Is it normal for primary schools to expect so many payments?

[ThisRealFawn]

I have twins in Yr 5 in Primary School and recently (in the past 2 years) there are just so many things to pay for. I appreciate that the school are taking the children out to do things but it’s all at a cost to the parents that we just cannot afford easily in these pricy times. This is a state school. Not private btw.

last term we paid for:

music lessons x2 = £130
forest school x2 = £40 (plus £100 ish worth of weather appropriate clothing)
residential x2 = £300 (plus all the stuff they needed)
costumes for school play = £40 ish

so like £700 ish

this upcoming term already we have paid

music lessons x2 = £130
weekly ice skating x2 = £130
Sherwood forest trip x2 = £60

so another £300+ already before the term has even started

Is this normal? How are people affording this. Like I said - I’m glad for the children they get to do this stuff but I don’t like the assumption that everybody will just happily keep paying for whatever the school decide to arrange.

if you’re entitled to school meals I think you get it all paid for but we don’t qualify even though we aren’t high earners.

we haven’t done anything really over the Easter hols because I literally have had £100 left to last me 2 weeks. Could have done with that £300 I’ve just had to pay really 😂

Is this normal now for primary schools or is our school unusual for this?

Presumably a lot of this isn’t compulsory? The music lessons for example?

Ours is the same. I actually can’t wait for her to go to high school where trips are optional!

That seems like a lot of extra curricular events..... mine did piano lessons once a week!!! Residential trip in year six and.... that was it. Occasional day trips but probably about £30 ish?

Are these optional?

No of course not compulsory but I have a friend whose kids go to a school around the corner and they don’t pay for music lessons. They are provided for free

Yes it’s the presumption that pisses me off!

All of this sounds optional. If you tell the school you can’t afford this then they’ll probably suggest that your kids don’t need music and ice skating etc, or they may have a fund to help pay for this for families who can’t cover it.

It’s always been the case that there are added extras you can choose to pay for. These days more things will be considered as “added extras” because the schools don’t have enough money to cover them, that’s just how it is at present.

It seems a lot to me and there will likely be other stuff added in aswell as the term progresses

Peripatetic 1 to 1 lessons on a specific instrument for free to anyone who wants them? - wow!

No state school should be charging for curriculum teaching such as Forest schools. Extra-curricular music lessons are usually charged for, as are school trips BUT no the latter are meant to be a "voluntary contribution" and no child can lawfully be excluded if their parents do not or cannot pay. Are the whole class doing ice skating? I ask because it's an unusual activitiy for primary children.
Parents really shouldn't be charged for costumes for participation in a school play, though it's common to ask parents to 'make' costumes for such things.

Trips are usually linked to the curriculum- schools can't win because if they don't offer all these things, parents moan. And with all due respect OP, it's not their fault you have got twins - usually you wouldn't have this all at once.

But then you'll have the child coming home excitedly clutching the form about the ski trip/Paris trip/New York trip/insert other, increasingly costly school trip...

Well of course I could say that they can’t go but if everyone else is going that seems really unfair. I could stop their music lessons but they love them so I’m more happy to pay for that. I just don’t know why they need to put on so many trips and things when it’s at a cost to the family. It puts you in a difficult position

It’s not 1-1, it’s group lessons. There are 15 kids in each group

Yes, I'm also surprised by this!
Music lessons have always been paid for since I was a child. My friend is a peripatetic teacher and I've never heard of them being paid from school budgets.

Ice skating as well... weekly? I've not heard of that.

I would also be surprised that you need to spend £50 per child on wellies, old clothes and a coat - what specialist clothing are they asking for?

Never had to pay for play costumes, ever, either. That does sound unusual.

I find that sitting them down and saying that yes, of course they can go on this overpriced trip if their hearts are set on it but that they will have to earn half the money themselves through washing cars/ chores/ babysitting etc and that I will match fund it tends to cool their ardour somewhat.

So residential and school trips, yes, totally normal.

Never paid for forest school. Definitely cannot see how you spent £100 on clothing for it. We send ours in with wellies and waterproof trousers, which are normal things we already own, but probably cost £20 at most.

We don’t do music lessons. Is that compulsory? Music is part of the curriculum and you shouldn’t have to pay. If you’ve always have opted into extra tuition, just opt out. We don’t have music lessons, but the local music school would be similar costs, so seems normal.

We do have to send in costumes for the play, but they are basic and we whack them together from stuff we have at home. We don’t buy anything expensive. Most kids are in like a brown shirt with bear ears or whatever. It’s not the West end.

We pay probably £500 a term for sports and activities outside of school for 2 children (one of these being sports training at about 8 hours a week, plus competition fees, which can be another £200 a year or more). Children are expensive if you have them doing loads.

My daughter’s music lessons are free (two instruments), most school trips are £2 suggested donation to cover the bus costs.

£12 a term for optional orienteering.

The parent council have 3/4 discos a year, with a raffle and tombola to fundraise to pay for the fun stuff like theatre groups, silent discos, sports day medals and ice creams. I quite like it as it the kids get something in return for school funds.

There are always £1 days (comic relief, children in need etc.) sometimes there is a bake sale.

They only have one trip, in final year. This year it’s £450 and all of the kids and parents involved have been fundraising all year to reduce the total as much as possible.

We are paying I guess by stealth but it makes it a lot easier hopefully on parents who can’t afford it as much.

This is what I’m saying. I was shocked when I got the ice skating letter. I woukd expect that to be more of a one off day out than a 6 week course. Yes all the kids are going.

the costumes were very specific and normally I would make them but I ended up having to buy stuff this time because of how specific they were

Payment for any non-residential class activities is optional and your child cannot be excluded as a result of your not paying (they may not tell you this but it is the law)

Forewarned is forearmed…high school is more. Yes, the big trips trips are optional. But there’s the same number ish of day trips that everyone goes on. You have to buy text books and laptops. Uniforms more expensive. Often a bus to get there. Food tech stuff. And then there’s the canteen…

Wow I haven’t heard of free music lessons in years. I thought most music hubs charge now.

some pupil premium kids might get pp money spent on them?

I currently pay:
around £15 per term for the odd trip.
Music lessons 1 to 1 - expensive, yes, but optional.
School meals - also optional.
The big expense is the y6 residential next year but that's a one-off and a bit easier not having twins doing it at the same time!

Our PTA worked hard to fund forest school with no or little contribution from parents. Could you get involved and do the same? Obviously all schools' PTA setups differ.

No this is very expensive and much more than here - class learn an instrument together, nominal payment - day trips usually bring lunch and maybe £15 max, no costs like this even if we opted in for everything. No residentials. Lots of free or low cost trips, like behind the scenes Tesco trip (kids enjoyed it), nature walk in one of school parents (completely massive) garden, some more educational joint school trips funded by school, football teams go to play other schools, no contribution from parents.

They also try to get most costumes covered for plays. They definitely would work around if thought / someone mentioned cost was a lot. £40 is extortionate for costume

I agree with this, no child should lose out if they can’t pay.

I honestly find it abhorrent the figures being quoted in the OP.