Can anyone answer my question that is probably v naive?

[Anothernamechange3]

Our primary school has been an academy for the last few years. Am I right in thinking that it is now run like a company with investors/shareholders receiving dividends according to profit? If I’ve got that wrong ignore the rest of this because my question has been answered already. I’m really just questioning why we as parents are being asked to bake cakes to raise money for reading books when I consider this cost to be a fundamental core cost of being able to operate as a school rather than a ‘nice to have’? (I’d also rather give a tenner to the school if it is legit rather than spend more than that on ingredients and the time it takes to cook them but that’s another story). Please don’t take this as a teacher bashing thread I know it’s a hard job and I love what my children’s teachers do for them I’m just trying to understand how it all works

[quote Nix32]@Beetlebum1981 has explained it perfectly. Definitely no profit sharing involved! Funding is exactly the same as when a school was controlled by a Local Authority, except the local authority don't get their cut for the services they provide - we have the freedom to choose our providers. Basically, the amount we receive per child is exactly the same. [/quote]
Yes but there is also more freedom to choose salary levels. Someone is benefitting when you fill your school with well paid managers and get rid of all experienced teachers and HLTAs, replacing them with newly qualified teachers and level 2 TAs (or no TAs at all).

That can be the case but not at mine, I suppose it depends on leadership and whether you're a MAT. We have a head, deputy head and two assistant-deputies. There are no HLTA and our youngest member of staff qualified 5 years ago.

I helped fund raise for books in primary schools decades ago! It’s not new.

Academies are not for profit organisations. In fact lots of state schools can choose service providers too. The budgets from the LA are fully delegated. They too could have lots of young staff and more managers if they wished. Plenty let out premises and have for decades!

Some schools do struggle financially more than others. Often this is due to declining pupil numbers. It’s not new for schools to make economies or ask for parental help. It’s not been about “extras” for many many years!

Whether it’s an academy, maintained or voluntary aided school, funding comes from the public purse and is based on funding per child (bums on seats). State schools are highly accountable and have to show that the budget is being spent on the children’s education. Budgets are always stretched,, and every penny has to be accounted for. Definitely no scope for making a profit 😂