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Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 5:49 pm
by Twinkle
Petit-pois, our GS asks for £60 per year per child. There is absolutely no pressure to pay it. You can pay more, less or nothing. The school has no external funding as far as I am aware apart from what it gets from the government ( which is little compared to many schools). £30 per month is my opinion a huge amount for AHS to ask parents to pay. Don't feel pressured.
Our school does encourage donations to its development fund when it has wanted to build a new block as. But again no real pressure and at least you know what it is for,
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 6:19 pm
by anotherdad
Yes, what you are both saying does make complete sense. We will let her settle in and then look at the best ways - financial and otherwise - in which we can contribute.
Thank you once again for your help
Pleasure. Is your daughter excited about the move to AHS? Does she have a familiarisation day to attend?
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:35 pm
by rhiane
DDs Slough Grammar ask for £40.00/year but it's completely optional, no pressure at all
DSs Primary ask for £25.00 (£10.00 siblings) again optional, no pressure
£30.00/month does seem a lot!
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:40 pm
by anotherdad
Twinkle wrote:£30 per month is my opinion a huge amount for AHS to ask parents to pay. Don't feel pressured.
Indeed, especially when the mandatory Chromebook costs another £23 a month for 12 months in the first year.
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:22 am
by Twinkle
anotherdad wrote:Twinkle wrote:£30 per month is my opinion a huge amount for AHS to ask parents to pay. Don't feel pressured.
Indeed, especially when the mandatory Chromebook costs another £23 a month for 12 months in the first year.
Nope - not mandatory or even suggested at our GS. I am beginning to realise that we have been very lucky.
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 7:43 am
by scary mum
They used to ask at Burnham Grammar (£150/year/family) but they took it off Parentpay when they had a campaign to raise money for new buildings & I haven't seen anything since (& the building work seems to have been delayed by years).
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:13 am
by petit-pois
Twinkle and Rhiane - AHS give no suggested or recommended amount, that is why I was asking approximately what others contribute, to get an idea. It was Blueberry that mentioned her Dc's school suggested £30 a month.
We're going to wait and see as suggested, I'm quite happy to donate my time and contribute in other ways and I'm sure if I decide to submit a direct debit form halfway through the year it wont be refused!
Anotherdad - She most certainly is thanks
It's uniform fitting day tomorrow so getting very real now, and then two transition days at the beginning of next month when I believe she will find out her form tutor and meet her form mates for the next few years. She can't wait! She's also very excited about getting a chromebook
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:19 am
by anotherdad
Twinkle wrote:anotherdad wrote:Indeed, especially when the mandatory Chromebook costs another £23 a month for 12 months in the first year.
Nope - not mandatory or even suggested at our GS. I am beginning to realise that we have been very lucky.
It will probably be a matter of time, it seems to be a growing trend. I'm not convinced of the value of it but I'm willing to be convinced. The education conference I attended this week had a talk about the use of IT in classrooms and specifically the detail of the new AI technology that is being tested in the US, to auto-mark pupils' work. I'm not convinced by that either, but I'm sure I wouldn't have been convinced by some of today's ubiquitous technology if I was presented with it 30 years ago!
AHS does have a scheme where those on pupil premium have a discreet way of obtaining a Chromebook through school funding.
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:22 am
by Amber
I would be well cross if a school made me buy a google device. Apple all the way here but I still wouldn't want to be made to buy one.
Our school asks for voluntary contributions but it isn't hard sell. I am conflicted about what to do when my younger DS leaves the school next year. Do you stop?
Re: Charitable donation
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:30 am
by Amber
anotherdad wrote:
It will probably be a matter of time, it seems to be a growing trend. I'm not convinced of the value of it but I'm willing to be convinced. The education conference I attended this week had a talk about the use of IT in classrooms and specifically the detail of the new AI technology that is being tested in the US, to auto-mark pupils' work. .
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-06- ... 1970s.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Could there be a connection? If one believes intelligence can be measured, then could increased reliance on short concentration span requiring technology be contributing to this, or is it just lack of fish?