The School Fund 

Request for voluntary parental contributions

• Introducing a suggested voluntary parental contribution per year - £60 per child to The School Fund
• Governing Body to oversee
• Gift Aid can be claimed increasing donation by 25%
• Please Donate here to The School Fund to pay in one go or here to pay monthly into The School Fund

As you may know, schools across the country are currently facing huge financial pressures. Like many schools, we are seeing significant increases in the cost of energy, learning resources and maintenance costs. Recent pay settlements for school staff have not been fully funded and these increasing costs need to be met from within existing budgets. This has meant that our budget is getting tighter year on year and has led to a need to push back vital maintenance work. King Athelstan received just £8,995 from the Council in 2024/25 to spend on school buildings and equipment, but the real costs are much higher.

We believe that all our children deserve to learn in the right environment with the right resources to support their learning. Therefore, in response to these significant financial challenges and after discussions with the school leadership team, the Governing Body - which is responsible for overseeing the school’s budget - has agreed to trial a parent/carer voluntary contribution scheme. Many other local schools have had similar arrangements in place for some years. The new contribution will be trialled from September 2025 and reviewed during 2026. 

This request is not made lightly. We understand the pressure that families are under. We also recognise and are very thankful for the contributions you already make to the school community. We hope that you will continue to support the school in these different ways. For those who also feel able to commit to a regular voluntary contribution, this will be a huge help in making sure that King Athelstan can provide the right learning environment for our children.   

Suggested contribution

As a guide, we are suggesting an amount of £60 per child per year, donated via the PCSA, which is in line with the amounts requested by other local schools. Families who do feel able to give more are encouraged to do so, while smaller contributions would also be gratefully received. The school will welcome any and all contributions made and will ensure that these are spent wisely, overseen by the Governing Body, to give our children the school environment they deserve. Details of how to contribute are set out below.

How to contribute 

Contributions can be made through the PCSA, which is a registered charity and so can claim Gift Aid from the Government. If you are employed or self-employed, you will be able to contribute with Gift Aid. This means that the PCSA can get an additional 25 pence from the Government for every pound you contribute, and this will not cost you any extra. For example, if you contributed £100, the school would receive £100 + £25 = £125.

Please select Gift Aid via Givey or JustGiving and fill in the details - it only takes a few seconds.

There are two main ways to contribute:

• If you would like to contribute the whole amount in one go, perhaps at the start of the year, please visit: Parental Contribution - Online Social Fundraising Donation Platform | Givey

• If you would like to make a regular donation via direct debit to spread the cost over a period of time, please visit: Parental Contribution - JustGiving

If you would prefer to contribute via bank transfer or another method, please contact the PCSA treasurer at kapcsatreasurer@gmail.com.