The Expense of Going to School*

In England, children start school the September after they turn four. For me, it’s too young. It’s too young to be in school 5 days a week for over 6 hours a day. Not only that but it’s so much more structured from the very start in comparison to when I went but I guess in a way, my daughter needed it.

When my daughter started school, I was not prepared for the sheer cost of a child in primary school. Yes, I know from experience that being in University is an expensive business, but I did not anticipate how many hidden costs there would be of a child in a FREE government-run school! Who knew?

Unexpected costs to do with school are not my favourite thing! I thought I’d share a few with you today.

School Photos

This is one of my most recent expense findings, school photos. Yes, they look so nice and the kids always look so grown up, but you want how much for one photo? I’m lucky that my parents and grandparents usually want a photo so they chip in but over £20 for one big, two medium, and 3 small photos.. WITHOUT FRAMES. I remember being a kid and the photos always came in the cardboard frames, not these days!

Trips

I remember a few years ago just before the school finished for Christmas, I was asked to find £13.50 for a school trip to a farm, in the middle of winter. Not only that she needed wellies and a waterproof coat. She didn’t have a waterproof coat, her winter coat is one of those wool pea coats so I had to go to buy a waterproof (thankfully my mum had wellies). But it was hardly money you’d be wanting to shell out a few weeks before Christmas! You don’t want to be that mum saying your kid can’t go because you don’t have that money so you have to find it. Yes, she really enjoyed the farm, she saw Santa and got some magic reindeer food.. but I could have taken her to a free Santa and I know she would have loved that just as much! And did I mention the same week was her school party (party dress & food for the buffet needed paying for..) and a Christmas raffle?

Milk

The first term reception children are given free milk. That’s fine. Second term I remember I got a letter home asking us to pay for milk. I have no idea how much milk costs but I’m sure you didn’t pay for it “back in the day”.

Charities

I don’t begrudge giving to charities at all or the schools supporting charities. But it’s everything that goes along with it that isn’t just donating money that I hadn’t even given a second thought to prior to her starting school. But these days there feels like there is so much more dressing up involved and that’s the expensive part. You don’t want your child to be the only one not dressed up, or not adhering to the theme.

So we have a school uniform, school shoes, bag, pack lunch box, pack lunch food, school trips, photos, milk, charities. I dread to think how much this all adds up to! Then there is the school fundraising events.. discos, bingos, coffee mornings, raffles, school fares, book fares. Yes, I was so naive to think that my daughter being in school would only be the cost of the uniform at the start of the year, no! Surely I must be a good few hundred per year worse off.

I know there are some children in the world that don’t have education. But it doesn’t take away from how much it costs a parent in this country to send your child! I’m glad my daughter has this opportunity. She’s receiving an education that will help her in life, sadly I’m not sure my purse feels the same!

However…

I really don’t mind buying gifts for the teacher at the end of the year. Especially knowing how they’re treated by our current government. I completely support strikes and I know teaching in 2023 is not the easiest. It’s always nice to go out and buy teacher t shirts or teacher bags to say thank you. Or if you want something a little different, teacher stamps are a fab addition to their stationary.