Do any parents give money to the school regularly

[OrangeSprout]

Hi
i wondered if anyone gives sums of money to their children’s state school, to help out with kit/facilities/trips for the class?
I ask just because we have pulled out children out of private school, for obvious reasons, and found a great state school.
id like to add value to the school (with my time as well helping out) but also we have a little more money to spare now and I could give some to the school to enhance the class experience for all the kids…completely anonymously. just wondered if anyone else did that and what the money went towards?
thank you

ps. Sanctimonious keyboard warriors won’t be responded to.

Some schools have a fund, particularly voluntary aided schools, that parents can make regular donations to. Worth asking the school. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to have financial support in tough times.

We do, the school has a fund. We don’t give huge amounts, but a couple of hundred can still make a difference.

Also check out the school parent council. The fundraising our one does is used to help the school with things they need but also experiences for the kids.

I don’t know if a school would accept money direct, defo worth asking, but certainly the three state schools where ive been involved in PTA activities, in all we have had parents who have either donated one off large amounts or ongoing regular payments.

Our local schools put a voluntary contribution on ParentPay, you can gift aid it too. I used to do 20 quid a month.

As a PTFA member I’d love donations! I live in a real deprived area so trying to subsidise school trips to take the pressure off parents is our ethos. I think your school will think it’s great and will be more than happy to accept!

I used to buy books and musical resources. Have a word with the school and ask what they need.

Yes, it's a fairly normal thing to do I thought.
I've always offered to pay for spare places on trips etc to make sure it goes ahead.

The secondary school my girls are at recently had a fundraiser and I was, totally pleasantly, surprised by the amount of emails (I'd say about 6) we had which said 'a parent has offered to double any donations up to £5k made in the next hour'. It was a great idea, I put in my £20 straight away, knowing it would be doubled.

Our school has a parents organization that collects money and works with the school to channel it in legal ways. It is generally a wealthy school so they have a healthy budget and are able to do quite a bit with the parent donations each year.

The way I see it - I teach at a local private school. My girls went to state primary and now secondary state grammar. Both their schools are better than the £40k a year private I teach at. I am perfectly happy to make a - far smaller than the fees which I can't afford - donation to help keep the schools wonderful.

My son went to a grammar school and they requested we set up a direct debit when he started in year 7 - so we did. Nothing like as much as we’d pay for a private school, but certainly enough to make a difference. The school gets great academic results, has a very good choir, orchestra etc and competes in sports with all the independent schools in this region, so I think it was worth it. I’d have given more if they’d guaranteed to spend it on some quality drama productions.

Yes. I’ll give a few hundred pounds and pay for some facilities they want this coming year. Probably c. £1,000 in total over the year.

I give £50 a month through my work's give as you earn scheme to our school's PTA (it needs to go to a charity for the scheme). That means it comes off my salary before tax. I don't think direct donations are common for the PTA, most of their income is from events.

I've found out recently that my dds school give out free brand new modi bodi period pants if a girl needs them. I love this idea. I'd love to buy a whole pile for them if I can. Each one is individually packaged brand new.

At my son's state school I gave £100 each Christmas. They used it to pay for trips / clubs for children who's parents couldn't afford it.

I have a £75 a month DD plus gift aid, have done since year 7 and now in 6th form. ETA its a good school and with trips, choir, sports teams and things like a decent counselling provision.

You have to in Ireland!! The call in the "voluntary" contribution. Usually about 180 PA per child.

This has been most enlightening!! Thanks all. It helps me when I approach the headteacher to know that this is a fairly common thing.

One of my kids schools (state grammar) has a permanent voluntary donation button on parentpay - they suggest that parents contribute £35 per month. I don't as I can't afford it but I know so many parents who put their kids through private primary to get a place and continue hours of tuition weekly so I bet that amount is a drop in the ocean to them. I'd never heard of it before they started there. I do however contributea few hours per month to the PTFA.

As others have said, schools do generally have voluntary finds you can contribute to,, or else you can support via the PTA, and/or JustGiving.

My DH works for a company that has a donation-matching scheme. He donates £30 pcm out of pre-tax income by salary sacrifice, which actually only costs him £16.50 (because he's a 45% tax payer), then his employer doubles the donation to £60 before sending it to the school.

No but I often buy them essentials (eg glue sticks) and luxuries (eg new playground toys) from the school’s Amazon Wish List.

Lots of them have a specific fund for donating to; some even ask for a regular monthly amount if parents can afford it

My son's state secondary school has an optional school fund. They ask for £36 per quarter, though I presume you could set up a direct debit for a smaller or larger amount. I don't think this is actually for the PTA though; it's for a "Private School Fund" which mainly supports extra-curricular activities.

I'm on the PTA at my daughter's primary. I don't know of any parents who make regular donations to the PTA though it would be possible. The PTA doesn't just fund extras now - some of the funds raised goes on subscriptions to things like Accelerated Reader.

Our school asks for donations for the student hardship fund, which is used to support families experiencing financial difficulties and there is a school food bank too. I very happily contribute to this but I’d quite like also to contribute to school funds more generally to benefit all the students. However I do trust the school if that’s what they say they need donations for most.

My kids are at state secondary and a state primary. Both schools have a way to donate regularly or one off directly. The PTA also accepts donations. And the PTA requires help to run events which enhance the kids experience (school fairs, cake sales, discos etc). The school also loves people to directly volunteer to help out in school time. If you wished your donation to go to a specific cause I am sure both schools would be happy to do that. The school also has a way for people to pay extra for most events and the extra can then be used to pay for kids who would otherwise not be able to afford the event.