I’m pretty sure that our school must be of the opinion that I have a money tree in my back garden!
Since the kids went back to school less than a month ago it seems to be a never ending stream of letters home – the majority of which require money from me!
We’ve had the letter about the Year 6 residential that cost me £20 as a deposit, the school trip for last week which was £13, the school trip for next week which is costing £10 plus I need specific clothes as listed on the form so they can dress up a second World War refugee. And that’s just for Miss Frugal.
Master Frugal is doing Judo with the school and that costs £3 a week plus £26 licence fee (I need to speak to them to see what this is for and if he really needs it) and another £20 for his kit.
They’ve had to pay £2 each for a passport which is essentially a paper booklet that they get stamped every time they do an after school activity and if they hit a certain number of hours, I get to buy them a cap and gown and they get to go to an award ceremony.
Today was the letter about archery which obviously they are both desperate to do at a cost of £3 each a week. We haven’t decided if they’re going to be doing it yet but for what they’ll be doing £3 is actually great value, it’s just that with this and the fact that Miss Frugal wants to have a go at Judo, I could be spending almost £50 a month.
We’re going to have to sit down and have a chat about cutting back on something else if they want to try archery as well.
On top of that, I begrudge the fact that Miss Frugal scrapes trays in the dinner hall in exchange for a cookie, spends several lunchtimes and one afternoon after school a week working in the school library. AND she has to be at school twenty minutes before everyone else to bag up fruit to sell on the fruit stall before school. AND two days a week she’s a play leader which means that she co-ordinates activities for younger children in the playground. All jobs that she loves doing but still, jobs are jobs!
They should be paying us for all the work she does!
Am I being a bit unreasonable, are all schools like this?
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It's really true that our school cost increasing day by day. That is a very though-table one look for all of us. We need to be send our child school and must need to be pay their school fee. No any way out from here. Every parents should need to be read this writing and I hope there also able to collect some difference and knowledgeable info about such kind of school fee. If we every one able to make awareness our mind about such kind of issue. May be we'll get success to decrees the school fee. Which help us a lot to carry our child education fee.
I would be concerned if the judo club said that master frugal doesn’t need a licence. It is basically liability insurance and also evidence that he is part of a club that teaches him legitimate competitive and self defensive techniques. However I know of some clubs that don’t ask for the money from parents until the first grading. He won’t be able to grade without a licence and as he progresses he wont be legally covered to partake in classes using traditional Japanese weapons like the bokken (a wooden sword). Hope that helps x
Ah that explains that then, I kind of thought it was just an after school club so a licence would be pointless but I understand now. He is keen to progress so it sounds like he'll definitely be needing one. Thanks x x
I'm dreading Alex going to school, it's bad enough at preschool some months!
Start saving now 😉
As a child in grammar school I felt so keenly that the school asked for too much money that I didn't bring home the letters. I don't remember really missing out , and got to spend the trip days in the school library which I loved. This was back in the late 60's/early 70's so things obviously haven't changed.
Schools need to realise that trips should be free to participants. If trips are so necessary to the educational process then school fundraising should be directed towards that goal.
I thought that trips were supposed to be optional and if they weren't then the school had to offer to help those who would struggle to pay. We're OK to pay for them, it's more the principle with me but I know that there are families who will struggle and no help is being offered to them!
I was going to write a post about a similar thing! My 10 year old school, on top of the little stuff, has sent home a letter for a trip to London next year. A deposit of £20 was required this week, then £130 before March next year! I hate how much it has cost us to send our children to school these days 🙁 x
It's mad isn't it? I think they think that we just have limitless funds. We're lucky that we can afford it but I know that a lot of people will be struggling with it right now!
No, they're not. Our school has a lot of activities going on but don't charge for them all. They are very conscious that they are based in an area where a lot of families are struggling. They offer dancing and another activity which costs and my kids do choir, which is free, although it means they will be taking part in Young Voices next term. Certainly, I have not had too many demands for money so far this term.
Monkey does guitar lessons which I have to pay for. I am paying only if he practices regularly. If he hates it by Christmas, I am not paying for next term, I have told him that already. Missy Woo is doing ukulele but that is part of the curriculum. I either hired or bought a ukulele so I bought one a year ago to cover both of them. If Monkey doesn't continue with guitar, she may take his on.
Apart from that, they limit school trips to one a year that costs.There is one residential trip which Y6 and sometimes Y5 are invited to. I did notice actually that only half of them went this year though as they went last week so it does seem that they almost expect people not to pay if they don't want to.
I decided to ensure that the children understood there is not limitless money for things like this and other outside school activities. Missy does dancing and swimming. Monkey does swimming and cricket or tennis, none of these are school related although Monkey goes to swimming lessons this year as part of the curriculum so I don't get to pay. If they want to do something else, they know they'll have to drop something.
It just feels a bit never ending at the moment – we're now on our third school trip for Miss Frugal next week as well as the residential which is the only optional thing so far.
I like that they do these things but if the rest of the year is going to be the same as the first month then it's going to be an expensive year!
You are not being unreasonable at all – the school is and you shouldnt have to pay all this out, it’s ridiculous!
It's completely mad – they've asked for more money this week too!