Does your School expect you to buy textbooks?

Poll

Does your School expect you to buy textbooks?

I'm quite curious about this. :beard:

For many GCSEs and A Levels, the subject is taught based off a textbook.

While this isn't true for all courses and subject, I wondered whether more schools generally insisted on their students purchasing the textbooks, or were more generous in giving or lending their students books. :smile:

Do you think you should be given books if they are necessary to your course?

Post below with your thoughts. :smile:

(edited 2 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

zaryabahs

yh why not, state funded school provided us with books.

Reply 2

nzy

School provided books for GCSE (except english lit), but not A-Levels. Which is fair enough, more value for money at GCSE - they only really had to buy enough for one or two classes to use at a time and that would suffice for all current and future year groups, especially as GCSEs were mostly a lot less reliant on textbooks, whereas it's pretty much essential that A-Level students each have a textbook of their own all the time, A-Level textbooks are more expensive, and in a 6th form student numbers are smaller and fluctuate more for individual A-Level courses.

Reply 3

Theloniouss

Universities Forum Helper

It varied based on the subject and level.

At GCSE, we were given textbooks sometimes in class (often the old ones but we were the first year to do the new GCSE, so that's not surprising)

At A level, we were loaned maths textbooks (mostly, I had to buy a couple) and had online versions. We had online versions for biology and chemistry.

Reply 4

Kogomogo

I wasn't expected to buy any textbooks at gcse or A level, we had some classroom and library copies. I did invest in a couple books for revision at home, but not like the classroom textbook.

Reply 5

flaurie

Volunteer Team

For GCSE we were loaned the CGP revision guides (and the textbooks always stayed in the classroom) but were given the CGP workbooks for maths and science so we could write in them :smile:

And for A-level we’re loaned all of our textbooks from the school

Reply 6

yeahthatonethere

I went to a different high school and sixth form. For high school we had to buy them but the school offered a discount through them. For sixth form the school had a library which was free to borrow from and had all the books.

I definitely think they should be provided even if just loaning them as I understand the school might not be able to afford new ones every year. My high school (state) was the only one for my town for miles and so it took in people from very mixed economic backgrounds meaning not everyone could afford what they made us buy (whole new PE kit, textbooks, uniform, etc.). I don't think anyone should be disadvantaged on their course because they cannot afford to get the resources.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 7

CatusStarbright

At GCSE we were loaned or given course materials, and revision guides were an optional purchase. At A Level, everything was purchased by me, but the college passed on its bulk buy discount to us so it was cheaper to buy through them than to purchase the materials elsewhere.

I had no problem with this system, though my parents could afford the odd textbook. It may be more of a problem for those whose parents struggle to make ends meet, though I think college had a scheme to address this and help those students get the things they needed.

Reply 8

Moonbow

Everything for ks4 down to year 7 was loaned to us by the school, but lots of it got stolen and sold on, which was such a shame. Now my school only hands them out for a level and trusted classes :redface:

Reply 9

username1339858_

Should be given the resources if it is necessary for the course.

Reply 10

clouddbubbles

ive had to buy all of mine, but you can get them for a lowered price through my school

Reply 11

Ghostlady

I had to buy my daughter the g.c.s.e revision guides, and then there was the a'level books. it wasnt too bad in price. You have to buy more pricier books at uni, but even then you can get some secondhand deals.

Reply 12

Compost

My school tried telling students they had to buy their own A level textbooks and then stopped because it turned out this was illegal https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/charging-for-school-activities/

Education Act 1996 says
454 Prohibition of incidental charges.
(1) Neither the parent of a registered pupil at a maintained school nor the pupil himself shall be required to pay for or supply any materials, books, instruments or other equipment for use for the purposes of or in connection with—
(a) education provided for the pupil at the school in respect of which, by virtue of section 451, no charge may be made, or
(b) a syllabus for a prescribed public examination which is a syllabus for which the pupil has been prepared at the school.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 13

rxyaltyx

we are expected to buy them ourselves (for gcse and a level)

Reply 14

bluemuffin

we were given online versions of all our textbooks for a level on this app called classoos

Reply 15

username5308830

at my school, we’re expected to buy them, but for some subjects we can get them at a cheaper price from the school

Reply 16

Corps

Yes they did, when I applied for a bursary, they refused because I didn’t need the text books and the school would provide all resources needed. This however did not stop my subject teachers from asking me where my textbooks were every week or why I didn’t have them and I was too self conscious to say we couldn’t afford fancy stuff like that. The school didn’t have books to loan for the new spec so I asked for it for my birthday, it was super useful though.

Reply 17

username5304322

Always been expected to purchase them from KS3 to Year 13 at a State School

Reply 18

Muttley79

Original post by 04MR17

I'm quite curious about this. :beard:

Do you think you should be given books if they are necessary to your course?

Post below with your thoughts. :smile:

Spoiler

State school:

We provide all the textbooks. However if a student wishes to annotate a book for English Literature they are asked to buy their own copy.

We offer revision books and required calculators for a discount - additional copies in the library and provided free to PP students.

Reply 19

Lemur14

Volunteer Section Leader

We always were provided with them in lessons (not to take home), but had online versions if they ever wanted us to use them outside of lessons either for homework or revision. Wasn't used much at secondary, but was used loads at sixth form