School trip - HOW MUCH???????????

[BethAndHerBrood]

DS1 brought a letter home today about his upcoming school trip. Voluntary contribution of £11!!! WTF??? And if not enough pupils pay "there is a risk the trip will be cancelled" They might as well cancel it now, I can't imagine many parents will pay it!

As you can tell, I think it's a lot. You're all going to come on here now and tell me it's nothing compared to what you all pay, aren't you?!

SueW - to display the names of familes who can't is just awful.

I'd definitely complain about the notice - our school is really good and for most things that money is required for get at least 2 or 3 weeks notice (for the 'smaller' amounts like £1 for Comic Relief or whatever) and 3 or 4 weeks notice for the bigger amounts for trips out of the school.

I don't know whether it's coincidence or planning but they always seem to make the letter come home about 2 weeks before pay day, and still have 2 weeks afterwards to pay - mean ing we've got time to budget it into the following months finances.

Oliha, 'tis true, I'm afraid. State school in well-off area so I imagine many parents can afford it but still, seems rather pushy - well, downright wrong, tbh. Honestly, I keep having to remind myself to be grateful that compared to many people we are well off because living round here makes me feel like a pauper!

And I stupidly invited a mother from school round on a playdate. She has a perfect house, all done out in Kath Kidston and clearly worth double what ours is (suspect there was a Filipina in the attic, it was sooooo neat and tidy). Oh Lord am going to have to go for Bohemian and distracted. Maybe get out a collection of the most intellectual books I own and leave them casually lying around...

Olihan

I nearly fell over when MiddleBlast came home with a permission slip for a trip to a nature reserve that said "there will be no charge for this trip".

Only when she came home with a souvenir with a website address did I understand. It was a nature reserve attached to a plant that makes nuclear fuel for power stations. They provide transport and in some cases lunch.

(On a plus note she has no further need for a night-light as the subtle glow she now emits is comfort enough )

Our secondary school has also set up a direct debit scheme, but it's totally no pressure and not 'to fund education'.

They call it an enrichment fund, and basically it's meant to replace all those little fetes and whatever PTAs usually have to organise and no-one wants to help at or attend!

The idea is you set up a direct debit for at least £1 a month. Obviously, they accept more too! This money is then available for different departments and clubs to 'bid' for. So after the last round of grants, the music department got £450 for new keyboards; the history dept got £1250 to subsidise a Year 8 trip to the SS Great Britain (for approx 280 pupils); the Warhammer club got £400 for new equipment and to fund competition entries; the performing arts dept got £500 to 'buy in' workshop leaders in art, music, dance and drama; the English dept got £90 for 3 DVD players; and the P.E. dept got £175 to subsidise pupils representing the county at cross country.

The money is meant for extra things to enrich the all-round experience of school. Previous grants have included money to do up the library, and money to make outside areas for attractive to break and lunchtimes.

I suspect the number of parents who have signed up to this scheme is actually very low as a proportion of total families, but it's a low-key, non-threatening, no-pressure way of boosting school funds. I would be worried if it seemed to be replacing things the school should be doing as a matter of course, or to keep the school functioning, but for extras and luxuries it seems reasonable.

Good schools will give you notice for any sizeable amounts, and allow you to pay in instalments.

DS2's trip (yr3) this year is actually costing £15 (special/long distance/very long day, etc.) We were given 3 months' notice of the trip, the payment deadline, and the cost. And given the option to pay, for example, in ten weekly payments of £1.50.

If your school does not do this, I would write a letter to ask them to do this in future.

If you unexpectedly find yourself unable to meet a payment deadline please contact the school and ask for an extension: it's just good manners. I administer trip payments and admin for two foreign trips at secondary school. I have always been able to accommodate requests for payment delays; but it is extremely irritating if the money doesn't come in on time, and there's no note, no phone call, no message; and I have to go and track down the pupil - who is very embarassed - and ask them to ask their parents about it, etc.

Imagine being asked for £150 for a 4 day trip to the IOW. Then image you have siblings in the same year.

Ds's school wants a tenner a month on its direct debit. And they do have all the usual fetes, car boot sales, etc. etc. as well

We were asked to do the same thing Edam. Outragous!

There is also a '200 club' Pay £200 pounds and be entered into a monthly draw.
Race nights
Sponsorships
Letters asking for contributions to the new sports building that won't be built without our much needed help.
bake sales
fetes

etc etc

at edam's bohemian chic!

Just remind yourself that she is a sheep and you are a goat, you have no need to follow .

P.S. I'm not saying you've got a beard or anything.......

LOL, not yet but middle age is just round the corner...

I suppose we should all be lobbying for more money in schools so these trips - many of which are educational - don't require personal subsidies.

Spending on education is up but as usual govt. have used it for their pet (expensive) projects, like PFI new-builds that always go way over budget, are far more complex than you are initially led to believe and often end up with major design flaws. Like no staffroom, FFS.

And we can start by lobbying for money in schools for no-essentials like books

I have spent 4 years , count them 4 years teaching A level kids with no books!

More funding for schools. Full stop. And that would, natch, cover some trips.

I do think most well-thought out trips and residential are immensely important and beneficial for the children, growing together as a class, developing in all sorts of ways, and learning.

.. and the kids think so too.

Conversation today:
ds1: Oh mum, I am really sorry for 'Billy'.
Me: Why's that then?
ds1: He's going to Barbados for 2 weeks.
Me: What? [thinks ??**??!]
ds1: He's going to miss the RESIDENTIAL!! Everyone is really looking forward to it, and we won't be able to talk to him about it afterwards because he won't have been there.

FiveFingeredFiend: we have worked out that each each that our schools have major expensive residential trips we will have a sibling in the years below also going on major expensive residential trips too.

Have started planning ahead though and getting passports (another £45 to add on to costs) done in the in between years!

MB - I find it appalling that your school has no text books for A-level students. Do they have text books in the library (assuming that there is a library)? Have you considered contacting Independent schools? Lots of them expect the children to buy their own text books and they are often binned by the children at the end of the course.

To be fair, some of them do. I've done 3 years without books, and I do have them this year, but my mate dosn't!

None of the kids have science text books to take home and use. Not at ks3 or 4! We have class sets they can use in class.

In the sixth form we don't even have that.

There is a library, but only one copy of the text books are there.

I estimate I spend around £200 on stuff for school. We have mo ability to get colour copies, or OHPs. I also buy educational software to use

We have just been asked foe £260.00 for a school trip (year 6), I have just got a new part time job so I am lucky enough to just about afford it as I can pay in installments. Sux for many parents as it is alot of money...and like me can proberly not afford it however, I am going without a little cos I know he will have a great time...It does feel like manipulation cos your child wants to be with his mates and it sounds like it will be a great time. Thank heavens I got this job cos he wouldn't be going otherwise. One parent in the class has twins, heavens know how they are going to arrord it.

FFF are you sure about the 200 club? Ours means there are 200 people each paying £10 a year for a monthly raffle.
Coach prices are preposterous round here - miles from nearest town, We're hit by swimming which as it's on curriculum winds me up even though I can afford it. Trip wise I love the fact the children get out of the classroom.

If ds will be bored to tears, say he's not going and don;t pay. He'll just go to another class.

200 club normally means aiming for 200 people to give fiver a month (or whatever). PTAs often set them up. Common fundraising activity.