Donations to Alma
What are Quality Contributions?
Alma’s core funding is provided by the Department for Education (DfE) on a per-child, per-year basis. The level of government funding allows the school to provide a basic and standard level of education.
At Alma we aim higher than this and to do that we rely on parents’ generous financial support. Donations from parents make up about 15% of the school’s annual budget and are absolutely integral to maintaining the high quality of the education and support services that are offered to children at Alma. We call these donations 'Quality Contributions' because they help maintain the high quality of education that Alma provides.
All donations are entirely voluntary and benefit every child at Alma. No individual child will be treated differently by the choices their parents make. While no parent is obliged to make any donation, we encourage all parents to donate whatever they can. You wil not be alone as the vast majority of parents support the school in this way.
How Your Quality Contributions are spent
The additional income we receive from Quality Contributions makes a material difference to our budgets, and therefore enables us to enhance our quality of education significantly, putting in place people and activities that create exceptional learning experiences for all children at Alma.
We spend the donations on:
- A higher ratio of staff to pupils, benefiting every pupil, every day, significantly above the level allowed for in our DfE grant. This means we have more capacity to do 1:1 and small group work for children who need to be stretched, as well as those who need extra support
- Small classes for reading and writing. Every Alma child learns reading and writing (Phonics) in a small group, normally with a 1:8 ratio of teacher to children, four days a week.
- Extensive use of technology within every aspect of the curriculum. Our children have sets of iPads in every classroom and use them to enhance all aspects of their learning
- Provision of Ivrit and Jewish Learning lessons. Primary school language learning provides a benefit for child’s brain development and prepares them for subsequent language learning
- Resources that make learning as stimulating and engaging as possible. For example, we have spent over £6,000 on setting up our new library, something we were only able to afford through the Quality Contributions made by parents
- Subsidising school security now that the government has reduced the amount provided. We have a significant shortfall in the amount provided by the UK government for security and the costs of two guards during the school day. This shortfall is made up from Quality Contributions.
- Subsidising school trips and visitors, so that more are possible in every school year. Our curriculum is enriched with trips and visitors. While we ask parents to help with these, we also use some of the money contributed by families to subsidise these, or to pay for visits who come into school and which we could not otherwise afford.
How to make a Donation
There are 4 ways to donate a quality contribution:
- Direct Debit – this is the most efficient way for parents to make contributions as it reduces our admin costs, and you can download a form below.
- Parent Pay - by clicking here
- Standing Order: setting up a standing order to Alma Primary
Account number: 71538241 Sort Code:400301 - Cheque made payable to: Alma Primary
Gift Aid
As a voluntary charitable donation, Quality Contributions are eligible for Gift Aid, so if you are a UK taxpayer, please complete a Gift Aid Declaration using the form below and return it to the school office. This increases the value of your donations and helps the school a great deal more.
For further information on donations to Alma or the Quality Contribution, please contact the School Business Manager. Thank you for your continued support.