Primary charging for attending school nativity..

[user1480061930]

I might be unreasonable, but I'm feeling aggrieved that school are charging for attending the school nativites this year..there are 3 different ones for different year groups. Apparently reception and nursery parents were charged last year.
We also had to take the children back for evening performances last year, were asked if we'd agree, but this year it's automatically assumed we will, and pay too.

So I've had to buy two costumes, will have to pay £4 for two tickets to attend 2 different plays, and take children back so they can perform again for the later show..bearing in mind, we have to drive, 15 mins each journey too..

I'm just annoyed, we give to all sorts at the school, time, money for book fair, cakes, bottles for tombola, PTA time etc etc....and now to pay for tickets to see our own children too...I'm just really annoyed about it..

[BackforGood]

That was my thought when I saw that LIZS

[user1480061930]

I saw that LIZS....cheeky. 😀
So it seems charging is prevalent ..it's the costume issue which is lightly more unusual..( buying our own, so often )
For an older child, years earlier, school had given us a specific request for black tabard, with gold letter H, helmet, and some kind of long pike thing...and foolishly I spent a surprising amount of money on fabrics and made it myself..I thought doing a pretty good job for my daughter, even fashioning a helmet...until the day of the Christmas play, and Herods other soldier, a boy, was resplendent in fabulous "Roman Emporer" type plastic gold armour and helmet, nothing like the requested costume, but infinitely more appealing...grrrrrr

[LIZS]

Is the bbc news website borrowing threads now?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-38131721

[MidniteScribbler]

We do a musical every year, and do charge, but that's because we hire a professional theatre, with lighting and sound systems. We don't charge for costumes, generally it is something like 'send them in navy pants with a white t-shirt' and we make things to add (headdresses, neck pieces, arm bands, etc) usually done by the teachers and some parents over a few boozy nights at someone's house (this year it was mine, and my living room got taken over for three months while we made 754 costume pieces!). We may ask for donations, and we use our contacts to get things pretty cheaply.

I don't agree with paying for costumes, but I don't think paying a small fee as part of the school fundraising is such a bad deal.

[smellyboot]

ours only do it in YrR as our school is simply too big for all classes to do a nativity... no charge but parents sort costumes....

[BikeRunSki]

Our school provides all the customs and charges £1/seat. Seats are limited to 3 per family across both performances of KS1 Nativity or KS2 Kristigle. The money goes towards coach hire for the school panto trip the following week. Parents pay for the panto tickets. Hate the Autumn term, it's so expensive !

[insan1tyscartching]

We used to pay £1 per ticket but would have a free mince pie included in the price (school did a deal with local bakery) Leftover mince pies would be sold off in bags of four for cheaper than if you went to the bakery. Costumes were mostly provided by school but occasionally would be asked to provide leggings, a certain colour t shirt etc. I never minded paying it was a fairer way to get a ticket (two per family) and a seat than it would have been if they were free and unlimited.

[QwertyKeyboard]

*no

[QwertyKeyboard]

And. I license fee as it is just carols or a play written by the students depending on the key stage.

[QwertyKeyboard]

We ace to pay for siblings who attend the school but are in a different key stage! Ks 1 one night and either lay for a ticket or pay a sitter, then ks2another night and same again. Plus matinees. :/ plus costumes. Money goes to school not pta. We are two weeks out and no idea what costumes we have to provide yet as one child doesn't even know their part yet, and other child knows part but costumes haven't been worked out. To say I am annoyed is an understatement.

[DandelionAndBedrock]

We absorb the cost of the licence as a school - not sure, but I have a feeling the licence cost goes up if you are charging people?

We also provide costumes, and don't ask for ticket money. I wonder how much a collection bucket would make? Free ticket, but a note sent home saying there will be a collection to raise money for X. I imagine most people would put in a pound, and some might do more so it could balance out and just feel more...festive.

[mrz]

And no we aren't a wealthy school but the actual cost works out less than 10p per pupil

[JemimaMuddledUp]

We pay £5 per ticket. Limit of 3 tickets per family - have bought 3 for me, DS1 and DS2 (both secondary age) to watch DD, DH is on the wait list to see if he can get a ticket.

On top of £5 per ticket we will be expected to buy raffle tickets and donate prizes for the raffle.

But the school has to raise money somehow!

We also have to provide costumes.

[mrz]

Most performance licences are a few pounds it's not a huge cost

[BackforGood]

........except that you will already have them, or be able to borrow them from friends / neighbour / cousin / etc., Yoarchie, or even if you do buy them, you (your dc) will be able to wear them again, but there are limited places one normally wears an Angel costume to

[Yoarchie]

The price of leggings and tshirts is not that different to a supermarket costume.

[Yoarchie]

Schools almost all have ridiculously tight budgets. From the most deprived state school to several private schools. There are a few exceptions, but far fewer than you'd think.

They need to scratch money from anywhere they can and do everything as cheaply as possible. I'd just suck the nativity charge up. Nobody is profiting in any way, this money will go back into the school and benefit the kids.

[BackforGood]

Thing is, as Wiggle says, schools have a finite budget. They could not charge you, and end up having to then charge you for something else that you are actually less bothered about.
Depending on school (I realise a lot have constraints of space), so schools are then getting the money from Grandparents etc., rather than just parents each time. For some it means one less fundraiser elsewhere.
It would seem an odd thing to complain about - there will be bigger battles to pick in all the years your dc are at school.

[mrz]

My school pays the performance licence fee. We see productions as a gift for parents

[HerRoyalNotness]

Haha musical

[HerRoyalNotness]

We don't have a nativity, just a grade mystical and the costume was iirc $ for a t-shirt.

I wish they did charge though, it might stop the ignorant parents I was sitting next to from talking through the whole thing. And those who brought siblings and dumped them at tables at the back where they played and chatted throughout. Couldn't hear a thing.

[user1480061930]

Have to agree it could be the license issue for the performance...( googled it )
and I also agree, they should create more inexpensive costumes, using leggings, t shirts and perhaps masks or ears..where possible..

[nennyrainbow]

We never have to pay for costumes or for entry. School keeps a stock of costumes - well, mostly tea towels, dressing gowns, blankets etc fashioned into costumes. Seems very inefficient of your school to make parents buy costumes every year when a lot of them could be reused.

[Sixisthemagicnumber]

Depending on he performance that they are doing the school
Will have to pay for a licence to put the show on and selling tickets is he best way to recoup the money.

[jamdonut]

We provide most costumes for ours.... occasionally we ask for white or black leggings or teatowels or a bit of tinsel!
We would never expect parents to spend money buying costumes!!! Quite shocked at that.
We raise funds with a raffle at ours.

I wonder if they have had to pay money for the rights to stage the play and use the music this year, and are recouping the money?