Does the expense get better or worse?

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scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by scary mum »

Guest55 wrote:Not all GS insist on such things - blazer around £30 and no expensive compulsory school visits.
Same here - all quite sensible (Bucks). There are some expensive trips such as sports tours downunder, but we don't even look at those. Blazers quite cheap, PE kit OK and no fancy tablets (the school fundraised for enough to use in lessons). No compulsory overseas trips, some local trips to Windsor ec, but can opt out of paying. The only one that riles me is the request for £180/year donation - with 3 children this is quite a lot. I don't think many people pay it.
scary mum
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by doodles »

It's that boiled wool/ felt like material and is really hard wearing and so warm they never need a coat or wear their jumpers.
Yamin151
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Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by Yamin151 »

doodles wrote:It's that boiled wool/ felt like material and is really hard wearing and so warm they never need a coat or wear their jumpers.
Well mine are small boys anyway, so if I buy one for a year 8 it will last the whole way to sixth form anyway! Might even fit their father! :lol:
kenyancowgirl
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Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

The blazers are navy and the gold cross is embroidered straight on - they aren't that expensive (about £50) and certainly ds1s has lasted two years but will be replaced this year as he has grown expedentially. They dont wear them past Y11. They are machine washable and ours has been in every week - faded slightly where the heavy rucksack rubs on the shoulder but ok. There is a second hand sale before school starts - we only went so that we could find out what was essential before we went and out stuff new, which seemed to be what most Y7s did. I wouldnt invest in the coat unless you are very sure your ds will wear it but the training jacket is very useful! Shirts, trousers can be bought high street, athletics shirt is logo'd but you need to know what house they are in before you get that or the tie. Keep an eye out for plain white trainers as they are a killer if you are trying to buy them in a hurry!

All state schools have the "if you genuinely can't afford this please see the head in confidence" statement at the end of each trip letter - one of the issues is parents who choose not to pay (but actually could) put the price up for everyone. They get an allowance for the school printer every year but can then buy more if needed. Interestingly, our local comprehensive runs similar compulsory trips etc so I always feel that as the GS is "outstanding" by paying for all the little things, we are helping them use their budget for the important stuff. The direct debit monthly "donation" that everyone is asked to pay, they seem very fair in our school and only ask once per family although I do know some families who pay for subsequent ones too.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by southbucks3 »

Thanks re tip about printing, can they use printers at school then?
Son number one, has five printing vouchers a month, but has to pay for any more with his finger print card. I have not yet figured out how to link his school (compulsory) iPad to our printer...such a shame :wink: so only his word docs get printed at home.
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by Amber »

Feeling lucky and guilty in equal measure here and hoping no one from my sons' schools read this thread.
Locker is free and they use a combination so no padlock either.
No iPads or similar needed. It would have come to a standoff if they had made us buy any kind of Windows device.
No compulsory trips.
All items of uniform available on the high street except blazer (washable), tie and rugby shirt (ditto!) which come from the school. I think they were about £40 and my Y10 DS still has the one he had in Y8. Rest of PE kit comes from M&S or Next or similar.

We get asked for a DT materials 'voluntary' contribution of £12 a year, plus the odd fiver for visiting theatre companies or trips to religious buildings on coaches, and that is it.

Surprising that there is so much variation, but I suppose there is variation in every aspect of our country's education 'system' so maybe I shouldn't be surprised at all.
kittymum
Posts: 925
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:42 pm

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by kittymum »

To be fair to them the blazer isn't bad at all (£29 I think) and the tie £7.50 and the rest is just bog standard stuff. The sports kit (from looking at Hawkinsport doesn't seem any worse then any of the other local grammars and uppers, I think it's just the fact that ds isn't particularly sporty which makes it seem worse. Ds isn't particularly fussed about doing hockey so that's one thing we may avoid. I don't think the upper are any cheaper speaking to friends whose dc row at our local upper (thankfully they don't start rowing till the end of yr 8 ).

Apparently the school are going to offer some sort of lease to buy thing with the Chromebook which will probably help. I'm quite pleased they're going down the Chromebook rather then iPad route as I know friends at JHGS find the iPads a double edged sword - but I'm sure we'll find similar issues with this route. (Ds is gutted they're not having iPads like JHGS and RGS).

There's been no mention of compulsory residentials - there's a 4 day (not overnight) getting to know people thing at the start of the summer for £120 but for ds coming from a very small village school I think that will be money well spent.

SB3 thanks for the tip re bag - brilliant idea as there's always an "in" bag - I know what cuts the mustard where I work but that could be v different from at Billy's! We've had 7 years of bus passes with no losses so fingers crossed! Not looking forward to him losing his free transport (which we have at primary) but a certain v undersubscribed non catchment upper is a couple of hundred metres closer so I guess it is what it is.

I think I'm going to get several copies of the locker key cut and staple them to him - I do think £25 is a total rip off!

I think it's just that whilst the individual costs don't look too bad when you suddenly have to pay for a lot all at once it's very :shock: but I am truly thrilled for him to be going to his first choice school - I guess despite people saying how expensive it is to send a child to secondary school it's only when the bills arrive that you realise it. Am still waiting to find out how much the extra curricular dance / drama stuff will cost as that's what he's really in to.

He's beside himself with excitement about the finger print cafe thing (although dissapointed that I can log on and spy on him).

I can't believe my baby's going to big school though.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Yamin "Our boys have cheap football boots for their rugby,"

Just a note of caution, Yamin - make sure they change their studs to rugby studs. It is illegal for a child to play rugby in football studs (although it is OK for a child to play football in rugby studs!) This is due to the danger to themselves and other players. Having seen someone's leg get sliced open on the rugby pitch at school, early in ds1's Y7, so they had to get taken off in an ambulance, I am fairly evangelical about this!! If you or James Dean want any other info about essential stuff to purchase or not, feel free to check with me! Although we always intended to buy ds2 everything new (and will do as they are completely different shapes/heights so nothing can currently be handed down) we also have to buy a completely new sports kit as it was changed so ds1 carries on through the school in the old kit and the current Y7s, and ds2's year onwards, are all in the new kit. So throughout the school, we have to buy two new kits all the time!!
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by southbucks3 »

All studs should comply with IRB Reg (12) and as such studs made of nylon will not be permitted.
All studs are to be of made of aluminium (metal).
No boot will be allowed with a single toe -.
Moulded rubber studs are permitted so long as there are no sharp edges.

In our view and to save any confusion blades should not be worn. If you are looking to purchase a new pair of boots for soft ground we would advise that you select a "traditional" round metal -
Here you go.

The thing to watch out for is worn out studs more than anything else, they tend to squash down on one side leaving a sharp edge...v nasty.
Also rugby boots get really really filthy, so my boys tend to just bang them off after matches and wear the mud each time, where as footy boots can be kept a bit cleaner if they want, so they have pretty colours!
daveg
Posts: 247
Joined: Thu May 10, 2012 9:30 am

Re: Does the expense get better or worse?

Post by daveg »

southbucks3 wrote:
Thanks re tip about printing, can they use printers at school then?
Son number one, has five printing vouchers a month, but has to pay for any more with his finger print card. I have not yet figured out how to link his school (compulsory) iPad to our printer
Although there are some messy alternatives, basically either your printer supports AirPrint or it doesn't. If it does, it'll just work. If it doesn't, it won't, and you'll have to email things in order to print them.
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