PTA deadlock!

[drizzletits]

I need some perspective and not sure this is the right place but it's worth a shot.

And by the way this is the sort of thing that is making me feel like I regret taking the chair position for the primary school PTA because it's like a political minefield.

The primary school has traditionally run their summer fete on a Friday, immediately after school for 2 hrs. Last year it was an exception and on a Saturday to raise extra funds for play equipment and the 80th anniversary. It was a huge success and a lot of feedback and requests to do it on a Saturday going forward, because parents who worked through the week, could actually attend.

I chaired the proposal and was told the head wouldn't allow it as she can't force her teachers to help on a Saturday, but I insisted that I wouldn't expect anyone to be forced. Had a chat with the head and said if she could just find out who would be able to help then we could fill the gaps if we had advanced noticed. She agreed.

Back to the committee and they push for another vote via Facebook but the algorithm changed so didn't get any responses at all. We agreed I'd look at available Saturdays. Managed to find one. Next meeting everyone agrees although there's a few that can't help on the day because of birthdays or clubs for kids. 2 out of 7. We had already booked a face painter and some swing boats and a merry go round for a provisional Friday date, so we agreed to contact the suppliers and try and change the dates.

Then, through the PTA WhatsApp group the messages started to try and undo the committee decision. Or that's how it reads.

The face painter is already booked for the new date and the fairground rides are booked for the next door village fete so not available. Then came the "oooo we will
Loose lots of people from the village fete " and we need to remember we are not doing a special fete as it's not a big year to raise lots of funds, it was a lot of hard work and let's stick to the original plan.

It's only coming from 3 members of the committee but they are the longest serving and are refusing to acknowledge a different Saturday.

I feel like I've been given excuse after excuse not to move it and they are determined to be difficult. Should I back down or stick to the feedback from parents?

Trying not to be biased, but a high proportion of parents can't or won't take time off work on a Friday to come and enjoy it. We won't get as many volunteers to help and those that do volunteer would have to find someone to look after their children or look after them whilst helping. I don't know of any other school in the town that has theirs on a weekday either. But this is all fairly new to me so please, any advice?

I'd be shocked if our fair earned more than 200-300 pounds

Another one logging in to find out how 15-30k can be raised.

Seriously, I need to know the tips, I’m not questioning the amount, i need to know how to replicate this!

I’m also that teachers are expected to be the first line of helpers. I may be naive here, as teachers at my kids school do help and I had always been impressed at them giving up their time!

Seriously, I need to know the tips, I’m not questioning the amount, i need to know how to replicate this!

Same. I don't think our summer fete has ever raised more than 2 thousand. Those sort of figures would be life changing for our school.

Things our PTA does:
Gets 75 local households to agree to have estate agents boards up to advertise estate agent plus fair.
Gets decent donations from local businesses and sells in a silent auction which starts 2 weeks before fair and continues until day of fair.
Bake a cake competition and sells the cakes off.
Bar with booze eg mulled wine or prosecco for outrageous prices.
Gets local businesses to pay for a stall to sell stuff.
Program sponsors.
Each year group have a theme to donate stuff eg movie night at home, craft stuff and the donations are made into huge hampers that are raffled off. Bottle stall. Normal raffle. Lots and lots of games eg hoopla, lolly tree etc all for 20p. A mystery present room for Christmas. Lots of stuff for £1, £2, £3 in a room. You send your kid in with money and they choose presents to buy and a volunteer wraps them up and they come out with their own presents. Kids love it.

As a new school parent this September I spent many Saturdays last year going to fayres. I found it an excellent way to see the school grounds, speak to teachers and parents.
I would never have went on a Friday,

Why would you need teachers on the day? Some of ours come to help maybe with tombola especially if they have kids at school (but not only). It’s the parent volunteers who run it - each class has a stall to man and the class PTFA representative enrol class parents to help out. Fair always on Saturday, always makes a lot of money.
Surely very few people can attend on Fridays?

Are the meetings like this OP

Recently retired teacher here. I'd have hated a Friday after school fete. Everyone in the way and/or lessons being disrupted to set up? And like everyone else, I couldn't wait to get out of the door on a Friday. Also, can you imagine how bad it would look if we didn't stay and help? It would be really noticeable if we headed to the car park while parents are busy getting ready for a fundraiser.

On a Saturday no-one cares which teachers attend and which don't. Staff can bring their kids which makes it more fun, and they don't have to make arrangements for their care as they would on a Friday.

At our school ours is always a Friday night and always does really well. A lot of people I have spoken too say the weekend ( Sat and Sun) is family and activities time and so wouldn't want it to be on a Saturday. All the teachers help out and the PTA always do really well and raise lots of money. All school and areas are different though and what works for one won't work for another.

We moved to a Friday and it was better attended. The kids are all hungry on a Friday after school so everyone buys a burger etc. It's much easier to attend when you are collecting anyway.

We found Saturday was not well attended if the weather was good, people were off doing other stuff. The fair was ok if weather rubbish type activity!

We're a 3-form school and our summer fete raises £7-8k. Always held on a Saturday, always manned by parent volunteers. Only outside things are inflatables, everything else PTA run. Biggest money spinners are bar, barbecue, raffle and silent auction. Everything else (sweet stall, candyfloss, games etc) makes £50-£100 per stall but keeps families there for 3 hours.

We organise which stalls as a committee, each stall then allocated to a class, and then over to class reps to organise enough volunteers. Most people happy enough to give up an hour to help, still giving plenty of time to enjoy the fair.

DDs Junior school Christmas Faye's the year 5 and 6 split into teams and had a stall competition- decorated them, manned them, set up school time and held after school.

Needs fewer helpers and was a learning experience.

Can't remember the summer failure though!

The bar with the booze - get a licence and you make LOADS + get all the menfolk running the BBQ (they love it). People come for the afternoon and expect to be fed and drink plenty too.

Let’s see we had rides, bouncy castle, police, fire truck, Devonshire teas, cake stalls, book stall, 12 field activities run by teachers, food stalls, swimming pool open, throw the sponge at the teacher then each teacher/class developed something to sell as a class eg eco cleaning products, pot plants, lunch wraps, book covers etc and linked learning to tht. Also lots of raffles, nothing priced under a dollar and a blind auction for the donated items at the end of the fair. Loads of parent helpers and all teachers expected to be there. It always makes a massive profit.

Wow, lots of useful ideas and support, thank you!

I spoke to the head and her steer was that no matter which Saturday, it would clash with an event during the summer months and there aren't that many families from the next door village that come to our school.

So sticking with the original Saturday. No response from those that were against it though. Feels quite sad and lonely.

Better get on with the planning!

Our primary school Summer fete is always on a Saturday, 4 hours long on the school field. Last year we raised over £14,000.

When I started at the school (as a parent of three, the eldest in Y9, youngest in Y5) we did it a bit different where people came, went to the same few stalls and went home again.

When my youngest was in reception they changed how it was done as it was felt it was getting stale. Now the fete is put in the hands of the reception class parents, with the rest of the parents helping where needed. We have found that the fresh perspective has worked wonders. We now spend money to make money. They hire a ton of inflatables, have a wrist band system for the children, the usual sideshow stalls, external stalls selling goods, a bar for the parents and stalls that serve food. One year a local restaurant paid hundreds to be our food for the day. I can't remember exactly what they paid but they paid more than the food stall made the previous year. One year they suggested a marquee full of toddler toys and people from the local playgroup man than (they also have children in the school)

People come for

Hey, we got ya, drizzletits.

My advice is to look for some allies. Not everyone will have felt as the three did. I'm sure once it's all presented as a done deal, people will feel more confident to come out and support you.