School asking for money or child can't join in

[proseccacaca]

Our school is raising money for a new Adventure Play area by way of a Play Trail Challenge. On Friday (within school hours) each year group will take on ten activities within a 45 min slot and parents are invited to go and watch their childs class. We have been sent sponsorship forms. Now here's the rub..... last weeks newsletter states "Unfortunately those children without sponsors will have to be spectators at the event rather than taking part". Its pretty disgusting to use emotional blackmail, a nice polite plea would be way more acceptable and would probably bring in more money! We are lucky enough to be in a position to make a donation but there are lots who aren't. How horrible that there will be a list showing who has or hasn't paid and that some kids will be sat on the sideline..... will they put a large pointed hat on them too? This going to school malarky is a minefield........ and we're only in Reception! Oh and should just mention that parents are asked for money a lot, this is not a one-off and this blackmail tactic has been used before - at Xmas some kids weren't given a tube of sweets because their parents hadn't sold all 5 books of raffle tickets!!

That is terrible, the school should be offering the same opportunities to all the children, not just the ones with money.

Sometimes I forget to send the money in on the day but they never say sorry you have to go home and change back into your uniform on non-uniform days.

We are only ever sent hom 1 or 2 strips of raffle tickets and they have more on sale on the day if we want them.

It is really horrible as at the end of the day its not actually the childrens fault is it!

think you should tell Head and governors you are not happy. My nephews school took a similar line, parents all opted out of one fundraising event in disgust

I don't think they are allowed to do that if it is within school hours. Even if they are it is really horrible and poor practise.

Agree a word with the head, and governors.

That's really mean. Is there a minumum amount? I would incite encourage anyone with difficulty paying to sponsor 1p just to make a point, afterall, every penny counts! Oh and if they try the raffle ticket trick again this year then organise your class to go on strike as kilmuir suggests. After all you could organise your own sweets for less than the raffle tickets! Just to make the point.

Send in 30p and say you are sponsoring each child 1p each :)

Then send a letter to the chair of the governors mentioning your concerns.

and fwiw I think that the negative effects on any excluded kids would outweigh any positive effects of having access to an adventure play area.

proseccacaca:

That's nothing. Try this...

School announces there will be a 3-day residential at beginning of Y4. Cost £150 per child.

those on free school meals will be paid for by LEA - everyone else has to pay.

The school does not seek any assistance with this expense and does not try to do any fundraisers (like a bake sale or car wash). We're just issued with a letter asking for £150 pounds.

This trip ran during the school week.

We asked - Does this trip (which was in woodland and included lots of adventure activities) fulfill anything in the national curriculum?

Answer: No.

We asked - Will children who don't go have something laid on for them? Answer: We were told that activities were in place for any children who don't go.

Five children of the class of 30 could not afford to go. They had to wave goodbye to their classmates on the Wednesday morning and spent the rest of the week in lower classes, helping out and having double Forest School time.

Four of the five came from large families, one of which had a baby on the way and just couldn't afford the expense at that point. The fifth child was having her parents divorce at that time and the father was not willing to pay his half. The five children were utterly devastated that they couldn't go and looked completely dejected all that end of the week. They had to endure the endless excitement of their friends about the trip prior to leaving and then hear how wonderful the trip was afterwards.

As far as I can see the only benefit of this trip was that the school could claim they had organised an interesting residential. All of these activities were availalbe locally and for far less cost - and could have been done across a few days/ months as day or afternoon trips.

This is a Faith School - and I really don't see anything particularly admirable in how those five children were treated and certainly don't like the lessons this trip has taught those five kids.

I don't mind the idea of these trips -and sure team building skills are a good thing - but what I do mind is that they aren't optional and done over half-term/ vacations so that those who can't afford to go don't have to endure that kind of exclusion/ humiliation.

Moreover once again it's teaching city folk that the countryside is a playground and not a working landscape that needs to be looked after and respected.

I would sponsor the whole class/year a penny each too

Horrid discrimination

Residentials are generally only if you can pay, although ours is at a weekend so slightly better if you are left out.

