£800 'hidden cost' of sending a child to a state school - your experiences?

[TheLateKateMumsnet]

According to the Children's Commission on Poverty, many families in the UK are struggling to meet the 'hidden costs' of sending a child to school. They estimate that families need to find roughly £800 per child to pay for things such as school uniforms, lunches, and extra-curricular trips and activities - often more, once their child reaches secondary school.

What's your experience? Does this figure sound about right, when you add up all the extras - and are your family finances suffering because of it? Do let us know in the thread below.

P.S If you're looking for ways to manage school costs, take a look at our tips here

Fanjango, I agree sole suppliers shouldn't exist and there should be at least three. Color wouldn't matter then.

With regards to trips though, of course it's going to be more expensive if you have three children at school. Many cant afford three children so they don't have them. It was made quite clear on school newsletters etc what years did residential and the costs involved. Hence parents know from the start of costs coming up and can budget if they want their child to take part.

Most school costs aren't unknown in the slightest and very many are optional like music lessons, non uniform days, fetes etc. Parents can pick and choose what extras they want and the basics of uniform, dinners etc are just simply part of being a parent and providing.

Daisy: my DD's music teacher said in her last report that she's do well to learn an instrument, if I can't afford to pay for lessons I feel like I'm holding her back. My DCous is a concert pianist, God knows what he'd have done with his life if my DA hadn't got him piano lessons.

My DD's school sends out a letter with school trips and probable charges, then usually within the week springs an unexpected trip on us. So far this half term we've been asked for £8 for a drama workshop, £18 for a theatre trip and £250 for a 2 night residential. Only the residential was mentioned on the letter, and was estimated as £200, so even if I'd budgeted, I would have an extra £75 I could not have planned for, just this half term.

I know Daisy's post might sound a little harsh, but I agree with her. Having children is not a cheap option.

I agree that schools shouldn't have sole suppliers for uniform. Although I can only get the blazer, PE kit and tie from DD's school I can get everything else anywhere. The blazer is only £32.50 and lasts for a couple of years anyway so I don't feel that is poor value for money. DD is in year 10 and has the same tie from year 7. She also has a spare in case she loses it because being without a tie incurs a detention (I bit draconian IMO)

Sorry, haven't rtft, but wanted to add something about uniform. I teach in a secondary school and the majority of our pupils come from homes where there isn't much money about. When our new head arrived a few years ago he did away with all uniform containing a logo with the exception of a school tie. This costs £5 from the school office or pupils can borrow one for the day if they pay £1 which is refunded when they return it.
Without exception every pupil at out school wears full school uniform and they look so smart. It's just that they can wear any black trousers or skirt and any black jumper or cardigan with either a black or white skirt and their £5 school tie. They take pride in their uniform too. We used to have many pupils who refused to wear the uniform and I'm sure that it was because they couldn't afford the special kit. Now no one sticks out as looking particularly different and they all feel they are part of the school - two essential steps to inclusion IMHO.

The state schools which make you buy lots of different uniform with a logo on it are being ridiculous.

I do agree that having children is an exercise in spending as much money as possible not cheap.

but I do think there is a problem with school uniform and the continual springing of trips. When a state institution decides to restrict or dictate what we dress our children in, they do have a duty to make sure that it does not exacerbate the social exclusion associated with poverty.

There is absolutely no reason why a school needs to specify an expensive blazer, or stipulate a single (and more expensive) style of skirt or trousers. Nor do they need white polo shirts with the school logo on (and a year identifier colour too which makes handing down or buying second hand almost impossible) at £9.50 each. Why can't the children wear the plain supermarket ones? They could provide badges to be sewn on to generic jumpers if they wanted, but even that is unnecessary.

It has been so much cheaper since fast-growing teenage DS1 changed schools. None of this 5 polo shirts at £9.50 each, two sweatshirts at £15 each, an additional PE polo shirt at £9.50, a rugby top for outside PE at £12.50, a bloody £5 apron for cooking, regulation PE socks, and a regulation coat that costs between £35 and £50, which he then grows out of half way through the year because Y9 boys grow - a lot. His new school has a simple dress code that's easy to work with. Supermarket school trousers, primarni shirts, a couple of primarni/ supermarket jumpers (which don't have to be school jumpers, so they do for everyday wear too) and his own coat. You can even have shoes he'd be willing to wear outside school (so long as they're not trainers). Much, much cheaper. And he loves being able to wear black shirts.

Ds is in S3 (equiv of year before GCSEs). Costs so far this year have been: uniform £14 for new school trousers. Still wearing shirts, Tshirts and gym shorts, jumper from last year. Isn't wearing his blazer (£40) which was bought in S1 (I think it would still fit) but he has a quilted black jacket that he wears for both casual and school). School tie cost £2 or £3 but he hasn't lost his yet and he's realised if he does, just to say he'd lost it at PE as they have loads there . His trainers and rugby boots he'd have anyway.

Skiing trip ( totally optional - only a small proportion of kids go) is £720 all in (only spending money and lunches to find). Paid £200 last year, £520 still to pay (only run every 2nd year so that people can save up).

