Spending your own money on resources...

[YoureAllABunchOfBastards]

I am totting up how much I have spent this summer. Once I factor in new laminator and laminating pouches, it is over £100.

And I don't know if we have any sodding exercise books, so I might have to go and buy some of those at some point. Bloody hell.

When i first got the job at my school, there was zero budget. I ended up buying £100s of resources down to the paper and pencils for the children to use as we had nothing in school. The headteacher was using HER own money at that time to buy the photocopy paper and we were only allowed to make a5 size resources, so 2 fitted on a sheet of a4 to save paper.

That was 18 years ago. Things have gone up and down a bit since then. We have had a budget of about £100 a year per class for the last few years to spend on any consumables we think we need. And if we bought anything we could claim it back within reason.

That's finished. There's zero budget again after wildly over spending to impress in the inspection without thinking ahead and now we're only to buy something IF we desperately need it and IF we've been given the go ahead.

Even with my budget, I still bought things like the ingredients for the baking that the children would do, or the seasonal crafts and I buy my own marking pens etc too.

When l started teaching 30 years ago we got a budget and still do. This is lreland. We can hand in receipts if pick things up as we shop or school secretary will order online for us. I never abuse it. Very frugal. But there are no questions asked as they know we need stuff. Of course l do buy gimmicky stuff in lidl and stationery shops myself just for fun. Even last week our principal handed round the rewards cathologue so we could all order any stuff we needed.This is a very regular fairly small school that parents are happy to fundraise for.I just can't believe the things l read here about some schools.

Ladygracie - if it was my metal tray/tubs you were asking about, they are actually garden planters from B&M Bargains that cost about £3 each. They had square or rectangular in pink, green, purple, blue and cream.
Happy shopping - I know we shouldn't have to do it but ...!

Yes it was you. Sorry I wasn't clear. Fantastic, I have a B&M nearby!
Thank you - I shall go tomorrow.

It isn't universal at all. I only spend money on my own pens, and that's because I like smooth rolling ones. I've bought a few books for my own interest on teaching ideas and behaviour management, but I will look at the new spec online and wouldn't dream of paying text books etc. I never buy display materials either.

That said, I've bought a few stamp pads so I don't have to keep writing the same thing over and over. My choice though. I could just handwrite.

No fricking way in the world I'd be buying exercise books and I don't lend kids my stationery either.

How does a state school have no budget for paper?