The OPs case is not on at all, fund raising is not compulsory!

Still don't see how those big families can't afford the residential trips. It just takes organisation. DS1's residential trip will be in May 2013. I started paying £6 a week 3 weeks ago, so that the total cost is paid by the last payment date.

I am a Lone Parent, unemployed due to disability (no DLA any more though, criteria changed). I have 4 dc, and DS1's dad has refused to pay towards it (No maintenance from him either).

My DC get FSM's, but still have to pay for day trips and residential trips. IMO those families that didn't get organised and arrange a payment plan with the school in advance have got their priorities wrong!

Makes me . If I can do it, when I am seriously struggling financially on benefits, then anyone can. I did the same 4 years ago for DD when I was in a NMW job too, arranged a year in advance to pay weekly.

My DDs school had similar last week, stated on sponser form that children without a sponser form would not be permitted to participate.

DD has done a few sponsered events for school and raised quite a bit (generous grandparents, aunts and uncles) but I was so tempted to tell the school where to stick it.

Actually, writing this has made me angry again. I'm going to write them a letter

"Outdoor and adventurous activities" is in the KS2 NC for PE. Not saying it couldn't be fulfilled in other ways than a residential ... £150 is cheap by the way!

Anyway, back to the fundraising thing, which is a bit different, I think the OP's school is being outrageous. Is the school running this or is it the PTA? Either way, they are being discriminatory. Some children will be come from families who genuinely cannot afford this. Some children just have crap parents. It will be the same children year in, year out who are missing out.

Riverside Mum:

I take your point on price - but it was just 2 nights away and first day was coach trip and pack lunch from home. So 2 nights accommodation, 2 dinners, 2 lunches and 2 breakfasts. 2 days of this were taken up with the journey to the adventure centre (>100 miles from school).

The B&B we go to regularly in Wales for our walking holidays charges £40 a night for the rooms (shared with sister) and we eat at a great little restaurant nearby. So I generously estimate £40 a night for DD1, including lunches (takeaway sandwiches from local cafe). So 3 days in Wales for DD1 on family walking weekend would cost us £80.

That's ~£70 for the adventure activities - now the local council will provide 1 full day of sailing, water safety instruction and canoeing for £35 (10 am - 8 p.m. finishing with campfire). Wall climbing centre will provide morning session for £10 a child. There also are rope walk adventure playgrounds about locally - again ~£10 per child. All accessible by public transport at ~£2 a child.

I didn't know about the National Curriculum thing, but I also would presume that the weekly forest school sessions our school puts on (partly to give teachers admin time 1 morning a week) does fulfill NC KS2 PE content.

Don't get me wrong - the kids that went had a great time, but I'm quite certain >60% of these children already do this kind of thing with parents, church groups, beavers or rainbows/ brownies.

I can't see the problem Riverside. We need to pay a similar amount for a trip too and we are not sure if we can afford it. But I wouldn't begrudge other kids going and am really glad that they have put the trip on. There are so many life skills and also activity skills involved in the trip. Everything doesn't have to be in the NC to be worthwhile. Also not many of the kids at my school climb etc and so it is a once in a life time opportunity and should be great fun

About the original post. I think you should raise the issue with the head/Governors. These activities are part of school life and could should be offered to all children without bribery.

I am full of admiration for cardy. When your kids are old enough to understand they will be very impressed and appreciative. Hopefully as well between 4 of them they will be able to spoil you rotten!

Raise it with the head and governors. It is against all good practice to excluse children in this way.

I would suggest a fairer way is to send out sponsorship forms which sponsor the whole class, so a child can still get her large rich extended family to sponsor, but they would be sponsoring the total number of laps, or minutes of silence.
We find most people sponsor an exact amount of £s rather than so much per bounce anyway.

excluDe of course.

Also, I probably haven't explained it properly. My point is that it should be arranged so that the children with poor or disorganised family (or looked after kids who may not have family to sponsor them?) are still part of the fundraising because their laps or bounces all count to the total.

chocky I think that's a great idea.