A plea!
The School Voluntary Fund is a small but increasingly important part of the financial well-being of
the School. Many parents will know from presentations I have delivered how I like to compare the school
and all the opportunities on offer to the very best private schools. I genuinely believe that we give those
schools a very good run for their money! However, we simply do not enjoy their wealth! Government
funding provides us with just over £6000 to do everything we do - per student; Fees for day students at
Kings School, Canterbury, for example, are around £38k. Quite a difference!
It's a challenge then to offer all that we offer. I think the schools are truly comparable, but our budgets
clearly not! So, we really do need parental support to continue to offer all that we offer!
The school has always "lived within our means". However, changes to employer NI contributions and
only
partially funded pay awards for staff mean that this year our staffing costs alone will increase very, very
significantly. In simple terms it will cost us a lot, lot more this year than last to "just" do exactly the
same.
I understand though that that those challenges are equally true for many families. Money just doesn't go as
far as it did. We want all our girls to have the same opportunity to explore and excel, to learn and to grow
and to develop, not only in the classroom but beyond it. Sadly, for some of our students and families, there
are financial barriers to overcome and whilst we do all we can to keep costs to families as low as
possible, and to support those families who need help most, it's still the case that barriers remain.
In recent years we have supported families with uniform costs, stationery or revision guides, provided red
letter days to inspire or engage, supported university visits, helped fund Duke of Edinburgh, CCF costs or
made small contributions towards the costs of school trips etc.
Our voluntary fund helps to make that support a reality, as much as possible, as often as possible, for as
many as possible! A video reminder of a typical year (last year in fact) at FSG is here;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7HJbub2rGc
We politely ask for a voluntary contribution of £25.00 per student or £40.00 per family if you have
more than one child at the school.
We appreciate this year that times are tight for many and so the contributions above are only a suggestion.
If you can afford more, we will spend it wisely.
If you can't quite afford that much, then any donation will be put to good use.
If this year any donation is just beyond your circumstances altogether, then of course we will continue to do
our best anyway.
If you wish to contribute to the School Voluntary Fund, please do so via Wisepay. It will always be spent on
children, for children and we would be grateful for any support.
