is not having a PTA a red flag for a school?

[NicolaDunsire]

Just wondering. If a school doesn't have a PTA, would it raise your eyebrows?

I'd be thrilled!

haha, why @BlackCatShadow?

I worry about the lack of additional funding - our PTA raises about £6k a year which isn't masses but does pay for a lot of extras at school, and the lack of school events eg no school disco, no Christmas fair, no summer fair. I guess that is the bonus for some people!

And I also wonder why there's no PTA - there used to be one, so I wonder if there were personality issues that meant it ended up closing...

It probably closed because people can't be bothered to help out.
Everyone likes the discos, summer fair, Easter & Xmas treats, but it usually falls to the same few parents to organise.

Our PTA raises a lot of money per year. Think 20k+ not a hugely affluent area, but good enough. That money is used to benifit all the kids at the school, through educational subscriptions, equipment for playgrounds, pe & music, provides Xmas entertainment & leavers gifts for all student s etc. I'd be gutted to be at a school where the kids didn't have all the little extras like that provided

Yeah, like you the fact that there used to be one but now isn't would imply to me that it was a toxic group which either collapsed or was forced to disband when it did more harm than good.
If there wasn't one in recent history I'd assume the school had good revenue streams, perhaps income from venue hire or similar, and didn't require additional fundraising.
But I'm surprised any schools in this day and age don't need every spare penny they can beg, steal or borrow.

Are you considering this school for your child? If so, and you understand the value of the PTA - maybe you could offer to start one? Lack of volunteers is usually the reason they fold.

Well, I live abroad so it's a little different. We pay subs to the school to buy things like art supplies, seeds, extra workbooks, etc. It costs around 10 pounds per kid a month, but families on low income get it paid by the government. The PTA do organise things like the summer fair, but it's so boring my kids don't want to attend. The Christmas gifts they buy are kind of crappy too and just end up getting broken and tossed. It just seems a lot of work for no real benefit, so I'd be thrilled just with the school subs and no PTA . It would be a lot easier on the parents too as they always struggle to get enough volunteers.

Idly considering the school. We've moved and it's now our nearest school but we can still get to our current school easily enough. I've heard that the headteacher is very difficult to deal with, so wondering whether the lack of PTA is an indication of that... Unfortunately I don't know anyone with kids at the school to find out!

Not a red flag as such ( although may be explained if The Head is difficult). Our PTA used to raise loads of money and out on fun events so it is a shame

We don't have a PTA. We have 1400 on roll and it was disbanded when there were only three parents willing to be involved.

I just assume there were no one to take over. If you are moving dc to this school, maybe you can start one yourself?

Our PTA is at risk due to lack of volunteers. There's a small group who have basically been carrying it for the last few years and most of us only have Y6 kids left.
So I won't be surprised if it folds, for a while at least.

Our school doesn’t have a pta pre COVID they arranged 2 discos a year, several fairs and regularly ran family time events. They do have family forum which was a meeting once a term (pre COVID) with the family liaison officer where we could voice any issues and give feedback on proposed plans.

Why would it be a red flag? My dds school is an outstanding school and doesn’t have a PTA.

@BlackCatShadow

I'd be thrilled!

Same!

No summer fair, no Xmas fair, no constant nagging for money or being pestered to volunteer!

@Longdistance

Why would it be a red flag? My dds school is an outstanding school and doesn’t have a PTA.

Because it suggests a possible lack of parental engagement, not much sense of community... I'm just talking about what I've felt the PTA has brought to schools we have attended, your mileage may of course vary! My kids really enjoy things like the discos, the cinema nights, the summer fair. And this week at our school the PTA funded a £650 school workshop for KS2 so parents didn't have to pay for it directly.

@IggyAce I'd be really curious to know who organises all those discos and fairs if there's no PTA. If it's teaching staff then do they have a reduced teaching load while they organise all that? Or are they volunteering even more of their unpaid time?

[quote ImaginaryCat]@IggyAce I'd be really curious to know who organises all those discos and fairs if there's no PTA. If it's teaching staff then do they have a reduced teaching load while they organise all that? Or are they volunteering even more of their unpaid time?[/quote]
We were at a school where they had a paid post for someone, can’t remember what the job title was, something around families & community, & they did all the work a PTA would essentially do... always thought they were very vulnerable to budget cuts!!

I would assume it has gone the same way as it goes for most other groups/committees etc. A small group of volunteers do it for quite a few years, decide they want to step down due to other commitments/not wanting to do it any more, ask other people to step up, no-one does and so it folds.

@ImaginaryCat each year group has a stall at the fair and they make the items (TAs do most of the work) it becomes a bit of a competition as there is a prize for the year group that makes the most money. There is then a cake stall & tombola. Pre COVID they asked for donations from parents of cakes, eggs at Easter and sweets to be used as prizes.
Disco I believe it sorted out by family liaison & office staff and supervised by teachers & slt.

@IggyAce wow, that's above and beyond by the staff. Our school secretary is quite active with the PTA and each class creates and mans a stand at the summer fair. But otherwise no staff take on any responsibility for fundraising.

It genuinely wouldn't cross my radar as a question to even ask about a school.