School fund? How common is this?

Kate78

Oh yeah, not a new thing, we had this back in the 90s - £2 a term was requested I believe (ok that's 20 odd years ago). It was "voluntary" but most parents sent back the slips with cash because they didn't want their kiddo to be the odd one out.

Funny how nothing really changes.

That was a state-run non denominational grammar school for the pedants out there.

Becles

Never had to pay a fund fee to either the primary or the secondary school - both are Catholic.

In the nursery and reception classes, they ask for £1 a week to cover consumables as they go through more than the other classes. There's a money box on the table by the door and you drop it in whenever, but it's never checked and you can put more or less or nothing in.

The primary does loads of fundraising stuff and has a "Friends of...." group connected who help with fundraising. It's the summer fayre this weekend, and they do various cake stalls, second hand toy sales and so on throughout the year.

The secondary school don't do any fundraising for the school, but we do get asked for donations for trips and money towards materials for things they make in tech and art lessons.

flora48

About 20 years ago we were asked for a contribution to the school fund at my daughter's sixth form college. After 10 years or more of organising, attending and supporting various PTA fund raisers for our 2 kids my husband leapt at the chance to pay and never have to attend a PTA function again!!

flora48

Well I wouldn't go to the head to explain myself, that's a bit rich IMHO.

Teerah

At my son's nursery I pay £5 per week voluntary fund and I don't begrudge a penny of it, it's a fantastic little school which is grossly underfunded and they have given my little boy a wonderful introduction to school.
I can't believe ppl are quibbling over £15 a year tbh!

blabberwort

Teerah wrote: »

At my son's nursery I pay £5 per week voluntary fund and I don't begrudge a penny of it, it's a fantastic little school which is grossly underfunded and they have given my little boy a wonderful introduction to school.
I can't believe ppl are quibbling over £15 a year tbh!

It's great you can afford to pay £5 a week, however many people have to factor in costs of uniforms/trips/non uniform days/fetes etc etc etc and cant afford a contribution.

I have never been asked for set contribution for either of my children as a lump sum for the year, discounting towards costs for activities which I have paid) and quite frankly if I had (daughter is now at college, but im talking as if I were asked when she attended school) then I certainly wouldnt have paid a contribution to her school. I would however pay for my sons school as he goes to a specialist school and as such the school has many more needs than a mainstream.

Personally I think voluntary contributions should be purely that... voluntary. When people receive letters stating that a contribution is voluntary and then following up with guilt trips regarding stopping pupils being able to do stuff because enough parents wont pay, it gets peoples backs up. You shouldnt guilt trip while trying to say something is voluntary.

Savvy_Sue

blabberwort wrote: »

You shouldnt guilt trip while trying to say something is voluntary.

I think schools can't win with this: if they say it's voluntary and leave it at that, some parents won't pay even though they could afford it, just on principle. So 'reminders' may get through.

DS1 went to a Catholic school for year 7, we had to pay into the governor's fund, and we also had to pay for his school bus - if we'd been Catholic the diocese would have covered that. Then he moved onto a CofE school (because we moved) and his brothers followed him there. They ask for a voluntary contribution, because the LEA doesn't pay all the building maintenance costs. They also ask for a contribution for DT at the start of each year: they say it means they don't have to ask for dribs and drabs through the year for food ingredients and materials for whatever heirloom the children produce, and they don't have to keep the heirlooms at school until the children bring in the money for them.