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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not pay for swimming lessons

26 replies

oldandgreynow · 07/06/2010 23:16

I have 4 children between 5 and 15 who all want to do activities and classes.It costs enough to pay for the stuff they want to do without the school expecting me to pay for swimming lessons they don't..It works out at £4 each per week for my 2 primary school aged children and I resent the school committing me to paying for this.They both swim as well as they want to!Would I be unreasonable to tell the school that i want to save my money to pay for activities they enjoy?

OP posts:
Tortington · 07/06/2010 23:18

so presumably your two children would stay back at school whilst there peers went swimming? they would be put in with another class whilst their whole class went swimming. the point i am making is - there is more to this than just the swimming

Vallhala · 07/06/2010 23:19

Surely under current legislation if the swimming lessons are part of the PE curriculum there is no cost to the parents?

Or are you speaking of additional/extra-curricular lessons?

Original poster
oldandgreynow · 07/06/2010 23:20

No I think they would have to take them as they are not allowed to exclude children from an activity becuase of a parents unwillingness to pay

OP posts:
exexpat · 07/06/2010 23:20

Can the school actually ask you for money for something if it's a compulsory part of the curriculum? I certainly didn't have to pay for DS's swimming lessons at school (just as well as they were useless - huge groups and unqualified teachers, and he came out officially unable to swim the required 25m, but miraculously after two hours of private one-to-one lessons he could do 100m), but his class were able to walk to a nearby pool. Is your £4 for the actual lessons or for transport? In any case I would take it up with the school

scurryfunge · 07/06/2010 23:20

Can you make savings in other areas to enable them to swim?

The school cannot charge for lessons during school time...if you cannot afford it, speak to the head.

Tortington · 07/06/2010 23:21

so is the 4 pounds a 'voluntary' contribution?

TheNextMrsDepp · 07/06/2010 23:21

Our shool normally calls it a "voluntary contribution" (but we do have our own pool), so if you decided you didn't want to pay I think they'd have to honour that. It's the same with school trips - no-one is forced to pay, it's considered voluntary (but with the understanding that not enough people pay, the activity can't go ahead).

YANBU - talk to the head.

cheesesarnie · 07/06/2010 23:24

its not every week though is it?surely just a term?it does sound alot but it varies widely as ive read on here(also i pay 70p for dd and £2.50 for ds1,schools that are 20 minutes apart but use same pool).

we live in cornwall so id be prepared to pay alot to ensure my dc are water safe and can swim well.id be tempted to put another activity on hold to pay for the swimming.

maybe tell the school you are struggling to come up with the money

Original poster
oldandgreynow · 07/06/2010 23:25

The children have previously had private lessons and can swim.the lessons are in school time and we get the usual volunatery contribution letter, but then they chase you for the money as though it is some kind of debt.

OP posts:
TheNextMrsDepp · 07/06/2010 23:29

You have to come clean and speak to the head. If they say voluntary, then that's what it is.

paisleyleaf · 07/06/2010 23:33

"but then they chase you for the money as though it is some kind of debt"

Cor, don't they!?
It'd be interesting to see what happens if you refuse to pay the 'voluntary contribution'.
I'm not bothered about my DD having the school lessons,but have just coughed up my contribution. As I was thinking like custardo: how it's more than just the swimming.

This swimming money seems to be causing a few niggles - I think they're going to have to change the way they approach this.

Tortington · 07/06/2010 23:45

tell em to go swivel for the money - just write a letter @ dear mrs headteacher, i'm not paying the voluntary contribution as its voluntary and my kids can swim.@

SeaTrek · 08/06/2010 08:17

YANBU, if you cannot afford it - just tell the school that.

YABU, if you can afford it (and by afford it I mean won't even miss it, not somehow manage to scrape the money together) - I really would just pay then in support of the school.

My DS has three private swimming lessons per week, and I am really not bothered about his school one in addition to that at some points in the year. He learns very little in terms of actual swimming, but I definately wouldn't exclude him or refuse to pay (when I can afford it) as he enjoys it, it is educational in other ways and it supports the school and the children who do not have access to private swimming.

Fluffyone · 08/06/2010 08:41

Swimming is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum. www.sta.co.uk/index.php?page=53
The school can only ask for voluntary contributions, if you don't put any money towards the cost then they have to bear it. So if you write to the Head saying you will not be making a contribution then fine, they shouldn't be debt chasing, but I don't think it's fine to get arsey with them about your children not needing to go.
Before you make your decision please bear this in mind... I am a clerk to governors for 5 schools and swimming is a topic that they regularly return to. The money they pay to support this part of the curriculum is an on-going drain on resources and for some schools that is a real issue. It's not just the cost of the lessons that have to be taken into account, it's transport, cover for the teachers who go etc as well.
On the one hand we are worrying about cuts to our public services, and we all know schools are going to feel the pinch. On the other hand... £4 a week - if you can afford it - would it be the end of the world to pay?

sarah293 · 08/06/2010 08:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

NorbertDentressangle · 08/06/2010 08:49

Does anyone elses school ask for money (voluntary or otherwise) for swimming lessons?

Ours doesn't, not even for the coach that transports the children to and from the pool

Adair · 08/06/2010 08:51

£8 a week !

That's a lot IMO.

Fluffyone · 08/06/2010 08:52

A lot of schools ask for voluntary contributions. You could ask your school how it pays for swimming it may even be funded by the PTA or similar.
For info on the curriculum read the link I've posted.

Fluffyone · 08/06/2010 08:53

Not £8 a week, £4. And it's voluntary, so if you can't pay the full contribution, pay part?

Adair · 08/06/2010 08:58

She has two primary aged children. So it's £8 for her. Agree she should pay part.

nymphadora · 08/06/2010 09:58

We pay £1 a week for transport.

LittleAriel · 08/06/2010 10:56

Our school does an 'intensive block' where Years 3 and 4 go swimming every morning for two weeks to a pool a couple of miles away, by coach.

There is no charge but I would pay it if there was one (within reason!), even though DS is an accomplished swimmer and goes twice a week privately, just to avoid making him the 'odd one out'.

However, if it is voluntary and you will struggle to pay, then don't pay. £8 a week (for the two of them) is a considerable amount over a term.

Galena · 08/06/2010 21:07

At our school, one year so many parents refused to pay the 'voluntary contribution' for swimming that a trip was cut out for that year group. The school could not afford to subsidise all the swimming non-payers and the trip non-payers. If you don't want to pay (if you CAN'T pay that's different) then the children don't go swimming imo. They'll live.

magnolia74 · 08/06/2010 21:28

At our school they have their own pool so no transport costs but its still £20 per half term!!! Not voluntary, if they don't pay they don't swim.

If you can't afford it (which we can't) you have to make an appointment with the head and explain why......I'm not fecking begging for my daughter to swim for free so she doesn't swim there.

LittleNicci · 08/06/2010 21:34

It's voluntary at our school too. We have our own pool, so it was 50p towards the maintenance and upkeep. A lot of the parents weren't prepared to fork out 50p a week (even though we live in a seaside town, so learning to swim is an absolute must), so now those of that do pay have to pay double.

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