School lock administration charge

[sherrardk]

(Sorry didn't know where to put this.) Have just re-read the letter that I have already signed. Boy #1 has just started secondary school and has brought home a letter about school lockers - if he is successful in being allocated one (fair play - they only have so much space for lockers) he has to pay a £10 deposit for the key (again, reasonable) and a £5 admin fee - surely this is taking the Fosters.

[Buenchico]

Oh, they call it an 'administration fee', do they?

When I was teaching, we called it a 'rental payment'. (I can't remember the exact amount that we charged in those days. It was obviously less than now).

Our school had a policy of using the rent solely to keep the lockers in good order and to fund the provision of new ones. Most parents and students (we weren't allowed to call them 'pupils'!) seemed to find the policy acceptable because they'd been told what the money was to be used for. (I suspect that we'd also have had people grumblings if we'd just used that vague phrase , 'administration fee')

[annie0000]

Admin fee? Is that a one off payment, or is it like a rent thing? I have heard a few people say that after 1st year their kids handed back their keys as the locker they were allocated was usually nowhere near any of the buildings they had classes in and so ended up not being used.

[sherrardk]

It's only a small school (450 kids) so can't imagine it is a very big site. Just think they should come clean and say £5 rent. (Obvioulsy new to all of this so don't want to rock the boat but how stupid do they think we are?) I have happily paid the £1 for the art book which is an obvious cost (although I don't really agree with it -and never did when I was teaching).

[bednobs]

it used to be 25p for a key when i was at school

[China Doll]

It was free when I was at school. Not that I ever really used mine much. I'm suprised this sort of thing is charged for now though.

[EvianBaby]

An admin fee? For a locker?

Does the locker send hand written monthly progress reports or something.

[Buenchico]

When I started my secondary education (at a state run grammar school but which had 'public school pretensions') my parents were less than pleased to be told that all parents were expected to pay the annual 'school subscription'. I think it was £2, which equates to nearly £35 today. Nobody ever explained where the money went!

[ELVIS68]

We never had lockers, we kept our stuff in the desks

[boxtops]

The only people who had lockers when I was at secondary school were the unfortunate class who had no classroom due to lack of space.

[sherrardk]

Obviously I will cough up but I think it is a bloody cheek - they get budgets to pay for all this stuff.

[annie0000]

we didn't have lockers either - we just carried everything about with us all day - back and forward the 2 mile walk - 4 times a day if you went home for lunch (but at least you had to carry less as you only needed morning or afternoon books). But there were about 3000 pupils in my high school so I can see why lockers weren't provided!!

[karenmac60]

My daughter's school has a £5 deposit (which you get back when they leave school) and a £7 annual rent for lockers - BUT they are not allowed to leave anything in them overnight!!!! Her school bag weighs 12lbs and she has a 2 mile walk to school but she can't leave books in her locker despite the cost. I don't get it!!!

[ELVIS68]

Kids need lockers now for their iphones, ipads, ipods etc

25 years ago the only "i"s we had was "i" have forgotten my homework, pe kit etc