School looks to parents for £50 monthly contributions

Parents at a state funded school in the Selby area are being asked if they would be prepared to pay up to £50 per month towards keeping the school running.

Tadcaster Grammar School has written to parents seeking views on introducing a 'voluntary' monthly contribution from parents. The school says it would use the money to plug budgets in the face of 'very significant rises in costs'.

Running costs for schools will rise significantly over the course of the next academic year as increases in employers' National Insurance contributions mean and extra £1,100 will need to be found for every teacher employed. Tadcaster Grammar also cited rising pension fund liabilities as behind its decision to take the collection bowl to parents.

But, while the letter says the contribution would not be compulsory, some parents have reacted with concern that the school is trying to 'milk the parent pound'. One parent told the BBC that being asked to cough up felt lake an it felt like an "imposition".

The Selebian approached Tadcaster Grammar School to comment on the matter, but headteacher Martyn Sibley declined to do so.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council told us, "We are aware that schools are facing financial pressures and that governing bodies will be looking at ways of addressing these. Schools have had responsibility for balancing their budgets for over 25 years now.

"In terms of seeking voluntary contributions, this is something which is allowed and there are clear rules and guidelines about this which are set by central government. Ultimately however, this is a decision for individual schools and we would not intervene unless a school was in breach of those guidelines.

"Meanwhile North Yorkshire County Council will continue to push for a fairer distribution of funding to schools in the County, building on the success which led to an extra £9.8m allocated form government to our schools this year."

♦ What do you think? Should state schools be asking parents to put their hands in their pockets? Are cuts to council budgets forcing head teachers' hands? Comment below...