to not want to pay £32 for a picnic !

[howmuchdidyousay]

DS is in yr 6 and traditionally the Yr6 parents have organised a barbeque after school for the Yr6 children and their families and teachers.I the past this has ben done on a pretty informal basis with people signing up to say send in a box of burgers or some drinks.This year there is a new HT who has said he doesn't want a BBQ on health and safety grounds and has asked some of the parents to organise it.They have decided that they willhave a picnic instead and have asked every family to send £32 which will cover food ,a momento of teh occasion and other bits and pieces.
It just seems so OTT to me.Wahat do you think ?

YANBU

For comparison, when I was HoY 11, £30 was what they paid for their end-of-year Prom (possibly a whole new AIBU thread!) This covered:

-hire of a lovely venue with 3 rooms for a night
-entry for Yr 11 plus guest
-lovely, copiously catered buffet
-welcome drinks on arrival
-hire of a DJ for the night

And we only had 40 (approx) in the year, but the £30 per couple covered it, just about.

Definitely think you should find out why it's costing so much!

PGM

It sounds totally ott for a school function.

They need to realise that there is life outside school fgs Momento would be photos of the event surely...

What are the health and safety issues for having the BBQ anyway? Surely a few adults can be trusted with a school BBQ? The world's gone 'elf and safety bonkers!

I think Riven has sussed it!

My guess is that the memento is going to be an arial photograph of everyone sitting in the playground.

The helicopter pilot will be the new head, who will have taken flying lessons from the kitty.

Meanwhile, the kids in the playground will be eating Chomps and Space Raiders washed down with Panda Pops.

totally OTT!

we are hopefully doing a leavers party which will be about £5 per head, possibly £10 if we have to pay for venue (but we are hoping to get it for free!) We thought of doing a proper prom etc but didnt want anyone to feel excluded for financial reasons & hoped everyone would be able to afford £5 (or if they couldnt we would just pay it on their behalf)

£32 is ridiculous though. I can only sympathise.

lol at this thread
maybe the picnic is at legoland or Alton Towers

aerial

Doesn't anyone else look at the op name, especially on an unlikely story, not recognise the name and then do a search?

OP has been posting here about 20 minutes as far as I can see.

We have paid £15 for a party for dd1 - to which all the family is invited and which includes a limousine ride for all the children witha photo being taken at a well known local landmark! £32 for a picnic is absurd.

£32 is ridiculous - I am very surprised that the head has allowed such an extortionate price to be honest

That is certainly way over the top!!!
Are there other parents that feel the same? Maybe you can all get together and refuse to pay so much or find out what they want the money for.

It would be better if they were charging 'per head' as then families of a smaller/larger size would pay in proportion with their family size.

Mintyy - I don't think it's that unlikely a scenario and namechanging when slagging off other parents at school is a very wise tactic - I've done it myself

State school?

I don't think it's that bad. Is it instead or a prom or grad? £32 per family though is a little unfair, as for the OP it's just her and her DC, for others it could be 2 AD 4 DC. It should be per adult and per child.

I am assuming a momento is a class photo or some such. Say £10 for that - because it's obviously not possible for someone with a decent camera to take a shot, email it to parents and let them get it printed for about 40p - we know that. Schools like to drag the arse out of photos.

Message withdrawn

YANBU £32 is too much. How bloody insensitive of them to organise something so expensive without any consideration for people who live on lower incomes.

If I EVER organise ANYTHING, I ALWAYS think of the worst off person there and what they can afford. For God's sake, are they deliberately trying to segregate people on low incomes - coz for the life of me I can't understand why they haven't organised something everyone can afford.

On the other hand, you could always offer to help at these things, then your voice would be heard.

Is your son's school Eton?

BYO

Hi folks
Minty I namechanged incase the organiser is a MNer.She would be able to recognise me from other posts.
Found out someone has apparently queried the price and the organising mum was a bit snippy and said that perhaps she should organise it herself if she isn't happy !
it is a village (state) primary school.I have to point out that the £32 is a donation.But my child wants to go and I wouldn't want to feel I was a freerider.So i suppose I'll have to pay up ...reluctantly

Can't you say, in a bright cheerful voice 'I'm donating £16 as it's just the two of us not a family of four' and leave it at that? Don't make it a question, make it a statement. It seems very unfair.

Well in that case howmuch - YANBU.

The food alone, at cost price, would be max of £10 a head. Surely?

So what is the other £22 paying for?

It is a HUGE sum.

Could you not invite your dds dad to come with you, or your mum or something, just to get your moneys worth.

YANBU. When my DD's left primary school the year 6 leavers Barbecue was provided free.

Good plan ClaireDeLoon

No way, did they miss out the decimal point on the letter?