Who funds your end of year staff party?

[neolara]

If you work in a primary school, who funds your end of year staff party? Does it come out of the school budget? Do the PTA contribute? Do staff give a contribution? Do governors pay for it?

Are you happy with the arrangement? If not, who do you think should fund it?

There is a differing of opinion at school and just wondered what other people's exeriences were. Thanks.

Yes, we pay for our ourselves. We cook food and bring it to share, and bring our own drinks.

Contrary to what's posted upthread, not all governors clutch their pearls at the idea of treating the staff. Our chair of governor regularly brings in cakes for staff. There are some points in the year where doughnuts are the only answer! But then she doesn't have the attitude of "I donate my time freely so why should I make a kind gesture towards the staff". She's just a very kind person.

I'm in Australia. We have a staff party paid by our subscriptions to the Staff Association a week before the end of the year.

On the last day we have a spiffy breakfast that staff partly fund to say goodbye to colleagues, then go home. It is fab.

For reasons I've never been able to fathom, the last day (OK the last week) of the academic year has no students, not like in the UK, where it was full-on until 12.30. - last register then bring on the booze.

Very civilised ways in Au.

This is secondary. In primary they go up to the wire.

I've always worked in independent schools. In the first one (boarding school) we paid a nominal amount to cover the food for our two big parties at Christmas and the leavers' ball in the summer. (£15 each IIRC - amazing catering though-we got married there and it's also a private function venue) and wine was included on the tables, then any other drinks were paid at the bar. (Dirt cheap though- £1 for a pint of beer, that sort of thing-parties were legendary)

At the school I've just left there was a work Xmas do that I didn't attend as it was £40 and I didn't want to spend that on socialising with colleagues so didn't go. End of year lunch was subsidised so we paid a tenner each.

State comp (though faith school, so voluntary aided) here.

Summer hols bash is funded by the school. Big barbecue and buffet with lots of wine and beer available (then the hardcore move on to the cheap bar in the Catholic club it's held in). Doesn't end 'til the wee small hours - for the young 'uns, anyway. Every year without fail.

We also get free tea, coffee, sugar and milk all year.

And free breakfasts on feast days etc.

I love my school and am immensely loyal to it. I've been their nigh on fifteen years now, so the kids get continuity and goodwill in the form of after school and Saturday classes, loads of my own resources and money etc. One reason for this is because I'm treated very well by the school.

Sometimes a staff do is a very sound investment by an employer, you know.

*there. Damnit.

We don't officially have one (primary), although this year our deputy head is hosting a barbecue at her home. I can't attend, but I think it's a lovely gesture.

We don't have an end of term party (large primary) as such. This year we went to a local hotel just after kids left and had afternoon tea - a tenner each and we all paid for our own.

Suburban it's not clutching pearls at the thought of treating staff, I am governor at two schools, chair at one and simply couldn't afford to pay for a party! I do always thank staff, bring in biscuits etc but I am a single mum, earning less than most staff and giving my time voluntarily. It's not a lack of care or appreciation, but a lack of funds!

Oh and staff and both schools pay for their own in answer to the OP.

OP here. Thank you all for your views. At our school there seems to be an expectation that governors should personally fund the staff party. I just wanted to see what happened in other schools. As a governor, I am hugely appreciative of what staff do. However, I don't think it's reasonable for governors to fund a staff party for 30 people, particuarly as what actually happens is that two or three people end up picking up the tab for the lot. Being a governors is a voluntary role and people give up huge amount of time for very little reward other than the common good. I don't think there should be an expectation that they should also pay for the privilege. I think governors are generally more than happy to make a contribution, but individuals coughing up £40 / £50 (which is what is effectively happening) is completely unreasonable. It's interesting to see that in most schools governors do not do this.

I think that is completely unreasonable.

There was a mention once at my school about 'other schools getting parties paid by governors' but I said I thought it was totally unfair to expect that and absolutely stand by it.

Unfortunately I think it harks back to the fact that traditionally a lot of school governors were middle class retired men that perhaps did make such gestures. There has been a real push to move away from that stereotype of governor and make sure GBs are reflective of their schools and are skills based, which in turn produces bodies that are more diverse. I absolutely think that is a good thing, but no one should be expected to fund things like that.
I work for a charity and there is no way I would expect or even want any volunteer to fund a social occasion for me.
School governance is a funny thing sometimes.

We don't usually have an end of summer do, but did this year. It was paid for by the governors, and was just half a glass of wine ( we all had to drive home) and a few nibbles. A lovely way to end the school year.

We pay for our own, although the school fund Governors bought wine when Ofsted went exceptionally well.

It was the same when I was a wicked banker too though. Parties always paid for by the staff.

FWIW, it would be completely legitimate use of school budgets to spend it on rewarding/motivating staff. It's not often done, simply because there isn't enough cash, but there's nothing to stop the head/governors doing it, if they can balance the books. If it can be done for £150 or so, money well spent IMO compared to the waste that still goes on in schools

OP, traditionally I suppose school governors have been men people in pillar of the community type positions with either a private income or top professional jobs. Are you suffering from a throw back to that, i.e. the school is used to governors who won't miss a couple of £100?

I agree that staff wellbeing is a good investment for schools, but I think what the OP is talking about is Governors personally funding it out of their own money, not the school budget.

Staff pay a contribution to the costs. At our school there are over 100 staff. There's no way we could/would/should cover that cost as governors. We already give our time voluntarily.

In one school the governors would hold a tea party for us and them after school, on the last day. Just a few cakes and tea though. I wouldn't expect the governors to pay for an end of term party.

Any end of term/Christmas party always funded by staff.

I'd be prepared to bet cash money that in almost all schools where the "governors" have bought anything more than a few cakes, the school has actually paid.

We bring our own bottles to our Christmas lunch and end of year lunch do, but the food is provided for us. As is free tea/coffee/fruit all year and sticky buns when it's been an exceptionally stressful week. It's paid for out of some of the profit made from letting our buildings / facilities out to external companies at weekends, evenings and holidays.

I'm genuinely by these answers. At my school the staff meals at Christmas and Summer holidays are always provided for us. I actually have no precise idea of where the money comes from, I'd assumed from the diocese. I really hope the governors aren't personally paying for it! It's always a lunch in the school hall that is catered internally with some schloer and cheap wine. I'd assumed that was totally normal. The school also lays on wine or hot drinks and nibbles for parents at evening events (masses, concerts, parents evenings etc). I thought this was normal. Our business manager is adamant that providing refreshments for staff and generally ensuring that they feel valued has massively increased productivity. Since he arrived we have shot up to the top of the borough league tables and nearby schools have now begun copying some of our policies such as free coffee and tea for staff and cakes every Friday. It has gone hand in hand with a huge drive to improve teaching and learning that has often meant a lot of extra work and I think it's actually very shrewd of our school to realise that goodwill is often what keeps schools running. The last head at our school made teachers pay for the party (and made it compulsory so nobody was allowed to go home early ). It wasn't a nice place to work and teaching was not as good.

I started teaching 29 years ago.

It's fair to say ALL Christmas dos, leaving dos, 'post-OFSTED' dos, end of year dos, big birthday dos, any othe reason dos, have all, always been paid for by the people that go on them. No expectation that it would be otherwise, from any teacher I know.

Same as tea fund.

Indeed, someone I know who moved to work in a Private school 3 years ago, still can't get her head around the fact they don't have to pay into a tea fund, and that they are treated to their Christmas party without having to pay a penny.

My experience in primary state schools has always been as Back said.
Either staff pays or we cater for ourselves and all bring something.