Are schools allowed to charge for curriculum activities?

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

DD has started swimming with school.

They asked for a £2 contribution every week towards to coach, or £20 for the term.

I forgot to send it last week and DD told me she'd been asked for it in front of the whole class and had to say I forgot, and the teacher said it was ok once but to remember next week.

Now I know its only £2, but are they allowed to ask for it at all? I thought curriculum things (ie things the children had to do) were meant to be free. I don't really like them asking children for the money publically either.

how else the teacher supposed to collect in the money .. if she did it 1 by 1 what would the other children be doing?

Check your schools charging policy. I know our local schools bus children to swimming and can't charge for it, and I know, as a governor, that we've had to tighten our charging policy according to the law.

They should definitely have a charging policy, if no joy with school then check with LA.

There is often argument about the ingredients for food technology .

should the school provide them and what happens if a pupil forgets them?

It is not right that children should be wrongly punished.

cazzy - I didn't like it because DD came away from it feeling as though she had been told off and warned that it mustn't happen again.

For all the school knew we could have been scrabbling around for pennies for heating that week - its not fair on the children to make them feel uncomfortable about a financial contribution that is not supposed to be required anyway!

QOFE - I understand your concern regarding the way the money was asked for. Not ideal, but the fact of the matter is schools are under huge financial strain and, in all honesty, I think you're lucky they are offering swimming at all. Many schools no longer do this.

£2 is a tiny amount to ask for in terms of a contribution - less than a takeaway coffee or sandwich at lunch. Families who struggle financially are known to schools (free school lunches etc) and when the money needed really can't be found they will have a system to deal with this.

just make sure you remember it next week

Certainly we have to contribute towards travel for 'curriculum' activities - usually the bus cost as that is a significant part of the cost... so yes that's quite normal up here (in Scotland) and (in our case) must be paid for before the trip/activity etc takes place.

For activities that takes place during school hours, the school can only ask for a voluntary contribution. Pupils must not be excluded from the activity because the parents don't contribute.

It sounds like this hasn't been handled very well. If you want to take it further you should raise it with the head teacher.

If it's a question of paying and going swimming, or not paying and not going swimming, which would you rather?

OrmRenewed - the school isn't allowed to do that. Either they take everyone swimming regardless of whether or not they've paid, or no-one goes swimming. In any case, the OP isn't trying to get out of paying. She is complaining about the way her daughter was treated when she forgot to take the money.

But if no-one pays they wouldn't go would they?

And I don't think being asked if she had the money is all that terrible?

The bus is the only cost - the local posh boys' school lets them use their swimming pool for free.

Of course being asked for the money is not so terrible but it was IMO handled badly. They had no business telling DD it was alright this once but she must remember next week - she doesn't have to remember at all, it is a voluntary contibution! She felt that she'd been told off and warned, as though she had been naughty.

Yes they are allowed to charge for it. In our school, payments made for curriculum things are voluntary but if not enough children pay the school can cancel the activity - most people pay. Swimming is separately listed - they pay for the activity but the parents make a contribution to the travel costs which seems fair enough to me.

If people can't pay then they have to have a word with the head teacher.

My DS1's school is tightening up on non-payers because, with residential trips that people don't pay for, knowing the school will still let their child go, it was costing thousands. Better they ask collect the money than sack staff imo and that is really what it is coming to in the current financial situation.

As for saying something in front of the class, I would be upset if it were a Yr 1 child because it isn't their fault, but if it were a Yr 5 or 6 I tend to think the school is supposed to teaching them to take responsibility for themselves so making sure that she has the bus money is as much your DD's responsibility as yours. So long as the teacher wasn't mean about it or deliberately humiliating your DD I don't think it is something that she needs to be discreet about - your DD won't forget next week now I bet!!