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School fundraising events pay for trips, books and playground equipment, and they work best when parents, pupils and teachers each have a part to play. Running a fair with only a handful of volunteers means the same people are worn out every year, so it makes sense to plan jobs for all three groups from the beginning, whatever the size of the event.
Give Everyone a Job They Can Manage
Parents with limited time can still contribute by baking, donating tombola prizes or lending a gazebo for the afternoon, and the cake stall is the easiest place to start. Traybakes suit inexperienced bakers and children, and can go to the sale in the tin they were baked in, which saves on washing up. Pupils can price items, count change and run a small stall with a teacher nearby, while teachers can host a game or judge the bake-off. Ask for offers in a short note home that lists the jobs plainly, so families know what is needed.
Larger Fairs and Summer Events
Summer fairs are often the biggest event in the school calendar, because they bring in grandparents, neighbours and former pupils as well as current families. Choose the date early and map out where each stall will go, so families can walk past every stall in one easy loop. A larger school fair in the capital can include marquee hire in London for the cake stall, tombola and tea tables, with furniture, lighting and heating added for a late afternoon event. Ask each class to run one stall, so pupils feel they own the day and teachers share the coordination.
Smaller Fundraisers Through the Year
Own-clothes days: Pupils pay a small amount to wear their own clothes, and a theme such as a favourite book character gives teachers something to join in with as well. Collect the money class by class so each group can see its own total growing over the week.
Second-hand uniform sales: One Norfolk secondary school opened a second-hand uniform shop over the summer, with donated items sold cheaply and the takings going back into school. Parents hand over outgrown items, pupils help sort and hang them by size, and teachers open the room on set afternoons.
Quiz nights: Parents form teams, pupils write some of the questions and a teacher acts as quizmaster, which gives everyone a reason to stay for the whole evening. A small entry fee per team, plus a raffle on the night, adds to the total without much extra work.
Planning the Year Ahead
Look at the calendar before choosing, because three well-supported events are easier to run than six that stretch the same volunteers thin. Pair one large event, such as the summer fair, with two or three small ones, and tell families early which jobs are still open. Afterwards, share the total raised and what it will buy in the newsletter, so everyone can see what their time achieved. Keeping a list of who ran which stall also gives next year’s volunteers a head start.
