Do your school ask for money, voluntary or otherwise

[Hervana]

Just canvassing opinions.

Our school never ask us for money and I'm kind of wondering why? Schools across the borough ask for money from parents and of course have a lot more resources as a result! I've been asked for £6 since September for a class activity.

I do realise I should be grateful, especially in these hard times, but sometimes I just wonder if the school is missing a trick

Yes I understand not all parents can afford to make voluntary donations but some can and would.

What are your thoughts on voluntary donations? And do you donate to your school/are you asked to donate to your school?

Our school is definitely reliant on PTA cash (and it's a darn sight more than £7k pa). It's not healthy, IMO

Cheap activity?..... When i was at primary we made tv's using a crisp box and a roll of wallpaper paper. We drew out scenes from a story and you rolled them round. Attached to cardboard tubes.

Cost about a pound for a class of 30.

Ours doesn't - other than contributions towards off-site school trips (and there is PTA money put aside to subsidise those who can't pay, plus we have major grants from local charities so all trips are cheap).

But someone told our PTA chair that the other local primaries ask for a £5 per term donation - for their PTAs. I'm not keen on that, but I suppose for parents who haven't time or inclination to help fundraise in other ways, it could be an option to make a donation instead?? I would want to see it worded very carefully though, so no one felt under pressure

We're in a strange situation, as used to have a very high proportion of free school lunches, but cohort changing rapidly.....

Inclusion should be a priority, I think, and I worry about that being threatened by that kind of fundraising.

We pay £4 a term per family for our "voluntary" contribution, which goes toward extra stuff like fruit at break time and an entertainer at Christmas. We were also asked for £2 towards a visit from the Life Bus, and there are lots of non uniform and "bring a cake in for the school fair" days to raise funds for the PTA.

Not had to pay for any trips yet, but they've only been to the local library and woods. I don't mind the odd £1 here and there but I only have one child.