What happens at your school if your ehind wit your dinner money

[compo]

Our dinners are provided by Scolarest
The onus seems to be n the parent to find out how much the termly cost is and send in a cheque
If you are late would they send out a bill?
It seems odd to me that they don't send out a bill in the first place, or give you the option of setting up a direct debit.

[uptomyeyes]

The infant school is run by Herr commandant and the bill comes out at the end of the previous term to be paid in advance. The junior school is much more laid back - they take what the kids say as face value and then send out the bills sometime in the second week.

[hecate]

my kids school you can pay (in advance) either termly, halftermly, monthly, fortnightly or weekly, whatever suits you. They let you know at the end of term what the following terms costs will be, but you don't have to pay all at once.

If you are behind, they send a little reminder I think.

I am terrified of getting behind because I fear they won't feed my kids, and I picture them lining up and getting to the front and being told "No, go away, no food for you." (I know they wouldn't, but I am a worrywort! )

[compo]

hecate - I'm terrified too which is why I always pay when I see the amount in the school newsletter
I would find it so much easier to set up a direct debit so that I don't have to actually remember to put a cheque in the book bag
And what do you do when you no longer deliver said child to their classroom with bookbag
Do you entrust cheque with your child?

[uptomyeyes]

I don't think a direct debit would work would it? The amount varies form term to term dependent on how many weeks there are.

[nymphadora]

We don't get bills on anything , its up to the parent to work out how much and pay cash/cheque before the kids have them

[kidsrus]

thankyou compo you just reminded me to send a cheque on weds, they send me a reminder most terms after the first week.
we can pay weekly if we like but i prefer termly and they refund any unused funds at the end of term.
Our school some times puts it on the news letter how much to pay but haven't this time.
so im off to work it out now.

[Majeika]

We pay daily and if the receptionist lets you know ateot week if you owe anything.

[kidsrus]

what do you pay in your area?
its £1.90 a day here

[Majeika]

£1.85 which I think is shocking!!!!

[CatMandu]

£1.80 per day, we are informed of the termly cost in a newsletter, but can pay weekly, monthly whatever even online! They say you mustn't get more than two weeks behind. A couple of years ago the kids who'se parents were behind came out with little stickers on saying something like 'I need to pay my dinner money', I was most happy that I was up to date.

[MadBadandDangerousToKnow]

The school at which I'm a governor allows parents to pay daily, weekly or half termly. They never withhold a meal from any child whose parents havene't paid but, by law, schools can't give a free meal to any child who doesn't actually qualify for free school meals and so they have to keep chasing for payment. Sometimes, though, they do admit defeat and write the money off.

[kidsrus]

catnandu thats horrendos awful
some families really struggle and rob peter to pay paul.
but on the flip side some would prefer to pay for cigs and alchol before feeding their kids.
it all depends on your priorties
oh crap i cant speel tonight sorry peeps

[lottien]

Hecate - that happened in France a year or two ago. The kids whose parents hadn't paid their canteen bill were fed on bread and water . The coucil were trying to make a point about parents being slack about paying I don't think it will happen again because there was an almighty hooha. Prices vary depending on your income bracket so the less well off only pay 75 cents (60p) going up to 3.44 euros (£3). The meals are blooming marvellous.

[bellavita]

£1.90 per day here also.

We can pay by the day, week, month or term.

Our primary would just send a little note in the childs planner.

[handsomeharrysmum]

I'm an administrator and take the children's dinner money.We ask for money on a weekly basis £7.75.Most children in my school are entitled to a free meal.We pay back money for when the child has been off and hasn't had a dinner that day.Children wearing stickers is disgraceful, there would be literally murder if we did that.

[bellavita]

although not sure what they do about regular non payers.

[kyrasmummy]

Ours is £2 a day and is paid fortnightly, money has to be handed in with the menu so no money no dinner here and it has to be paid the Wednesday before it starts on a Monday iykwim.
My dd gets free meals, though I had to pay the first 4 weeks her funding was due to start on a Friday but the money had to be paid in on the Wednesday for her dinners to be ordered so they got double Money for 2 weeks tbh it was £20 I couldn't afford and they wouldn't refund me either.

[thornrose]

I recently had to tell 3 children who's parents are persistent non-payers that they couldn't have a school dinner. They just shrugged their shoulders and took it very calmly but I felt like a monster.
Apparently the family had been sent lots of letters and given many chances so this was a final drastic move which happens very rarely.
The next day they all had a packed lunch!

[skramble]

Council school and council do the food,

Roughly £2 per day, kids take purses and pay at the counter, younger children then drop purse into a class box which is returned to the classroom and handed out, older ones seem to hang onto their purses.

If they forget their money they get the meal and a "you owe us" note home.

[christywhisty]

We can pay weekly, monthly or half termly . I sometime forget and have got behind because I am not the most organised of person and had a letter home. I always pay up as soon as I get it.