Is it normal for schools to charge for books?
Posted by Strange-Swimmer-7025@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 71 comments
Hi all,
Just had a message from my ex that my sons High school has sent a list of "workbooks" and "revision guides" he needs to buy at a cost of £90.
Is this normal? It sounds ridiculous to me.
AmphibianNo8598@reddit
Absolutely. They’re revision guides, they’re not necessary for you to buy and the kids can most likely borrow them in school, they can revise without them, you don’t need to buy them, but since you probably should be buying them anyway they’re marginally cheaper through the school since they can group order.
Strange-Swimmer-7025@reddit (OP)
! Answer thanks for that. Will see if he needs them
AgingLolita@reddit
He probably does need them but I suggest you contact the school directly and only buy maths and English, and any other subject he's invested in passing.
They're very good, they make revision structures and are especially useful now rather than in may when everyone is panicking
Individual_Truth5026@reddit
Hopefully he’s invested in passing them all?
AgingLolita@reddit
Not realistic for some students.
loveyouronions@reddit
Lmao so if it’s not realistic they may as well save themselves a fiver?!
AgingLolita@reddit
I love how I get down boopted for highlighting the side of the bell curve that doesn't find itself on Reddit.
Yes, tbh you could save yourself a fiver on the french or history revision book if your kid is struggling to pass English and maths. It is better FOR THEM to devoted more time to the English and the maths to enable them to access more options post 16.
Not everyone is going to pass 9 GCSEs and that's ok, they don't need 9 GCSEs to get a fantastic career in mechanics. They do, however, need maths and English, and these should be the focus.
pikantnasuka@reddit
One of mine is in GCSE year, predicted 7s and 8s in most subjects but 3 in the language he did not want to and had to take. He's not invested in passing it at all. This seems a common enough theme.
Bacon4Lyf@reddit
Some are more valuable than others, easier to be invested and motivated in getting a good grade for Computer Science than Spanish (ask me how I know)
UnpredictiveList@reddit
You are a sample size of one.
theavodkado@reddit
That’s why they said it depends ?
UnusualSomewhere84@reddit
That very much depends on the individual pupil. I loved Spanish.
giraffe_cake@reddit
If you find the names of the books, look at downloadable pdf versions online. If you know where to look you might find them for free.
Always try second hand as well if you can't find/dont want to look. Revision guides can get really pricy.
Visible_Nothing_9616@reddit
Just to add, if second hand make sure they're the up to date versions, the exams are constantly changing and the revision guides have to keep up.
Mh91818@reddit
Dependent on subject. Maths specification hasn't changed since 2017 but theres a formula sheet now which most guides won't account for.
bluepushkin@reddit
Check eBay, too. Lots of used book sellers there as well.
petrolstationpicnic@reddit
They’re all on World of Books!
Also Vinted surprisingly
MisterWednesday6@reddit
Also charity shops, believe it or not.
redditwhut@reddit
Also on eBay, if you can imagine.
SPUDniiik@reddit
Also on Amazon, if you picture it.
7ootles@reddit
Also on Alibris, if you can fathom that.
Glad-Pomegranate6283@reddit
I’d recommend buying them on Vinted or Amazon second hand, it’s a lot more affordable. I was on income support and independent during sixth form and that would have saved me a fortune. I’m sure the works sells some books too
Independent-Quit585@reddit
Also check Facebook marketplace. There are always last years GCSE parents trying to get rid of them sometimes for free.
pikantnasuka@reddit
It's normal for them to suggest buying these. Fine for you not to.
kamrankazemifar@reddit
Not sure about GCSE but for A-Levels at my school we gave a deposit of £20 for the textbook and we got the money back at the end of the year when we returned the book.
It doesn’t seem ridiculous though, it seems to be different per school.
Lazy_Industry_6309@reddit
Use the Internet instead. All the info is on there.
intangible-tangerine@reddit
Yes nowadays due to budget constraints it's normal for schools to charge for just about anything.
Even basics like paper and pencils.
MarshallMathers1973@reddit
Cannot believe the amount of downvotes for a honest comment
Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit
I think you mean "factually incorrect comment".
SleepyWelshGirl@reddit
Schools do not charge for pen and paper for anybody! Junior schools provide everything as they always have. High school kids take pencil cases, pens, highlighters and such, plus a scientific calculator. This was the same in the 90s when I went to school. American schools have all children take everything, uk schools do not. High schools still provide exercise books for class and homework too.
dreamingofseastars@reddit
Some primary schools are now asking parents to buy a packet of paper. My local primary did it this year.
SleepyWelshGirl@reddit
No school should be short of funding for paper of all things. They have various funding sources and can get extra funding for certain children. I would be asking questions regarding where the money is going if they can't manage the basics. If they are that tight then they should be transferring under academy care. Did that make the local papers? It should have made national!
furrycroissant@reddit
Academy's are some of the worst for this. There are only a handful of schools who haven't been subsumed into an academy by how.
face-cake@reddit
The extra funding mostly goes to those specific children in the form of 1-2-1 support or special resources, and it’s not a lot of money.
