Managing cash at secondary school.

[roisin]

At what age did you start giving your dc their bus/lunch money for the week rather than each day?

ds1 needs to buy bus ticket every day (no suitable bus passes) plus lunch, so it's basically £20 per week.

It would be much easier for me to give him 2 x £10 notes on a Monday. Is this reasonable?

Or is it just going to get stolen?

We advise pupils not to bring in large amounts of cash; £20 would constitute a large amount in my book. Sorry but I think it's much safer in small daily amounts (though a pain know).

Yes, I know you're right.
We discourage cash at our school too, because it just causes problems.

I just want to encourage his independence and make things easier for myself

I just wish I could get him a termly bus pass: that would make things much easier.

DD's school operates a swipecard system for lunch so I sent her off today with £10 which covers lunch for the next 5 days. She was under stricted orders to hand over the £10 ASP. Next Monday she knows to take her weeks dinner money straight to the student services office when she arrives at school. Her school is open from 8am so she'll be able to do that as the first lesson isn't till 8.35am.

In my dreams
A swipecard system for lunches: that would be great

Actually at our school the FSM children just have a card with a barcode on, so they much be close to having the appropriate technology.

DS's school have a "Tag", like a swipecard, that they pay for lunches & other stuff with. It is supposed to be a "Cashless" school, although some kids suplement their pocket money selling snacks to other boys

His bus pass (90 day) just cost £103!!

My dd has a bus pass and I give her lunch money every day. She also has five pounds folded up and hidden in a pocket of her school bag so that she can get home if she loses the pass or there's a problem with the bus and she has to get a train.

I've always had to give DS2 daily amounts of money - so have to go to bank weekly to get £20 in £1 and £2 coins. Schools don't like it when pupils lose large amounts of money and I don't like it if DS2 loses all his money on Monday! DS2 bus pass will cost over £250 for 3 months ... DS1 was bad about losing this, so I found it cheaper to give him the money for a weekly pass each week (though he was capable of losing that too.)

Thankfully I don't have to worry about bus passes. I am sending my DD1 off for her first full day tomorrow. She has packed lunch, and I am giving her a pound in case she is starving at break as lunch isn't till 1.15pm

That aside, what is the going rate for pocket money?

At dd's school they also have a swipecard system and I think you can even put money on it at home from a credit/debit card!

i pay online with my debit card and my daughter has a swipe card, i think it's good cos i know where the money has gone

Ds has a train pass and lunch card , which we pay for in advance.
He has the odd £1 to buy snacks at break etc.

That sounds a good system christywhisty - I wish we had that. So far we're still doing cash every day, which is working OK.

I don't really think lunch money is the way to teach them lessons in life.There is plenty of opportunity with pocket money etc.

We pay for the lunches half a term in advance, with a choice of meal of the day or free choice.
Every thing is priced in the canteen and he knows that he has £2 a day to spend and buys accordingly.