Fee for Duke of Edinburgh Bronze £40.

School lunches would be £1.80 a day but ds is making his own packed lunches (I'd normally give him £5 towards them, so that it was his choice whether to eat in or out, but at the moment that is going towards his contribution to the cost of the ski trip).

That's all.

Last year I had to pay £10 towards his Home Economics ingredients.

The school does cover a wide demographic with a high proportion of FSMs but also a number of kids from extremely well off countries.

The Parent Council pays c£1,000 a year into an "Achievement" Fund administered by the school to ensure that no kids are disadvantaged and have equal opportunities to educational events such as the trips to Germany and France which for a variety of reasons ds didn't go on

Ds' primary school was an even poorer narrower demographic. The only charge we had was the end of year school trip for £5 and i think £2 fir the Halloween Party. The Winter Fayre raises £2,000 (Toy junk Stall, home baking, bricabrac, book stall, auction, raffle and various fun stalls. 50p entry and then whatever you choose to spend. The money raised is then used in the same way as the Achievement Fund - to ensure that all kids have equal access, so for example will cover the cost of the end of year trip if required plus also their annual fun day.

Uniform is very simple - logoed stuff is available (and not expensive) but all that is requested is red tops and black/navy bottoms.

So I'm nowhere near £810 - but I think that is a function of the schools.

Very interesting pretty bird, as I think your children are at a school near mine. So I think it must also be a policy of the local authority

Oh, and DD's blazers are designed with room to lengthen the sleeves for when the arms grow and nothing else does - as in DD's case. She is growing upwards but not outwards.

DDs school asks for a "voluntary" contribution every year, which you have to explain to the head if you can't afford to pay, then there are discos, quiz evenings, cake sales, book fair etc which all add up. That's before lunch time and after school clubs!

My two aren't in school yet but my DS1 is in nursery (attached to school) I reckon we've spent 80 quid on mandatory contributions for snack plus voluntary contributions for art supplies. A few quid on a school trip, twenty pounds on sponsorship stuff. Disco, school fair, cake sales, maybe 150 pounds or so in total. I can totally see that it'd mount up to 800 if you include lunches/ uniform/ more expensive school trips.

I'll be honest though and say whilst we're not overflowing with cash I think that helping the school to offer the best that it can in terms of facilities for the pupils is a good thing. Our local school has in general very "supportive parents" so it feels like a norm though.

Far higher at my DC2's school, which is a state academy. In fact, I would say that the cost of the extras rivals those of DC1 who went to a leading public school. Apart from the usual costs of uniform, lunches, music, non uniform/miscellaneous theatre trips/skiing holidays etc, it is a language academy where students are encouraged to study multiple languages, including Russian and Japanese to A level.

The school is very good at organising trips/exchanges/stays in families to the relevant countries and, as you can imagine, trips to Japan are not cheap. Still, at least I'm not paying school fees any more (smiley emoticon!).

I've probably spent more than that already and dd is only in Year 3. Uniform, trips, fancy dress for the myriad costume days, Easter bonnets and so on.

I just ignore school requests for cash. We were asked to contribute a certain amount per term. I just ignored it. I don't do school book sales etc either.
And music lessons are hardly compulsory!
Wish they would get rid of uniforms for primary school though, as I think the whole idea of white polo shirts for 5 year olds is mental. They should wear cheap tracky bottoms and comfy t shirts.

I wonder if the 800 is averaged out over the school life. My dc are currently both at primary and costs are pretty low - uniform for ds1, ds2 wears these 3 years later, one school trip per year at about 10, ds1 now has swimming with voluntary contribution to the cost of the coach. I don't count food but uniform does not get worn in holidays so still need at least 4 or 5 days worth of casual wear. If no school would not have school shoes either. I would be happy to leave a pair of wellies at school if it meant they were outdoors loads, but don't see why they could not keep a collection at school anyway. Our pta is very active and has funded waterproofs for forest school.

Very easily. £200+ on uniform and sports kit. The logo's tracksuit alone was £40. Never mind the logo'd shorts and polo. The polo shirt to be changed every year because of year colour. Then the blazer which again logo'd and depending on year and if prefect or not, different coloured piping. Although prefect got their blazer for free. Then of course the yearly change of tie. I was relieved when we finally finished in the school, all the changes came about in year 2, under a new head.

Then the cost of curriculum trips. Didn't matter if we were a quid above the free school meal, which meant heavily subsidised, because we were apparently rolling in it and the harassment when we couldn't make the voluntary payments. It was even suggested at one point that I should deal with my finances better then, or get a loan, because yes, this would help.

Then chuck in costs of compulsory after school things, things that meant they often had to stay until gone 6, so take in cash for food and drinks, because this was never provided, even though they were representing the school.

The no uniform days. Fund raising days. The pressure for the pictures, after all the school received money from this so the more sales the more money for the school. The book sales, again see the photo sales.