My SO is a teacher and in a previous school they were given a few packets of printer paper at the start of the year and told that was all they were getting. Schools spend a lot of money on things not related specifically to education to make up for the shortfall in other areas, you’d be surprised.
Strange-Swimmer-7025@reddit (OP)
This is insane. There are so many kids at that school whose families could no way afford that
Voodoopulse@reddit
There'll be money for those children to get them
DefiantCricket9701@reddit
Schools have provision for students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. It doesn't cover enough students but the poorest will be covered through pupil premium funding.
SianyBabe@reddit
I would recommend looking at Kindle Unlimited. I got a large number of revision guides under the unlimited package including some CGP and Bitesize books. It won't have everything but it's a good start.
As for being essential, no. However, there does need to be revision done in their own time and the books make it easier.
MarshallMathers1973@reddit
Let me tell you something, I know a guy who has three zones who all became doctors and he used to spend £400-£800 a year per kid on books for them to work through just at home. He told me too many parents waste money buying their kid a playstation or tablet but then cry like dogs over paying a few hundred on books a year. You sound like the type of person he was referring to.
Ysbrydion@reddit
Yup. We get them at a discount, but it's about 8-15 a pop when the new term starts.
Schools are skint.
Zanki@reddit
Revision guides are good, but check out stores like the works for them. They're a lot cheaper in there. That's what I had. Does the BBC site still have Bitesize? I remember that being good when I could get online (I was the only kid without a computer/internet). There's always old papers online that you can use to revise to get a feel for what will be asked.
Paracosm26@reddit
I've seen a trailer for Bitesize on BBC One in the past few months.
ZanzibarGuy@reddit
I'd go searching...
Probably something like CGP - Anna's Archive
phatboi23@reddit
Good ol' Anna's archive.
UncleD1ckhead@reddit
Best answer here.
Ill-Praline1261@reddit
Check Ebay. Or type the revision guide into google with PDF at the end of it…
ComfortableAlone7876@reddit
I remember my school handing them out to anyone who couldn't get them for whatever reason because we used them in lessons. The vast majority of kids parents did buy them for their kids as a letter went home asking them to. Your kids school may be different but it was definitely required for us to have them some way or another.
Economy-Judgment-754@reddit
R/piracy
Strange-Swimmer-7025@reddit (OP)
Definitely on the cards
UncleD1ckhead@reddit
What are the books? i could probably find free ones online and dm you a link.
Voodoopulse@reddit
Yes, if you want to buy your own copies then you'll have to buy them unless your child is pp
tcpukl@reddit
Pp?
ffuhcu@reddit
Pupil premium. Funding for disadvantaged children. Free school meals etc.
tcpukl@reddit
Thanks.
peculiar-pirate@reddit
That's ridiculous. It is worth checking that your child has access to the correct textbook for their exam boards though. My school couldn't afford the correct textbooks so I had to buy them myself. Revision guides are not necessary though.
PurpleBiscuits52@reddit
Yes its normal and your kid will benefit from having the books at home.
card1ne@reddit
consider buying 2nd hand. i recommend ‘World of Books’. you can find them on most websites
therealsylviaplath@reddit
Cries in American
Prize_Catch_7206@reddit
Sail the high seas yaaaar.
Z library has millions of books.
Failing that, any of the older kids have books to sell?
Lazy_Industry_6309@reddit
Use the Internet instead. All the info is on there.
niteninja1@reddit
I can certainly remember buying to the revision books for science.
justdont7133@reddit
You can probably get them second hand, ask around if you know anyone who's kids did GCSEs last year. The CGP books and flash cards really are good though, well worth the money (and have some surprisingly good jokes)
uptank_@reddit
Textbooks are always free, and workbooks should be provided but revision guides 100%
martzgregpaul@reddit
Its absolutely worth getting the maths one according to my sister
Honest_Chain4675@reddit
The school normally recommends some text book s to revise from (public school)
fiddly_foodle_bird@reddit
For A-levels? Certainly normal.
nenepp@reddit
My school did for A-level text books back in the early 00's. We were issued them at school, and our parents were sent an invoice. I assume they had some sort of prior warning about this.
In GCSE I* did buy some text books, and all my revision guides, but it was optional (they were ones where there wasn't really enough to go around and so they could only be used in the school library or you had to buy your own if you wanted to use them at home to do your homework).
*or, more accurately, my parents
SleepyWelshGirl@reddit
My children's high school never charges for anything. It's probably a recommendation, before you buy look to source things yourself. I have a year 9 and 10 child so one in gcse years and the other will be next year. No school is asking for pencils either! That is American schools, uk schools have budgets for pens, pencils and books. They do recommend books and workbooks sometimes but that is your choice. It seems to have been all over social media about American parents needing to buy everything for class so maybe that is where the confusion has come from regarding pencils.
bob25997@reddit
If they are cpg books the school gets them at a discount so it buy far the cheapest way to buy them new. Maybe check if he needs them or if it just a list of books they can order for you.
dbxp@reddit
Revision guides aren't required, they're a recommendation. If your kid wants to get good grades then they'll need to revise in their own time not just rely on class time. CGP Revision Guides have been around for decades.
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
Top-level comments to the OP must contain genuine efforts to answer the question. No jokes, judgements, etc.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.