My youngest son has just started secondary school. On his first day, I was delighted to see that the school had emailed me with what I hoped was a message of reassurance that the new recruits were settling in.

Instead, what I got was a request to donate to the school fund by monthly direct debit. And indeed the vast majority of communications since then have involved money in some way.

You may have read in Tes recently about our research into parents’ attitudes towards the cost of sending their child to a state school. Parents told us that costs are going up and becoming an increasing cause for concern.

I feel that it is important for school leaders to put themselves in parents’ shoes when making requests for contributions toward schools trips, uniform, materials and books. That said, these are tough times for everyone and I appreciate that budget cuts mean that schools are also feeling the pinch.

So, here are my three top tips for lessening the pressure on the parent purse, without sacrificing educational enrichment.

1. Plan ahead

Plan your outings and trips across the different year groups well in advance. Knowing what’s coming up will enable you to consult your parent council or all mums and dads on the best way to manage the overall cost - such as staged payments over a long period of time - and explore the options for supporting those families who cannot afford any of these trips. 

2. Donations in kind

It’s tempting to think that only hard cash equals being able to offer our children a well-rounded education and rich learning experiences. But your overall resources can be boosted by thinking of “in-kind” donations and other ways to involve parent volunteers.

So if you know you need to update the school computers, why not put out a request for coordinators and donations from within your parent community - or their employers?  Businesses update their technology frequently, so although second-hand, this kit could well be “state of the art” for your school.   

Making requests for donations of books for the school library and sports equipment in good condition, such as tennis racquets, cricket bats and balls, will also help to save money and allow you to apportion these budgets elsewhere.  

Our survey found that more than eight out of 10 parents want to support their child’s school in a more hands-on way. So don’t forget to harness the enthusiasm, time and talent of mums and dads who can provide invaluable support by volunteering on school maintenance, in the classroom, on trips or in school clubs.

3. Think grant funding

Although time-consuming, this can be well worth the effort. If you don’t have the skills in-house, perhaps bring in your PTA - who, as a charity, can claim gift aid and can access some grants that maintained schools cannot. Or put a call out to parents who may very well have useful contacts and experience to support you. A fundamental element of many applications is community engagement, so remember to tell your parents about your plans and achievements.

Funding might be dwindling, but the willingness of parents to contribute to our schools is likely to continue. Although sometimes challenging, it’s well worth giving parents every opportunity to be a partner in the shared mission to see every child thrive in our schools and reach their considerable promise.

Good luck!

Michelle Doyle Wildman is acting chief executive of PTA UK.

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