To wonder what the hell ds will learn about business by me buying him cakes to sell?

[Edieandkoala]

Ds school are doing a young enterprise thing, selling cakes for charity.

When ds first told me about it I assumed it was the same as I did at school - working out costings for ingredients, making the products, working out how much to sell it for, researching and choosing a charity to donate profits to etc etc.

But no. School sent an email asking for shop bought or home made cakes for tomorrow after school. And the kids won't even be selling them themselves.

I'd rather stick a few quid in a charity box tbh.

If it was my child I would see what jobs he was willing to do in order for me to buy the cakes.

However a lot of parents wouldn't think like that.

sounds like a bit of a pisstake tbh, could you not raise your concerns with the schoo? a friends dd recently did something similar at her school but with the dreaded loom bands haha! they did make them themselves though and raised £90 that they split between 3 charities .

Not a lot of time to raise concerns or for ds to do jobs - they only sent the email today, the school are selling the cakes tomorrow and they want them at drop off!

This is the first school have mentioned of it. It was ds who told me about the project months ago, I assumed it was all done in school time as mine was.

Sounds like a good idea that has petered out (and pretty much died) somewhere between the staff room and the class room sadly.

I think i would have a word with the school actually. No need for guns blazing or anything. Just say what you've said here.

Could you not do some of what you expected him to learn?
Take him to the supermarket and get him to price up the ingredients as you buy them. Then get him to make the cakes and then work out how much each cup cake / cake cost. Then get him to work out how much he needs to sell them for to make a good return.
I would also have a chat with school and ask them why the children are not selling them themselves.
I would guess that this has been a bit rushed as it is end of term and they have a lot of work to complete so can't devote much teaching time to it.
Our school did loom band bracelets in year 6. The students made them all, and then were in charge of selling the items for the charity of their choice (I believe it was for a childrens charity in Brazil). So the children learned about handling money and giving change.

Princess - I home educated him until he was 9, I've had enough of that home learning bollocks to last a lifetime so not a chance

I just think it's an utter waste of time really, especially as they are not even doing the selling. This is the tip of the ice berg with ds school, they constantly take the piss like this....three days until he leaves!

They did this a last years school fete too - I bought a box of cakes, which worked out at around 50p each. They were sold for 20p each - the PTA would have been better off ICUs just given them the cash.

*if. Bloody random auto correct

I don't understand? Why isn't he selling them himself? That does sound extremely odd! At my school the children do lots of fundraising including cake sales for which they bake the cakes (and add others that they have baked at home). They actually sell them though to the other children at playtime. This is odd!

Princess - I home educated him until he was 9, I've had enough of that home learning bollocks to last a lifetime so not a chance

That really made me laugh!!!!

Because they are doing an end of year play off site tomorrow night and are leaving school at half past two! Sorry, should have said that.

Piss poor planning really.

My DCs school have just had a young enterprise week. Each group had £10 to spend on craft kits or similar and they then had to make/decorate them and sell them to us on market day. They had to work out the costs and how much to sell for to get profit, it worked really well. It can be done properly, sounds like your school had the right idea but have run out of time/inclination.

Fair enough, I just thought if it was that important to you that he learned from this experience you could do the leg work as it were. But I understand why you don't want to, and I see your point that school should be doing this with the students.
The fact he won't even be near the school when they are sold leads me to believe it is not really about the children learning anything, it is more about raising funds quickly with minimum effort from the school.

I just wouldn't bother getting any cakes.

No, I'm not going to bother. Neither are the few parents I spoke to at pick up, they all think it's ridiculous if none of us/the children will even be there for the sale!

I'll stick what. I would have spent on cakes in a charity pot when I go to the shops tomorrow.

A good business lesson has been learnt.

If you don't give your suppliers enough notice then you may have no stock to sell.