to wonder what the point is in the school cake sale...?

[Ladyanonymous]

Three kids at three schools.

All have numerous "cake sales" throughout the year where we - the parent - are sent a paper plate with a little note on it from the plate itself requesting that we - the parent - fill the little plate with cakes and send it back to school to be sold at the "cake sale".

We are then requested to either take time out of work or whatever one afternoon to attend the "cake sale" or send our child in with some money to buy these cakes back.

Can we bake these cakes with our darling DCs at minumum cost to ourselves? Of course not, its against "health and safety" regs apparently.

So AIBU to think I would just rather cut out the middle man and donate the amount of money its cost me - to buy the cakes and buy them back again for the umpteenth time - to the school - either by a regular monthly direct debit (and while I'm at it lump in the total of every other "voluntary donation" in that sum too). Than go through the facade of the bloody "cake sale".

BeenBeta - some school funding streams are ringfenced as part of the Disadvantaged subsidy, but I suspect this will go in the near future.

Hassled - thank you. I had a feeling there was something like that scheme. It should be extended.

My dd went to infant and junior school in a very deprived area (Ilfracombe - one of the poorest places in Devon) - I can tell you there was as much cake making, bring and buy sales, smarties 20ps and sponsored everything as you have in schools in more affluent areas. There wasn't an overly active PTA but the fundraising was managed (out of school time) by the TAs.

It is slightly naive of people to suggest that in poor areas little fundraising goes on. We working classes do not spend all our money on scratchcards and fags! We do care about our children as much as the exalted middle classes, actually.

And I bloody hated making those cakes but did it because the money went directly to buy playground equipment, sand pits, books etc.

It's not that much trouble to make a batch of cakes once a month. If you make an effort 90% of the time it doesn't matter then when you have moments where you forget and send your DC in with shop cakes.

Beenbeta - don't know specifically about deprived areas but the LA funding a school receives won't stretch to cover all of the things the staff would like. The annual funding won't necessarily cover large one off items and the head will need to prioritise even some of the smaller costs of "nice to haves".
I'm lucky enough to have time to bake and money to support fundraising where I can but for those who don't it must seem an imposition.

its a very easy and fun way to make about £1500 a year for our pta. it takes 15 mins to sell out and is a right old bun fight.thats 3 coaches for a school trip.

I'm with beenbeta, I would much rather just pay a regular donation and cut out the middle man.

YANBU. I am sick of the incessant demands for money from the school. I tend to ignore the cake sales and other drives at fundraising and wouldn't pay anything extra even if asked. I already contribute to my son's school through taxation and council tax. I attend things like the summer fete and my son goes to all the discos and PTA events that attract an entry fee.

Someone asked earlier in the thread about school fundraising in deprived areas. My friend teaches in a deprived city centre primary school and says that the local authority all but throw money at the school.

Fine - tryharder. I hopoe you make sure that your sone never uses any of the extra equipment, goes on any of the trips, attends any of the parties or listens to any of teh speakers that the funds raised by teh PTRA at yoru school pay for.

LEA funding for schools has no margin for extras - if you want your child to just have the basics that's fine. But don't ride on the back of other people's efforts.

Our pta is holding a school fete this week to raise money for books for a new infant library. Last terms cake sale, music quiz + disco were to raise money for a new television and new books for the junior library.
LEA funding does not go far and the pta is needed.
we do have home made cakes here, i wouldn't buy them from a shop, am far too cheap!

So have I got it right they don't want home made cakes just shop bought ones? Have they really read the list of ingredients on the side of the packets all the aditives and they are always going on about children and healthy eating.

As my DD and DS are grown up, although I have two GDD's I am a bit out of touch with all this fun raising lark. The Smarties one is new to me did ask DD and she said they don't do it at her DD's school so far thank goodness. They want you to fill it with 20p pieces I had in mind 1p.

I fully realise that schools do need to raise money for those extra's but feel some parents would be more than happy to just give £1 a week and not have the hassle of cakes etc. that would work at at roughly £32 a school year per child.

We tried as a PTA asking for a donation and had hardly any uptake. A single cake sale could raise more than just asking for money. A shame that schools don't allow home-made - the only rule at our school is no fresh cream (the cakes are brought in first thing to be sold at the end of the day) and no nuts (though we also put up a disclaimer to say that whilst we have asked for cakes to be nut-free we cannot guarantee this, and they may nothave been made in a nut-free environment)

Yes, the LEA provides what the children need, mostly. But we were able to fundraise for "nice" things such as CD players for the classrooms, seating and shade for the playground, play equipment for the playground.

And we are having school discos for each year group at the end of term which are not fundraising, but just because the teachers don't have the time to do it.

