Kendrick parents - Year 8 Information Evening 6th Oct

[rainbowcarousel]

Just had a letter home from my Yr 8 DD regarding this... however there are no trips imminent, too early for reports, and no academic choices to be made, so I am wondering what it's for, and hoping parents of older Kendrick girls might remember attending something similar?

There were a number of meetings last year (year 7) and I dutifully went to them all, but I found them more of a sales pitch for fundraising than anything else, which puts me off wanting to attend any more evenings unless there's a specific reason (reports, school trip etc).

Could always send her dad, I suppose...

[Tinkers]

I can't remember a great deal about it, but it is a chance to meet the head of year and the form tutors. They wil have the same form tutors and head of year for year 9 too.

The head of year with tell you what happens in year 8. She will encourage you to encourage your DDs to do 'other things' like sports clubs, music etc, epically since she is a PE teacher.
I think there was a day trip. The year 9 residential will be mentioned in passing.

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Thanks Tinkers. Given how I feel about the school, I shall happily skip this one!

[BlueSmarties]

There were a number of meetings last year (year 7) and I dutifully went to them all, but I found them more of a sales pitch for fundraising than anything else, which puts me off wanting to attend any more evenings unless there's a specific reason (reports, school trip etc).

Could always send her dad, I suppose...

Just out of curiosity, how was it a sales pitch for you? Do you not agree that schools in general, and Kendrick in this case, are short of money? Or should our girls struggle with diminishing funds and resources? Fair enough if you don't have the means to contribute, but it seems very ungenerous that you'd begrudge them even your time...

The newly refurbished chemistry labs are partly paid for through fundraising.

They also gave us the date for the year 9 week long trip, for those who like / need to plan ahead.

[rainbowcarousel]

Just out of curiosity, how was it a sales pitch for you? Do you not agree that schools in general, and Kendrick in this case, are short of money? Or should our girls struggle with diminishing funds and resources? Fair enough if you don't have the means to contribute, but it seems very ungenerous that you'd begrudge them even your time...

The newly refurbished chemistry labs are partly paid for through fundraising.

They also gave us the date for the year 9 week long trip, for those who like / need to plan ahead.

Er... the school fund, for a start? I was flabbergasted by that - state provided education is meant to be free... I have experience of two other state secondary schools in the area and neither have ever asked for money. Nor did they even ask parents to buy a hockey stick or a tennis raquet or science goggles etc etc. they simply provided adequate kit.

I understand that Kendrick is supposedly shorter of money than other schools because they have fewer pupils getting the pupil premium. But the point of the pupil premium is to use that money for the benefit of the children who are entitled to it; Kendrick probably doesn't need to employ TAs and 1:1s with the money that comes from the premium. Other schools manage their budget without recourse to parents, 'living within ones means' perhaps?

The sales-pitch felt to me like a thinly veiled threat - give us money or your girls won't achieve their potential

[Reading Mum]

Er... the school fund, for a start? I was flabbergasted by that - state provided education is meant to be free... I have experience of two other state secondary schools in the area and neither have ever asked for money. Nor did they even ask parents to buy a hockey stick or a tennis raquet or science goggles etc etc. they simply provided adequate kit.

I understand that Kendrick is supposedly shorter of money than other schools because they have fewer pupils getting the pupil premium. But the point of the pupil premium is to use that money for the benefit of the children who are entitled to it; Kendrick probably doesn't need to employ TAs and 1:1s with the money that comes from the premium. Other schools manage their budget without recourse to parents, 'living within ones means' perhaps?

I would be interested in hearing where you think they could make savings to cover these things. They charge for every trip (3 this term so far), we were charged for the GCSE English books so that they could write on them, they have stopped renting the astro at the Uni for hockey club and moved indoor (for Yr 10 at least). I don't see a lot of slack.

[scary mum]

I think almost every school asks for voluntary contributions these days, but they should be just that, voluntary. I do know of a GS near here which had 6th formers phoning people who hadn't contributed!

[rainbowcarousel]

I'm saying that I don't understand why Kendrick can't manage within its budgets when other schools can, without asking parents for contributions? Schools typically do charge for trips but not textbooks!!

[Guest55]

Most schools do ask students to buy the GCSE texts so they can annotate them as they can't be used again.

PE equipment and other texts should be supplied by the school.

[Tinkers]

They do have some PE equipment that the girls can use. I bought quite a cheap racket as I knew my DD was never going to be steffi graff.

English textbooks change every year for GCSE, so it's a yearly expense. We havent been asked before year 10 to pay for text books.

There are other local schools who ask for similar amounts. I asked at open evenings.

The school fund is voluntary and I believe about half of parents contribute. So half don't feel obliged or are unable to. If you don't want to donate, don't.

Raising money for schools has been going on for decades. I remember doing stuff at school to raise money for a minibus, I'm sure most of us did. Parents at Kendrick are not as local and therefore the chance for fundraising is reduced. The cost of the Kendrick mini is comes out of the school fund and it gets a lot of use, not just sports.