First child in school - shocked that school wants money.

[Ablepsia]

My boy has just started foundation/reception and as my first child it is a learning curve for me too! One thing I am disgusted at is that the school is asking for £10 towards the snack table AND items for the "malleable table". The snack table I can sort of buy into but asking for money for school supplies seems just wrong! What do I pay taxes for??

On a similar theme, they are having a day when school uniform is excused. Great, seems like a bit of fun I thought. But, no, YOU HAVE TO GIVE MONEY TO CHARITY!!!! Jeez, the charity blackmail begins with using children now does it?!

Obviously I have to build and maintain a good relationship with the school so am loathe to complain. But should I? Is this normal?

Yup normal for the school my child is at aswell. If a raffle a week, cake sales and other random stuff they want money for.

That's the reality of people voting in people who want to slash education funds whilst they allow their mates to run big chains and pay themselves giant salaries.

You live in a country with free schooling, dentistry and healthcare for your DS and you're complaining about sending a tiny amount of money for snacks and the malleable table??

This. There are lots of issues with education in England, no need to pretend it's beyond reproach, but you're getting an incredible service free of charge and you should be thanking a deity of your choice each morning that you live in a country where your biggest issue is £1 for civvies day.

OP if you click on this link and put in your postcode you can find out by how much your school's already inadequate budget will cut over the next 4 years.

As for your comment about giving money to charity, do you honestly begrudge donating one pound and do you not think it is important to teach your child the value of supporting and learning about those who are less fortunate?

Somewhat entitled to be "disgusted" at paying £10 a term for your own child's snacks and equipment, particularly when s/he is being looked after and educated FOR FREE.

Is this an English thing?

Just asking because my son had just gone into primary 2 ( Scottish school ) and last year I paid £1 for a non school uniform day, couple of bake sales where I sent him in with a £1, bring in loose change for children in need etc but thats it

Wait till you've got 3 in school..... 🙈

Totally normal if you don't pay for malleable play etc. it either won't happen or more likely the poor teachers and tas will be paying for it out of their meagre wages (again).
Really surprised anyone would begrudge £1 for non school uniform day. Where do you think the money goes? In the teachers pockets? It's money to provide all the nice things the school does over the the absolute basics that is funded.

Yum

Our school (small rural primary) has a great PTA which raises money to cover sports equipment,visits to the pantomime at Christmas and transport for other school trips.

I've also noticed that when we get the forms to pay for swimming it states that, legally,the school can only request a certain amount from parents but that will not be sufficient to cover the costs. If parents don't want to pay the higher cost then the activity will not go ahead.

I don't think I've ever come across a parent who wasn't happy to pay. There is also always mention of the fact that if parents are likely to have problems with paying they should speak to the head teacher.

I've also met my daughter's teacher in Tesco buying materials for a craft afternoon (presumably paid for from her own pocket)!!!

Definitely the case that cuts in education budget are responsible. I remember being at primary school in the late sixties/early seventies and I don't remember my parents being asked to pay for anything!

You don't have to pay it's not compulsory but when will happen is either the activity won't go ahead or the teacher will have to use their own money which is not acceptable.

Oh look. This is on BBC Breakfast today.

Agree with Oubliette. Unless you earn a lot of money it's very unlikely that you pay more tax than the value of healthcare, schooling etc that you and your child receive in return.

Allyg- no school trip anywhere?

We have been back 2 weeks and already school has cost me £240 for trips. I often think it would be easier to set up a standing order to the school. It makes budgeting as a lone parent very difficult; these trips had not been announced last term.

That's without the random requests for a £1 per child for various PTA fundraisers. That brings my bill up to £242. With the additional cost of christmas costumes it is set to be an expensive term.

Innoz we have to pay for all our own stationary and books
Not even a choice we are given where to order it from and comes in a pack and the cost is set
Even if I can’t believe she can go Through 6 glue sticks in 1 year!

I reckon the uk will come to this soon too Through lack of funding (we only moved over last year )

You can also donate in other ways - I refused to sponsor my reception age child in a sponsored readathon, I also refused to buy books at the overpriced book fair (both of which provided school with money for books). But I have given the school bag after bag of books and toys which have been outgrown - many of which I have seen in classrooms since.

Just across the water in Ireland - we too pay huge taxes - and we pay for every book our child uses. You are presented with a lovely long list of books and stationary to have covered and labelled as they go back to school. Cost over €180 this year for a 6 year old. Voluntary school contributions of €1000 common requests. Pay for all meals, trips etc also.
Now, consider also that we are about €100 worse off with each GP visit once they hit 7 (free GP visit but not free medicine up until age 6), we pay for all medicines (not just a prescription charge) - some antibiotics are over €35 a bottle and pay for all dentistry. I just had new orthotics prescribed for my 2 year olds shoes.... €45!
Be thankful for your small contributions, and your NHS!

Just asking because my son had just gone into primary 2 ( Scottish school ) and last year I paid £1 for a non school uniform day, couple of bake sales where I sent him in with a £1, bring in loose change for children in need etc but thats it

I think it is a bit different here. We don't get asked at my school to contribute to snack table or resources, ever. Sometimes PTA money will be used to buy things which are above and beyond the basics of jotters/books/pencils like an extra reading scheme or ipads.We are asked to send money for things like Christmas parties, pantomines and non-uniform days. Unlike England there is none of this "voluntary contribution" thing - you either pay up, or your child doesn't go.

Totally normal, OP, you will be asked for donations to charity, i.e. Dress down days, school trips etc. We even had to pay for 2 years for use of a laptop, as the school could not afford them. Secondary schools often ask for voluntary donations etc each year to school funds, and to pay for extras such as art materials, wood work and cookery. Trips were very expensive. DS1 has recently started at college the cost of his course is over just £300, plus trips, kit etc. It never ends!

It's absolutely normal. And you appear to have disappeared.

We're in France. We have to buy all bags, text books, exercise books and stationary (lots of it - 3 glue sticks, 3 highlighters etc) and even mats to protect the table.

We also provide boxes of tissues, kitchen roll and baby wipes.

Taxes are higher here too.

It is a surprise when you're used to the UK and books being provided but it's for my DC benefit so you suck it up.

In Italy the text books are free at primary, although you need to obtain them yourself (you get given a voucher), but all exercise books, pens, other stationery need to be supplied, plus you're invited to provide multi packs of tissues and contribute voluntarily to insurance (€8 approx per student per year). Via the class rep we also gift around €25 a head for photocopy paper and art materials.
School trips are capped at €60 per year, which is a bit limiting in how many they can do, but this is so the cost is manageable for all. Very low income families get their trips paid for by the council.
Secondary all text books need to be bought as well, and when you get to lycée level (14+) the text books can get very expensive as more specialised.
We also pay lots of taxes but in the grand scheme of things I don't really begrudge paying for these extras. Class sizes are also smaller here, max 25 for primary, if there is a child with SN in the class the maximum number permitted falls to 20 (or maybe 22, can't remember!).