Is it normal for schools to ask parents to buy reading books?

[MrsLTT]

My son’s primary school is asking parents to purchase reading books for comprehension, they will need a different book at the schools request every new term in which they will be highlighting text and making annotations. The school used to photocopy the books for each child but have decided to save money paper and ink and they will get parents to pay for the books.. does anyone do this at there schools? Am so shocked this can even be asked as comprehension is part of the curriculum!
what’s people’s thoughts?

At secondary it is sometimes done.

particularly at gcse having their own copy they can annotate is useful

If it is a book that will be written in/kept by the child and can't be reused schools can charge.

Yes

I’ve never had to do it as a parent or teacher but I have donated used books to teachers who are desperate for books. The schools are really struggling budget wise.

We have never been asked to but but often asked to bring in a book the child was reading at home.

What was the exact wording of the email?

Unusual for primary school. Do they study books that in depth at primary?
Not sure about secondary these days.
Back in my day if notes weren't in pencil and couldn't be rubbed out we had to pay to keep the book.
If you could rub them out you could return the book to the school.

Would you rather your child read from tatty photocopies or an actual book?

Schools have no money, and eventually this expectation that schools can and will provide everything will have to change if we want to maintain any semblance of decent education in this country.

@MrsLTT schools usually buy the books in bulk and get them cheaper than bookshops and the parents can buy them directly from the school.
If you really can't afford it there will be discreet funds available.

It isn’t usual but many school are running at a deficit due to under funding so I can understand the need.

Just to add Iv not said I can’t afford books, it’s not about the cost it’s the principle that the school is passing the cost to parents when it’s for school learning. It states that schools can only ask for voluntary contributions not to fully fund a child’s learning.
so it’s not about tatty photo copies it’s about teachers teaching a different way to teach comprehension rather then pen mark books!

Y6?

@MrsLTT but you have to pay for uniforms, pencils, PE kit etc for your children so it's just part of the expense of school really.

I’d be curious re how they actually worded this request

Year 3 but it will be a book a term till year 6

If it's a state school, ask for their charging and remissions policy. There is legislation they need to comply with. As asked above the wording of request will be relevant.

I'd rather have to pay for books than a uniform to be honest but schools insist on uniforms.
I doubt the school can actually enforce it and if not enough parents buy the books they might have to think again.

I have never been asked to do that at any point until Year 10 when we could purchase certain books for GCSE if we wanted to.
I think it's unusual but presuming the book is cheap then I would not mind buying it.

Not normal at the primary schools round here, no.

@MrsLTT does "a term" mean 3 terms or 6?
Some schools class each half term as a a term.
So either 3 books or 6 books?

Practically new books can be bought secondhand from places like World of Books for £3 or less.

I definitely had my own copy of ‘The Hobbit’ as an 8 year old in the early 1970s at a State school. Parents provided all pupils’ reading books. Textbooks were provided by the school.

(Later at an independent senior school parents bought all books for every subject but could sell them on at the end of the year.)

I am not surprised with shrinking school budgets. I was always buying supplies out of my own pocket for my class as a teacher, but that is unsustainable long term.

On another note. In so many countries you have to pay school fees and buy all your stationery and textbooks as well as exercise books. No fees no school. This is for state education too. I sometimes don't think we realise how fortunate we are to have free state education.

Thing is, you can argue about whether the gov should be allocating more funding. But they’re not. So the options are 1) I buy it for my kid 2) the teacher buys it for my kid 3) the dc doesn’t get a book. Assuming I can afford it, I’m going 1. Definitely happens in secondary schools my way, I think I spend about £200 per year on text books at alevel. I consider it actually pretty cheap for my child to get the brilliant teachers they get.

Not this specific request but I definitely give more than the cost of 6 books a year to the school for recourses.