to be anything extreme.

I agree that this is out of order, but I think it is legal. This doesn't fall into the list of things for which schools are not allowed to charge and, in any case, I suspect the PTA is charging people rather than the school. I would, however, question why it is happening on school time. If the school says it is educational, they definitely can't charge for it.

Feel free to post the details here and I’ll enjoy writing an email to the school, and the PTA.

And include a lovely review on their Facebook/local pages etc….

That's very unfair if that's true.
It would be disgraceful and non inclusive for that to happen and I'm also surprised that they'd allow it, let alone initiate it.
It might be the wording not being thought out on the letter, but the school need telling even if it was unintentional.
Children wouldn't be able to process the other children having loud fun in another room and the feeling of being left out.

This happened at a school I was supply teaching at recently.
Needless to say, there was one child who hadn't paid. But these were 6 year olds! I bundled her along with the rest of the class.

Our pts would not do this. There are events like this, but no child is ever excluded. It is very wrong.

Our PTA offer financial support for events with a fee. It might be worth contacting them to see if they will help.

The issue is that only yesterday there was someone saying that they didn't want activities outside of school hours, and another person moaning that their school wasn't putting on anything. They really cannot win. An optional party with gift with a cost attach and an alternative of a film seems fair to me as long as there's provision for pupil premium children

The school have pupil premium and discretionary funding for exactly this sort of thing - to stop a child missing out.

So if you can afford it, pay because it helps your school and child. If you can't, go for the funding.

If your general gripe is that it's in school hours, join your PTA and help woth the organising.

Weird to be charged for it. Should be free. Our school party is next week and the PTA fund it out of funds they’ve raised through the year. The Will have bounce houses, games, crafts, snack and a small gift.

I think someone has dropped a ball here. Any head teacher or staff member/governor should realise that the school has a responsibility to be inclusive of PP children. As a governor I have just read our latest PP report and it is all about ensuring that there are no barriers to children because of disadvantage, it's fundamental to how a good school should operate.