SADDLEWORTH SCHOOL has sent a letter to parents requesting donations as their spending has been affected by cuts.
The letter, headed ‘your investment, their future’, asks for one-off or regular payments to help fund activities as well as new fixtures and fittings.
In the letter, Brian Lord, chair of governors at the school, explained: “We endeavour to provide the very best learning opportunities for our students.
“Whilst the government provides us with sufficient funding for the basic curriculum we offer it does not match our ambitions and we want to go further.
“The effect of cuts has been to limit our capacity to provide the curriculum and enrichment opportunities that brings learning to life.
“The cuts also mean we are unable to replace some of the equipment, furniture and IT we use, some of which are now beyond their ‘shelf-life’ and need replacing.
“When we move to a new building we will need to take most of these items with us as the funding covers the building and grounds only.
“We ask parents to consider making a one-off or regular donation to enable us to provide the very best education for our pupils.
“We understand families are under financial pressures too, but please consider this to be a small investment towards your child’s future.”
But the request has been met with mixed reactions from parents.
A father, whose two children go to the school, said “It is simply outrageous that Saddleworth School is soliciting money from parents in this way.
“Surely if they are asking for contributions, they also need to emphasise they are voluntary and children of parents who cannot contribute will be treated the same?
“I realise this request has been made due to a shortage of funding but shouldn’t Saddleworth School manage the money they get better?”
An upset mother of two added: “Parents would have thought better of the request if they had not been told by the school recently they had to buy another pair of shoes for £55.”
But one mother, whose son is hoping to start at the school in 2017, thinks parents should back the school when possible if that is the only option.
“It shouldn’t come down to parents but unfortunately it has. But the letter was not in anyway pressurizing,” she said.
“The school needs a lot of equipment and that’s just the start of it. You only have to look at their expenses and the cost increases from last year.”
Another mother added: “I don’t want my children going to a school everyday with no resources or outdated ones. The school hasn’t changed since I went.
“A lot of primary schools self-fund through PTFA so maybe some secondary schools could form similar associations.”
