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?

In our primary school (rural) the PTA pay the swimming transport costs precisely because parents don’t think they should have to and the school budget is so tight. Swimming coaches are about £1500 a year - it’s massive.

My DC has said the teacher has reminded them this year they must take good care of everything they use and not lose things or take them hone - otherwise she’ll need to pay from her own wages for things like glue sticks etc.

If you genuinely cannot afford to pay then the school can’t force you. But that money will just get cut off the budget somewhere else - usually the ‘creative curriculum’. If it’s just you feel it’s u fair, and had a tight few months - not that you’re entitled to FSM and pupil premium - if you can contribute then it is important.

The government doesn’t fund education the way you think it does. There’s bugger all money in the pot. If you think your personal outgoings are high and your income stretched, multiply that feeling for headteachers trying to meet their obligations on a typical school budget.

My point is, travel to school swimming lessons is likely to cost less than private swimming lessons.

Sounds normal to me - although it is optional, a ‘voluntary contribution’, they can’t insist you pay. You’re child will go either way. Please don’t underestimate how much a coach costs though.

Yes. I already pay for private swimming lessons. Maybe I should just say he doesn't need to go with school? Could I do that?
I understand about budgets etc. I just don't understand why some schools pay and others don't? Do they get different budgets depending on the area?

How much is it OP? Are you really going to single your child out and let them miss out for the cost of a bus when you've got the funds for private lessons so presumably not destitute?

Yes, schools get different budgets for all sorts of combinations of reasons.
They also have different things they need to prioritise - so, purely to use the swimming example, when my dc were at Junior school, it was far quicker to walk to the local baths than to load a class on to a coach, have the coach drive there - probs about 1/4 of a mile - (little bit of a round route so the coach door was the right side of road for them to disembark) then unload them. So their school would save on something compared with a school that was 8 miles from the swimming baths.

@wetfloor

Yes. I already pay for private swimming lessons. Maybe I should just say he doesn't need to go with school? Could I do that? I understand about budgets etc. I just don't understand why some schools pay and others don't? Do they get different budgets depending on the area?

How much are they asking you to pay?

I wouldn’t pull my child out from the rest of the class for the sake of £20 or so.

Schools get different amounts from the government depending on how many pupils they on role etc.

School buildings and facilities cost different amounts.

Some schools are in a federation that saves money, some are not.

Etc etc

Have a look here, see what it says about your school: schoolcuts.org.uk/

Different school have different budgets and priorities. The primary my friend's son attends has a lot of children who receive pupil premium and the school doesn't charge anyone for swimming or breakfast club. If the school have asked for a contribution it's because they need it, I don't think parent's contributions are going into anyone's pocket. It's up to you whether you can/will pay it. At my kids school there were some can pay won't pay types, but I suppose that's life. If you can't pay then your child should not miss out, have a quiet word with the Head.

We were asked for a voluntary contribution.

I laid it because I could.

But it is voluntary and can only be voluntary.

It's £40.

Maybe I should just say he doesn't need to go with school? Could I do that?

The coach wouldn’t be cheaper just because he’s not sat on it… they still pay for the whole coach. Even if they could choose to not take him (which they can’t, you’ve already been told it’s a lesson like any other, he has to stay with his class) that wouldn’t help.

It’s voluntary as already stated plenty of times, if you can’t pay what choice do you have? Just explain and don’t pay. Your child still goes swimming. What’s the problem?

Is it that you absolutely cannot afford £40?

Or that you would rather not pay £40?

What contribution do you think is reasonable?

I understand about budgets etc. I just don't understand why some schools pay and others don't? Do they get different budgets depending on the area?

It depends on the school and what they need to prioritise and what they can reasonably expect parents to pay. If parents can help to pay for a coach, other resources can be prioritised over a coach - if parents can’t then cuts have to be made to something else - and £1000 is a significant cut to something else. Could be new books, a subscription to a work scheme, teacher’s CPD courses, an update for old science resources, you name it. Most schools therefore ask for a contribution. Even if you can’t pay the whole thing, perhaps offer something if you’re able to.

drop the private lessons while he does the school ones

@wetfloor

Yes. I already pay for private swimming lessons. Maybe I should just say he doesn't need to go with school? Could I do that? I understand about budgets etc. I just don't understand why some schools pay and others don't? Do they get different budgets depending on the area?

I don’t think you do understand school budgets to be honest. There is a really interesting (in a bad way) website that shows the cuts schools have faced in the last few years. It’s eye-opening and very depressing. I’ll see if I can find it.

Here it is:

schoolcuts.org.uk/schools/?coords=54,-3&zoom=6

I have attached a screenshot of my school’s cuts so you can see what we’re dealing with.

we pay at ours.

Schools are in a funding crisis.

If they don't ask for contributions towards the coach costs then they will likely have to cull the annual budget for another subject (no books for English this year or no science experiments etc). Or they cut staff hours. It really is that bad.

@CheeseTiger

Schools are in a funding crisis.

If they don't ask for contributions towards the coach costs then they will likely have to cull the annual budget for another subject (no books for English this year or no science experiments etc). Or they cut staff hours. It really is that bad.

Yes.
Last year we arranged for our year two class to go on an adventure day. Four parents didn't pay. The trip was £24 per child.

The head tried to cancel the trip as the school didn't have the money to cover the costs but we couldn't as it was too late.

So the money had to come out of the class budget for next year. We get £200 for things like cooking ingredients and exciting glittery paper for our Christmas cards.

It is normal to ask for donations for travel as there is no provision in the budget for travel, only the lesson if within the curriculum is provided free. It often comes down to what you have in any voluntary fund, what grants you can get along the way or what freebies, discounts you can negotiate or creative accounting.

We've always been asked for voluntary contributions towards the coach. Last year it was really expensive and I had to pay for 2 at the same time. The school provided a breakdown of costs (they were paying for the actual swimming) and combined year groups to make the journeys efficient.

Our PTA had a massively reduced income last year due to covid so couldn't subsidise in the way they would normally.

I paid, because I could manage although it wasn't without consideration. If you genuinely can't then maybe offer what you can?