The stationary. The paper and folders to keep work in. The printing costs in school before we had a printer at home, and some worked had to be printed not hand written. The internet costs, because this was needed as some teachers insisted that homework had to be sent in electronically on the crappy mle (it was really dire then and crashed more times than it worked).Although school would say well they can use the pc's in the library which works well when school library had 5 pc's and around a thousand students lol. Or the other suggestion of using public library, where you could book slots, at cost for 30 minutes, because you can get loads done in 30 minutes on very slow machines, think the libraries here were using dial up.

The disco's. The Prom. The residential. The fun trips like Thorpe Park, cinema etc, things that you got a letter home about saying because of the excellent behaviour/work/representing the school, your child has been chosen to go to xx the cost to you is £xx. And yes I had many bloody words with the school about their treats costing me.

The costs for cooking lessons, this was a yearly cost, plus on top of that additional money for ingredients. Again this was questioned, and becuase I was paying twice.

The costs for art equipment. To be used in school. Again like cooking, on top of a yearly cost. These two lessons, during the first 2 years were compulsory.

The cost of the coach to go to the sports day, I refused point blank to pay this. The field was near my home, and all students under 16 travel on the bus for free. School hated me for this, and tried all sorts including threatening me with the ewo as dc would be marked as absent if they failed to attend school. Called their bluff, dc's went sports day, loads of pictures were taken proving they were in school. There was a number of other trips as well that were essentially free but the school wanted to charge. I am sure I was seen as one of those parents, but I refuse to pay for free things.

All of these hidden. None of these discussed during the visit to the school. Ok, yes we knew we had to buy uniform but we didn't expect it to change in the second year. Nothing was mentioned in any of the mountains of paperwork we were sent prior to starting in the first year. Nothing about these costs were mentioned during the first week, and we had to go and sign home/school agreements. We didn't have these costs in primary school, so it was a huge shock. The primary school was very, very mc and the secondary over 70% fsm.

Plus possibly more that I have forgotten about.

I do think that schools need to be more transparent, and these things included in possible costs in all the info packs they send you.

DD has just done her Y6 residential trip. I was not impressed when the kit list included 5 days worth of clothing (complete change for every day) that should be old and not matter is it was basically destroyed. DD doesn't have spare, old pairs of trainers and clothes lying around, she grows out of them before they wear out. So I had to buy new trainers and other bits of new kit, knowing that there was every chance that I would need to bin them at the end of the week. The school seemed oblivious.

Mrscake I usually get charity shop clothes for that sort of thing.

Our DC's school asks for a flat fee of £25 a term for trips and special activities, but its voluntary. I know a few parents who cant afford it and dont pay, and nobody misses out or is any the wiser.

There are endless charity donation requests, but its not compulsory and we dont always contribute.

Uniforms arent expensive - just the school blazer, as the rest can be purchased from supermarkets or budget clothing shops, and the school keeps a lot of hand me downs for parents who are struggling.

After school club and extra curricular activities are what add up for us. DS does two clubs a week and DD is an activity ir class every week day after school.

chocomochi if this is a state school, then the head who demands parents pay a regular 'donation' or explain why not is going well beyond her powers. Outrageous. If I were you, I'd refuse and I'd refuse to discuss it - in fact I'd complain to the governors and copy in your MP.

edam is right. I am on the finance committee of a large secondary school. All the schools in the LEA are struggling to make ends meet, including ours, but we don't ask parents for donations.

I just did the sums and so far I have spent over £700 for both of them just for the first two terms on uniform, voluntary contribution, and year six trip. This does not include any food or transport. I spend £160 per month on transport to school and they both have packed lunches. Packed lunches including treats and drinks so they don't buy anything from the expensive canteen average ca £80 per month, but they have long days and bring everything from home. They are very sensible in that regard, but most of their friends do the same thing. DD doesn't want school dinners, because none of her friends go. She likes vine ripened tomatoes in her lunch box though.

This is one junior school and one grammar child.

Yr 10: £500 on two trips - language and Geography. £500 on lunches. £1200 on transport to school. £70 on revision books and £150 on uniform / stationery. Total £2,420.

Yr 8: £270 on language exchange, £450 on lunches, £1200 on transport and £150 on uniform / stationery / revision books. Total £2,070.

Yr 5: £330 on lunches, £50 on uniform and stationery, trips c£20 and share of school run cost say £20pw = £600. Total c£1,000.

Hallelujah for free school meals for my twins in year 1. But uniform, trips and share of school run etc must be at least £1,340 total.

Excluding music lessons which we do at home in one batch: £2,500.

Never added it up before. £6,830 without music lessons and £9,330 with.

Conclusions (a) stick to two, and (b) school closer to home. Hmm, bit late for me! No wonder I'm broke.

I'm not sure why school lunches are a "hidden cost" of schooling. If you have DC it is your responsibility as a parent to pay for their food.

Ditto school uniform providing it isn't some mad fancy dress - it is parents' responsibility to clothe their DC.

I think transport to school ought to be free for DC who have more than 2km to walk. I think DC ought to go to their local school in order to keep costs down and transport times to a minimum.