To think it’s wrong of the school to do this?

[Sunflowersunshinebreeze]

My child’s school has paid for a theatre company to come in and perform a show.

They are asking for a ‘voluntary contribution’ of £4 to enable your child to watch. (I am fine with that and have paid).

The office have said only those that have paid will be allowed to go and watch it and those that haven’t will have to stay in the classroom.

I am shocked that they are going to be excluding children who don’t pay (for whatever reason). E.g. they cannot afford to pay/parents didn’t see the notification in time/forgot etc.

Is this the same in other schools? Maybe I’m behind the times and this is the norm these days, but it just feels so wrong to me!

If they’ve said the payment is ‘voluntary’ why are they excluding the kids who don’t pay ? And why is this happening during school hours - surely they can’t ask for payment for something that happens during school time ?

To add to the "no such thing as voluntary contributions" in Scotland - I mean for things like school trips. Out of school activities, if you don't pay, you don't go. There is usually something on the letter about contacting school to speak to the head in confidence if there is any issue with this, but I don't know what they may have offered as I never had occasion to do so.

Things happening IN school like performances, workshops and so on were not charged for, but were typically funded by PTA. We funded things like a planetarium inflatable thingy, authors doing talks for world book day, Scottish opera workshops. No charge to children/parents, but unaffordable in the regular school budget.

Retired headteacher here and the thought of excluding children from an activity makes me feel sick! If you go into teaching in a state school it should be because you have a vocation to provide high quality education and opportunities to ALL children, regardless of their parents' financial status.

I am steaming mad on behalf of those children who have been left behind in the classroom while their classmates go off to a theatre production. It's cruel and humiliating to treat children this way.

What kind of values must a headteacher have to allow this degrading financial discrimination to be the norm in their school? Certainly not the kind of values that allows them the privilege of creating a nurturing environment that promotes equality of opportunity.

There are many ways of ensuring that every child is included in every educational opportunity, including voluntary contributions (paid over time if it helps), PTA funds, raising money at school performances, business sponsorship of events etc.

I'll shut up now and have a cake to calm myself down - so cross! 😡

Complain to Council that children are being excluded from lessons and being discriminated against.

It is absolutely unreasonable for the school to exclude pupils who cannot or do not pay this.

What an awful shaming experience for children to have if their families cannot afford to pay.

A theatre company visiting would be an enriching experience especially for children who may not visit the theatre ordinarily.

If your participation is contingent on whether you’ve paid, how is that a voluntary contribution?

Families who claim benefits or are on a low income are able to complete a form for the school to claim pupil premium on their behalf for school funds. Such activities should therefore be funded through this for those that can’t afford to contribute.

My DC school just sent today a message about a company coming in to do a play session (early years) with them. There is also a cost of £4, but the letter stated clearly the school appreciate costs can be challenging and so to get in contact with them to discuss.

They did the same for a zoo trip at Christmas time.
No one missed out. This is how it should be.

We had to pay via an app and there wasn’t an option to pay or contribute more, otherwise I think several parents would be happy and able to do.

Is this a state school?

I totally agree with everything you’ve said!

I posted below also,

In my post I mentioned Pupil Premium funding - can I ask you with your HT hat on, surely that can be used for this sort of thing to ensure no one excluded? Or are there rules on what PP can fund?
(I am more familiar with EYPP)

Never heard of such a thing! One DS in state- no demands whatsoever. One DS in private- you have to pay for it, not a choice to opt out.

Put in a Freedom of Information request and ask if children are excluded from trips if the parents don’t pay voluntary contributions and tell them that you may decide to share the response with the local press.

If it is unlawful to exclude a child from an educational activity during school time (except residentials) because of a parent can't or won't pay. It doesn't stop them threatening to though!

@KeenGreen PP could be used but unfortunately most PP funding will be tied up in staff costs. But as others have said it can only be a voluntary contribution and no-one excluded for curricular activities

They are in very rocky ground with that decision. I would definitely challenge it. It quite clearly states if you do a quick Google that no child can be excluded from an activity that takes place in school time because the parent has not paid the voluntary contribution.
This does not apply to over night activities.
Thats why it is always a voluntary contribution.

Goodness what if just one kid paid? Rubbish of the school.

I don't think that's legal.
The reason everything is called a voluntary contribution is because schools aren't allowed to enforce a charge.

I've been retired for over ten years so I don't know what the current rules are but we had to spend PP on raising educational standards eg employing extra TAs or increasing teaching hours - that kind of thing.

Extras like museum visits, theatre companies, school trips & residentials would be funded by parents, PTA and any other school funds we raised.

@UndermyShoeJoe

Not letting some children have the ice cream is appalling.

I used to be a reception/ year one teacher. Food is so important to that age group.

I would have paid for any children left out to have ice cream. Now way would I have watched children be excluded. So glad I left teaching and my reaction to this probably explains why I did.

I’d ask the school.
I wonder if they are doing this in the short term to point out to parents if some don’t pay these activities will never happen

Im wondering if all parents don’t pay anything in the basis their kids will get to see/ do the activity anyway ( on the back of others paying ) then everyone who does pay stops to get it free.
Does that make sense.

Im reminded by a friend who paid ( voluntary ) for a trip and found out other parents didn’t but everyone did the trip anyway. Paid and non paid. She only found out about this because those paying were asked for an increase in donation to make the trip possible. Apparently the parents not paying weren’t new to the school so didn’t pay extra any more.

I agree with others, if it’s not free for everyone it shouldn’t be scheduled. No kid should be left out.

Most private schools have all trips and activities factored into the termly bill. They don’t ask for random extras every now and then.

I thought the government brought in extra funding last(?) year to stop all core curriculum charges?

Be extremely surprised if children were excluded. Our school does this but children that don’t pay aren’t excluded it’s just to try and boost school funds so they can have more such experiences at school

That is just horrible. What a horrible ethos for the school. I made a huge complaint when something like this happened at my DDs old school. I work with families in poverty and a child should never miss out on small school day events because their parents can’t afford it - it’s a school play not a bloody skiing trip .

This is actually illegal. They can’t exclude the kids from this. This needs to be challenged even by people who have paid. It says voluntary contribution and if not enough received they need to cancel the trip.

my kid wasn’t sure about going to a theme park and I agreed with Senco that I would give permission and if he didn’t want to go on the day then he didn’t have to and if he went I would pay on day. It was voluntary contribution.

I had phone call from office and explained and they said that’s fine. Had another phone call from different person in office who said he can’t go and I calmly told them the law about voluntary contributions and asked for their name As they needed additional training. It went very quiet.

I did email the school not mentioning names and reminded them of their own policies and the law and copied in CEO as it’s a big MAT

i decided not to pay after on principle of their wrong behaviour. It would have been awful for parents who couldn’t afford it to have that phone call.

I suggest you contact the Governors. This is awful. I remember when I was at school in the 80s there were always 1 or 2 children from the poorer part of town who couldn't go on school trips. This is what I think our termly school fund donations or PTA collections should have been used for. I'm sure there'll be some tight arsed twats out there who won't pay so they can get it for free but there are always people who take advantage.