NOW CLOSED MORE PRIZES ADDED! Take part in a survey about back to school costs and win 1 of 4 House of Fraser vouchers

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

We've just quadrupled your chances of winning a House of Fraser voucher - now 3 x £50 and 1 x £250 voucher up for grabs if you take part in the survey below...

eBay has asked us to find out what Mumsnetters think about the back to school period in terms of the cost of buying everything your child needs for the new term.

Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey. It is open to all UK Mumsnetters with at least one child of school age. Everyone who takes part and enters their details at the end will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four vouchers for House of Fraser (one for £250 and 3 for £50 up for grabs - all can be spent in store or online).

If you have more than one child at school, please just choose one and answer about them.

Please click here to take part in the survey.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

[AnnMumsnet]

belgianbun....Helen is on hols at the mo - I will chase it up with her on Monday.

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

Thank you to everyone who took part in this survey - the winners are:

Jobhuntersrus - £250 House of Fraser voucher
TheDailyWail - £50 House of Fraser voucher
belgianbun - £50 House of Fraser voucher
frogs - £50 House of Fraser voucher

Congratulations! I'll email you to get your addresses so eBay can send you the vouchers.

[falasportugues]

this survey is closed, mumsnet, please take it off your mumsnet latest feed!

[Tequilamockinbird]

Done

[Fo0ffyShmoofer]

Done

[jgbmum]

done

[MonsterBookOfTysons]

Done. :)

[elphabadefiesgravity]

The school gate style thing doesn't take account of where you are going afterwards. I selected I am mostly smart as most days I am on my way to work, but on non work days I wear whatever is vaugely clean.

[ouryve]

Definitely an odd survey.

And my kids' uniform is pretty basic and probably costs less than their everyday clothes, to be honest.

As for style at the school gates? I should have selected "other" - I'm clean and nothing's hanging out that shouldn't be!

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

moonbells - yes that's fine - please go ahead!

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

SDTGisAnEvilGenius - no it's fine don't worry!

[Bearskinwoolies]

Done

[TheGashlycrumbTinies]

Done

[MollieO]

Obviously the most important thing to me is ensuring that my dc have enough stationery ! Very odd survey.

[gillybean2]

3littlefrogs- I have not had that experience re homework at secondary.

Yes ds sometimes goes and does his online maths homework (which he gets a couple of times a term and takes 10 mins) at a lunchtime computer club. He's never had a problem getting on a computer. It involves connecting to an online site so as long as he can get online he can do it.

He did print out his end of year geography project, but it wasn't on expensive paper and many of his class didn't print theirs. I have no working printer at home so I had to go elsewhere to get it printed out.

He also once did his History homework (a newspaper article) on the computer as I said it would be easier re putting a picture on and columns etc. As I couldn't print it at home he emailed it to his teacher to show he had completed it and then I printed it out a couple of days later when I could get to a printer. His teacher was fine with that. It wasn't required to do it on the computer either but many of the dc did choose that option.

The only time when we've actually needed a computer of any description was when school was shut due to snow. The school posted work to be done at home on their website. One of his friends didn't have a computer so his mum would phone and ask me what it had been posted today. Again it didn't involve the most up to date software, simpy being able to get online to the school website.

[CointreauVersial]

Yes, that school gate question was particularly odd. I always look smart at the school gate, but that's because I come straight from work.

[3littlefrogs]

Xenia - it is lovely for you that you are rich enough to pay lots of private school fees. I think most people who make that choice accept the costs involved.

I do think that the costs incurred in sending a child to a state secondary school are a big shock to most people.

I have worked both full and part time for 35 years, am highly qualified but work in the NHS, on a reasonable, but not excessive, salary, so could not consider paying lots of school fees. (Just wanted to get that in before you tell me that I should study and work so that I can afford private education etc. ).

I have older children -one finished university, one half way through. This is also eye-wateringly expensive.

[Xenia]

Nothing compares to5 lots of school fees c £50k school fees of course. The cost of rulers etc and school uniform which is private schoos parents tend to buy second hand at special school sales is neither here nor there.

What mothers wear at the school gate? eek suggests women collect children and men work which is sexist. Plenty of us choose to work and with huge enthusiasm avoid the boring daily school collection.

[3littlefrogs]

WhoWhoWhoWho -just wait until you find that once at secondary school ALL homework has to be done on a computer, using all the most up-to date software packages (every available variety), has to be printed on good quality paper, in colour. And stored on memory sticks. The facilities provided at school will be totally inadequate and your child will only be able to use them if they get to school at the crack of dawn, or stay late. They will have to fight with the older and bigger children to get access to the school computers, and by the end of the first term in year seven both you and your child will have had endless hysterics over the homework, and you will have shelled out for all of the above technology.

As you can probably tell, I am somewhat irritated by this. It is a nightmare. And don't even get me started on the "voluntary" contributions for educational visits.

(It is a somewhat peculiar and not very well designed survey).

[JulesJules]

Oh I know - so far (at First School) the trips have only been in the £5 - £10 range, with some cheaper than that, and they do always say that the cost is voluntary. But the main trips at Middle School are residential, running into the £100s.

Yes, I'd forgotten the £5 per half term "craft and baking" money, the charity donations, the wear your own clothes for a day donations etc etc.

[gillybean2]

JulesJules- Trips generally ask for a voluntary donation towards the cost, but also say if not enough people donate they may have to cancel. Even if you can't afford the whole amount for all/some trips speak to the school and see if you can make a smaller donation or if they can help you find funding for it.

Ds has only been on a couple of trips which involved £5 for the coach, and a theatre thing which came to school, which needed £6 i think. So it may not be as bad as you think!
Oh he also had to pay a donation for other stuff at various points last year - ingredients for a couple of subjects (£6 & £4), french workbooks (£3) and DT materials (£10 and £6). It all adds up though.

And of course there's the 'friends of ....' who want a direct debit donation preferably, and sponsor day, red nose day etc....

[JulesJules]

Agree, odd survey (suddenly leaps to school run dresses ).

DD1 is about to start middle school, and I have spent a fortune on stuff for her. She needed a new uniform obviously - the games tops and jumpers were only available from the school, even with the rest coming from Asda/ M&S 20% off offer it adds up. Then there's a bag for school and a games kit bag etc.

One of the irritating things was the uniform list from school had a lot of stuff on like football boots and socks, tracksuit etc which I dutifully bought, then on the open evening the HT looked v vague about it and said Oh they won't need to have all those things. SO DON'T PUT THEM ON THE LIST THEN. Grrrrrrr

The thing which worries me most is the cost of trips - I don't want her to miss out, but some of the trips will be unaffordable.

And laptop HAHAHAHAH

[gillybean2]

Done - very weird survey, but being a short survey is always a bonus!

[moonbells]

I am unsure as to if I can do it - DS is starting a nursery school which requires uniform - which is a hefty price! But not technically school... can I do the survey?