Schools Charging to Watch the Kids Xmas Play
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Does your child's school charge you to see the Christmas Play?
I've heard of couple that make parents buy tickets to see the xmas performance this year.
Schools are underfunded. Don't be stingy and just pay. Just look at www.locrating.com/ and see how your school finances are. Some schools are in deficit, and that's into hundred of thousands of pounds.
If it’s just a couple of £s no problem. The schools need funding. When my daughter in law worked at one school they didn’t even have pencils and pens, so I bought a load. No thanks from the head though!
Pjran people seem to have forgotten how to say thank you these days. I often cook for friends and last weekend did a Christmas dinner followed by dessert and a Christmas film for a couple of them. If I say so myself it was a pretty good dinner with nothing forgotten and everything cooked just right. I must admit I did expect a text next day but nothing, the work and money involved is no problem but a thank you text would have made it all worthwhile.
Lynibis I over thank! I have OCD and I never want to come across ungrateful 
I also get offended when people don’t over thank me… then I remember.. I said thank you a cash point once for giving me my cash
Michelle1991 I say thank you to my Google pod and he replies (I chose male voice) happy to serve
Michelle1991 ha ha that made me giggle. Not quite the same but living alone I often find myself answering people on tv!
It might be better to ask for a donation than to force them to buy a ticket. Maybe send a box round like they do in church for the donations, you will get some over donating which will make up for those under donating.
Let's face it kids efforts aren't usually that good except from our own little darlings of course!
As long as the money is going to the school then it doesn’t seem to be much of a problem. I think it might be better to do a suggested price though so those people who are struggling financially don’t feel embarrassed and put off attending.
I think to be fair it would put some parents in a difficult position. I only have one child now, my husband was disabled and I'll when my son was at school, he's passed away now, but at the time my son was on free school meals and I was a carer. We didn't get any help with care and didn't have much coming in. Depending on ticket prices it would put struggling families in a position where they don't see their children at all and if they had been me back then that would have broken my heart. Those are precious moments with your children. I personally think a donation is best, ask people to donate what they can afford and what they feel their children's education up to date has warranted from relatives just stating that they struggle and all help no matter what is appreciated. It means nobody misses out seeing their children but even a tiny donation is accepted and those that can afford can pay more if they wish. I would gladly have if I'd had it. I think most parents would.
It is fair to make a small charge, but not too much so that disadvantage parents, the richer can always bung a little more.
If it's not too expensive on the price then I certainly wouldn't mind paying especially if it's going back into the school for the kids and their education
I think the old donations box, and selling overpriced mulled wine and mince pies should do it? It does require some imagination and effort from the powers that be though...
Our sons school has a suggested donation of £2. Given the time it is at we won't be able to go but I don't think that £2 is a bad price.
My daughter is now an adult, but when she was at school, I never had to pay to see any Christmas plays. All different now.
Awk this is a difficult one. Some people already struggle financially. I understand that schools are underfunded - but a lot of families are living on the breadline…
I think we paid £5 each and that was before the pandemic began. They said it goes towards funds for the school. I am not sure what others do though.
I think it’s ludicrous, to watch your own child perform. If it’s going towards the upkeep of the school that’s fair enough. Never was a thing few years back
Look at the state schools are now. No money for almost anything these days.
If you want to check how your school performing and what are their finances look at www.locrating.com/ many schools are in deficit hence they ask for extra funds. I am not sure why some getting offended by extra £ for a Christmas show. Some skimp on few quid for school but spend hundreds on things they don't need. Remember that school is looking after and educating your child.
You are welcome.
I paid £1 each for 2 tickets for performance and £5 breakfast with Santa obviously we will get food and kids will get little gift from Santa. They are all optional and kids love it do I don't mind paying
If our daughters school made a bit of an effort then I'd be happy to pay even though we shouldn't have too really, same thing every year, never anything different
I doubt it’ll cost much, and schools often will do things to fundraise for something beneficial to the school (I hope)
All funding for all public services is reducing as the country is bankrupt and the interest on our debts is getting more and more difficult to pay. I'd never heard of paying to see a school play before, considering how painful they are to watch seems bad value but I guess there is no state funding for having such plays but its tradition to have such plays so they are looking for money from parents. A sign of the times I guess. When I was at school there were lots of projects for kids to get involved in, plays, a school newspaper written by students, a choir, helping build stuff, school garden, little school farm area with geese and of course metalwork and woodwork classes to build some real practical skills. It seemed like a lot was going on. The only thing you had to pay for was school trips or going to the swimming pool as coaches and entry tickets had to be paid for. They were always great value though and possibly a little subsidised by the school.
Don't see why not. Staff are expected to give up their time if it's held after school hours. They don't get paid extra for it. Also as its been pointed out the schools are under funded and the money can be used to pay for resources used to make costumes
Jerseydrew, when I worked in a school, the Christmas play was during school hours. The parents were expected to provide suitable clothing to use for costumes. The school did have some bits and pieces for costumes that people had donated.
By the time I left the school, they'd progressed to having someone videoing the play, and they were selling a copy of the video to parents. They had stopped allowing anyone else videoing or taking photos during the play so they could make money from their video.
It didn't go down well the first year they did it. They priced it too high, parents wouldn't buy it, and they were left with loads of unsold videos. In the 2nd year, the price was slightly lower, but I think someone bought a video and made copies of it, so the school still didn't sell many.
If the schools price too high, the parents will rebel.
We used to pay a couple of pounds each and to fair it was worth it, because all of the children took part and any money raised went towards other activitys within the school.
The local school is also selling the costumes for the nativity play! Gone are the days of wearing tea towels and sheets being a shepherd or angel.
My kids school charge to watch - £2 per ticket. We have to buy their costumes if they need one too, which I don't mind, but we usually get about a weeks notice which is frustrating.
Also they don't do a whole school nativity - each year group puts on a separate show on different days, so if you have multiple kids in the school you need to buy more tickets and have to find extra time off work to see them all, because the shows are on during the school day.
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