private schools- what petty add ons are you asked for?

[ageing5yearseachyear]

Ok- i will declare that have recently removed dd2 from her private day school due to bullying and other issues.

however, just clearing out her bag and have found a note that says....

musical workshop- the school does not have the right instruments for this activity. Please sign below and send in £2 to pay for the cost of instrument hire.

This is a school that charges £4000 a term

Is it me? dd3s lovely nursery hires stuff sometimes- like a bouncy castle and that is all included in the very reasonable fees.

This sounds really odd. If it's a private school then they don't send notes asking for money they just add it to the bill. But with many years of several different private schools I have never been asked for cost of instrument hire or any equipment for that matter. If new equipment is needed which is a bit of a luxury then the PTA provides it.

50 pounds per term for the 'endowment' fund which is apparently for 'poor children'. I feel like pointing out that I fall into that category and wouldn't be struggling so much without that extra payment. Also 70 per term for the 'old boys club' or whatever it is

I have never had a bill that hasn't had an additional item of some description - be that
50p for a protractor (dd has about 5 of them in her bedroom but had forgotten it on that particular day!)
£7.50 for a t-shirt for a school assembly
etc

as someone who is used to the state system, i just found it hysterical that it could be seen as reasonable. surely it cost more than £2 to actually collect it. wouldnt you think that at £4000 per term this could actually be covered?

no wonder parents are flocking away! i feel like posting it back with a question as to how they manage to actually go through a process and decide that this is a good idea!

It is farcical but the school is out to make money and will do so in any shape or form.

At my private school, (much to my mother's disgust because I was terrible for losing my items), you had to pay £1 to retrieve any item from lost property. She still reminds me of the year when my school jumper that was £30 to buy new, cost her £54 to keep getting it out of lost property, that's pretty much twice a week, my jumper was in there!!!

thank god that none of my dds schools did that

I would have gone bankrupt in 2 years!