Swimming

[wetfloor]

My son is in year two and is due to start swimming lessons with school. They need to get the bus there. The school are asking for money to pay for the bus. Is this normal?

I never paid for transport to swimming lessons.

I'm wondering if it's compulsory or not. I can't really afford to pay it.

It's normal for the school that my children attend.

The schools are stuck because buses are expensive but swimming is compulsory.

If you can't afford it talk to the school.

Any payment for compulsory activities must be optional. There should be info about who to contact if you can't afford it, if not then contact the head teacher.

My DDs old school got round this by walking the mile and a quarter.

Schools are allowed to ask for a 'contribution' towards transport costs but they can't insist you pay.

Contact the school office, explain that you consent to your child attending but you're unable to pay and they should be fine with that.

Don't just ignore the request though, make sure you give your consent.

It's much too far to walk. I know a friend with a child in another school who said that they don't pay. So I'm wondering why we've been asked to

We haven't had to

We ask parents for a contribution towards the coach, we don't insist ( we can't, it's a voluntary contribution) and about a quarter of parents don't pay anything.

Normal to ask. Voluntary to pay.

Yes it is very normal.
School budgets are tight.
If you genuinely can't afford any contribution towards it then go and speak to the school, but the school are rather stuck between a rock and a hard place as they are told they have to offer swimming and if the only way to get there is a coach/bus, that really ramps up the costs, and if they can't recoup that cost from families, then something, somewhere else in the budget will have to go.

Wetfloor if things are tight have you ever considered if your child must be in the right criteria for pupil premium funding? If so it's very valuable to the school for you to apply for it.

Can you pay an amount towards it, if not the whole amount? Only caring if you have to pay, ignores that the contribution allows the activity to go ahead.

@Kite22

Yes it is very normal. School budgets are tight. If you genuinely can't afford any contribution towards it then go and speak to the school, but the school are rather stuck between a rock and a hard place as they are told they have to offer swimming and if the only way to get there is a coach/bus, that really ramps up the costs, and if they can't recoup that cost from families, then something, somewhere else in the budget will have to go.

All of this is completely accurate.

My school ask for travel costs. We couldn’t possibly walk the distance because it would take hours and we’re already down to the minimum number of adults possible. For a while, our budget wouldn’t stretch to paper towels in the staff toilets.

I'm definitely not entitled to pupil premium. I have a lot of outgoings and I've had big things to pay for recently. So to me it seemed unfair to pay when other school don't charge for something that they have to take part in.

@wetfloor

I'm definitely not entitled to pupil premium. I have a lot of outgoings and I've had big things to pay for recently. So to me it seemed unfair to pay when other school don't charge for something that they have to take part in.

Every school has a different budget situation.

We have to charge for the coach - as a PP said, it's hundreds of pounds and school budgets are tiny (and getting smaller). As a PP said, something else would have to go if we had to pay for the coach, most likely some of a TA's hours.

Other schools might have an active PTA in a middle class area where parents are happy to contribute and so the school budget is able to cover more of these types of costs. Our school regularly has the kids walking to activities in town. It's not too far for them and saves the cost of the bus hire (akthough they do get a bus to swimming which is about the same distance!).

Ours go for 10 weeks, they ask us for £15 for the bus, I'm not sure if it's compulsory but most people do pay.

Our last (rural school further out, more affluent area) asked parents to pay, but wouldn't have stopped the child going if they couldn't. Urban poorer school we're in now doesn't charge.

Could you afford private swimming lessons OP?

I'm a school swimming teacher that's massively young bringing year 2s they aren't going to get much from the experience, shame they haven't brought the higher year groups that have missed out because of covid.My work colleagues had year 2 and they mostly had fun many are unlikely to swim 25 metres, I have the odd few 6 years old in stage 5. The youngest we had personally were Year 3s ourselves. Our centre include transport within the cost of the sessions. You'd be surprised how much it costs for schools to take them school swimming.

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers

Could you afford private swimming lessons OP?

I took two county level swimmers to school swimming lessons. It’s compulsory just like PE.

Does your child get free school meals? If so, the school will be getting a pupil premium (bit of extra cash for him) which is used to make sure that children from families who are struggling financially can take part in all aspects of the curriculum.

Please do not feel embarrassed to tell school this is a struggle for you - they will either subsidise via their funds or use PSA funds.

Hope your lad manages to get to swimming.