Our PTA don't organise cake sales - the children's council do so they can fundraise for something that matters to them eg to buy a class pet.

The children arrange it, advertise and run the stall and count the money.

They are all under 7 as well.

Nobody at our school would be able to afford to just donate via direct debit every month as the cost of cider and fags is so much.

"(though we also put up a disclaimer to say that whilst we have asked for cakes to be nut-free we cannot guarantee this, and they may nothave been made in a nut-free environment)
"

I once made some cakes for DDs school which did contain nuts so I put a label on the tin to clearly state that.

I also put another label on the tin to say which class my DD was in as I have had cake tins go missing before.

Unfortunately my DD later pointed out that the labelling was seen as something of a slight as it could be read as:

"Mrs X's class contains nuts"

Thank heavens not all parents share your views TRYHARDER. Why don't you speak to your Headteacher and find out what the PTA funds have paid for at the school for the last few years. You might not think it's such a waste of time then. Your attitude is so selfish I should be amazed but sadly we also have some parents at our school who ignore our fund raising requests.

I'm so fed up of people moaning and running down the pta. It's always the one's who never come up with any ideas themselves or bother their arse to get involved that whinge loudest.

Of course a cake sale should also have home made cakes. That sounds to me like a stupid rule that that particular school has chosen to enforce. Our sales have both and are very profitable. Yes the parents give and also buy but there's also a social side to it and the children love them. It's the easiest event for the PTA to organise. I wouldn't say they are being lazy as they have many other events during the year that take alot of planning and time.

One thing that does puzzle me is why private schools require fund raising from parents?? I'm not going to judge as I know little about private school but I would be interested to know why they need additional funds as surely they set their own budgets and set their school fees accordingly. If anyone can enlighten me I'd be grateful.

hmm how sad all the comments about cake sales
surely the interaction with all the other
pupils within the school is good for your
littleones,well done to all you mums who
take the time to spend with your children
baking at home,its goldentime like this that
that makes having littleones worthwhile.

My children are at a private school and we have cake sales and other fundraising through the year. Around 2/3 of the money raised each year goes to a local charity supported by the school; the other 2/3 is for things like Christmas parties, ice lollies on sports day - little extras that make life nice but which one wouldn't expect the school to provide.

I don't understand people who gripe about fundraising. Lots of people love it, it's voluntary - what's not to like? If you don't want to make a cake, or buy one, then don't! No need to bang on about it!

Doh. The should be 'the other 1/3 obviously ...

But Wildmutt/Seeker, I do contribute to my son's school - I pay all voluntary contributions towards school trips and other bits and pieces and that is in addition to the £500 income tax I paid last month alone plus £120 council tax. I am the sole earner in my household (DH currently out of work), we receive no benefits or Government help and to be honest, I get sick of the incessant demands for cash for what is supposed to be "free" education (or rather not free, but funded by tax payers)

The Chairman of my son's PTA is a woman I know personally and she doesn't work, happens to be on income support, lives rent free and thus presumably pays no council tax. Fine, I'm not judging her, just stating a fact. So why is my contribution so derided and hers so applauded just because she has the time and inclination to fill up smartie tubes with 5ps and bake cakes

Don't understand your post. The status of the chair of the PTA is completely irrelevant. Your council and income taxes go to pay for the basics, the money raised go to pay the extras. As I said - I presume you make sure your child does not take advantage of any of these extras on principle because you disapprove so strongly of fund faising.

To clarify - I am not griping about fundraising - I do understand the need to do it, I am complaining that I cannot bake the cakes myself.

I can't help out at the PTA as I am a single working mum and live in an area with shit schools amongst a large "ex travelling" community and could not get two of my kids into the same middle school (lost at appeal)and have had to plan my kids education like a stepping stone exercise therefore having 3 kids at 3 different schools meaning a v complicated school run coupled with work and after school clubs/school events.

I do always pay for trips etc (recently paying £25 for a theatre trip to London so cannot see how that coach was "subsidised" by the PTA).

If anyone can fit in a bit of PTA around that I take my hat off to them.

Potplant, that is mad.
In similar vein (althoguh not nearly as bad) I paid through the nose for naff name plates for my kids' bedroom doors that patently haven't been done by them.
But I love my kids' school so just bite my tongue and pitch in.

What about those of us that just can't afford to bite our tongues and "pitch in"?

• and glammanana I go to great lengths to spend time with my "little ones" and spent 10 years being a SAHM - my circumstances changed and in the weekdays I cannot do that anymore and wouldn't choose to do it at the bloody cake sale if I could.

I do however spend a lot of time with them on the weekends being the only adult and all