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Secondary education

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

6 replies

ageing5yearseachyear · 14/07/2010 15:42

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.

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LetsEscape · 16/07/2010 22:17

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.

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mumofsatan · 17/07/2010 15:06

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

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rainbowfizz · 17/07/2010 18:57

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

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ageing5yearseachyear · 17/07/2010 19:50

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!

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rainbowfizz · 17/07/2010 20:27

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!!!

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ageing5yearseachyear · 17/07/2010 21:21

thank god that none of my dds schools did that

I would have gone bankrupt in 2 years!

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