to ask what your kids and school enjoyed the most that was funded by the PTA?

[WhirlAndTwirl]

Hello, posting here for traffic.
If you are/were a parent or a teacher of a primary school kids, what projects, educational trips, equipment were the most beneficial or enjoyable?
Our school has nearly £10K PTA funds raised and looking for the ideas to enhance their learning and time at school.
Have you had any external suppliers come in to show or teach the kids anything new that they loved?
Did any play equipment go down very well and lots of kids enjoy using it?
Anything to encourage sports? Learning about nature?
Outdoor installations?

If you have any links, please include them.
Our school is in the South East of England in a village with a big field.
Thank you

Also - kids are inspired by all sorts of people. We had a female footballer from our city team come in - for free!- to talk to all the kids and she was really inspirational. Suddenly the girls are all playing football! And a guy who is local and runs projects for anti bullying, also free, also really lit the kids up. Doesn’t have to be done big name, particularly as it’s a primary school so the concept of ‘fame’ To them really is less impressive...

I think it depends on your school and the social structure where pupils come from,

Yes, equipment is great and should be funded but if you are in a working class area certain trips or visits are for some children the only chance to experience a show or something unusual parents aren’t able to afford going. We had a planetarium dome funded, for several children this was the first time they ever heard about it or saw a demonstration.

Another topic our PTA funds are music lessons, taught by professional music teachers. Again, in some areas children do not have the financial background to learn to play an instrument or attend a concert. The teachers come from a music charity who often subsidise then lessons for children they feel benefit from tuition.

Legacies for years to come is good but general input into learning for the current children is also vital.

@WhirlAndTwirl our school has big planters with veggies and I think some fruits, it's never been overgrown but the classes all have a rota for which classes go out and tend to it each week/month? And the produce is taken to the school dinnerladies and used towards school dinners.
Both of my kids are considerable better gardeners than I am as a result I'm completely useless tbf

Our PTA is funding music lessons for years 1 and 2. They play the ukele and samba drums and have singing lessons. It's expensive but they all love it and it's something that is totally outside the school's budget.

reluctantbrit I agree that in certain areas subsidising trips can make good sense, especially maybe if the funds have been raised external to the school.
Things visiting the school can often be far better value than tripping out to see them, due to the horrendous cost of coaches.

At secondary we tend to pay for bits of equipment to enhance teaching - things that aren't totally essential but that make teaching easier or allow better quality work to be produced.