What do PTAs spend their money on

[RedSonja]

Hi I'm quite new to the PTA & we seem to be pretty good at raising money but now am wondering what we can spend it on. We have already done a lot of playground stuff, contributed to a school minibus and a library.

Am a bit confused by the bit in our constitution about not spending money on things that the LEA should provide - how do you know where to draw the line? FOr example would new/ extra computers be allowed? Or should we spend it on more social events/ outings for the kids/ families e.g. trip to pantomime, theatre etc. Our school has got quite a social mix and certainly some kids would not be able to afford these things normally.

So ladies - what have you done with your dosh?

We contribute some of the costs for the Pantomine, bought interactive wipe boards for all the classes, funding this year is for an outside class room area and to develop the very large playing field with sun shelters etc.

we have a bonus ball fund - you sell all numbers 1-49 for a pound a week and whatever the bonus ball number is on the lottery, that person gets £10. Result = £39 profit evry week. All profits are used for computers either buying new or updating programmes

We ask the head teacher for a "wish list" which she compiles from asking the teachers. For instance one teacher asked for board games for his year to play on days where it is too wet to go outside at playtime.

over the past 3 years we have given the school £7000 in the form of a tyre park, wooden trim trail (climbing thing) and new lighting and audio visual equipment for the hall. this year is soly fund raising and no spending.

hydrotherapy pool refurbishment (which the LEA should provide imo, but won't), memorial garden, redoing the outside play areas, putting in benches and sunshades.

Our PTA is very efficient at raising money

We allocate £50 per term to each class for teacher to spend as they wish.

We have funded improvements to playground equipment too.

We also fund the annual visit by Pantomine troupe, the infant and junior Xmas/valentine/Easter discos, pay for a Xmas tree each year, plus subsidise swimming lessons throughout the year to keep the costs down for parents.

Um....can't think of anymore at mo

HTH

We are raising money for a wild life area and (eventually) outdoor classroom in the school grounds. Our last two big projects were a stage for the school hall and playground equipment. We are not in a rich area so each big project takes three or four years but it is great to be able to contribute something substantial that the school could not afford otherwise. We also give one-off grants to teachers who run after-school clubs for equipment for those.

Oh yeah I think the PTA bought the interactiive whiteboards as well, which have been a great success.

OUR PA put the letter out to staff to ask what tehy want. the wishlist for this year seems to be:

1. A bird table for the field which has a camera attached making it watchable from the school website (As wella s from the chairty helping us set it up's website)

1. A 50% contribution to interactive whiteboards as only the hall has one at repsent

1. Apparently alst years lot (we have none remaining this year) promised some matting for a playa rea in the yard so we're trying to add that in

1. A new electric piano thing for the Hall but its really expensive so I need to ask if second hand is OK

Thanks for ideas - keep them coming. We have done quite a lot of playground and outdoor classroom type of stuff recently so I guess some audio visual/ computer things would be a good new direction. Like the £50 per class teacher idea as I think we've bought lots of big stuff at the expense of little stuff.

Of course agree asking the head is good plan too but would like to avoid her just spending it on her own pet projects.

Has anyone tried canvassing ideas from parents?

Canvassing ideas from parents? Well we would if they would bloody well come to the MEETINGS.

Our school (which is a very new school, only 6 years old) has spent the money so far on stuff like interactive white boards for the classrooms, they buy some books every year for the school library, have just bought a massive amount of playground markings, and play equipment, including outdoor classroom etc, new scooter racks, shed to store equipment in.

£50 per class fopr a class present from Father Christmas - toys to use at wet play fro the whole class rather than little bits of tat for each child to take home, £14,000 on playground equipment and matting last year (the result of 3 years of fundraising), covering the cost of outside speakers/demonstrators to enrich learning in this the school's centenary year, books and resources for storysacks and the library...

We pay half the cost of a whole school trip to the panto, subsidise swimming lessons, buy most anything on the teachers's wish list -- currently setting up class allotments on school fields, pay for an egg man to come and leave eggs to hatch into chickens for whole school to watch, and a bug man to come in, storage outbuildings, and and lots more.

I am chair of our school pta and in the past have bought tvs, videos, playground equipment, sun shelters, outdoor seating, interactive white boards, equipment for new ict suite, sound system for the new hall etc. We also pay for the childrens christmas party each year and the year 6's have a leaving party which we also pay for.

We also ask the head for a 'wish list' each year, and he consults the teachers and the school council (make up of pupils).

These things all sound great - really like the idea of class Xmas presents for wet play plus outside speakers.

The idea of canvassing ideas from parents - well I realise they don't come to meetings but they do give us quite a lot of the money one way and another so was wondering whether anyone had used a survey or suggestions box type approach?

WOuld love allotments but sadly school field does not exist in the big bad inner city. Still we do have pond plus some raised beds so guess putting some money into upkeep of those is one the cards.