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Planning guide

How to plan a school fun day or summer fair: a PTA checklist

Everything a PTA needs to think about for a school fun day or summer fair, from permission and insurance to raffles, food, alcohol and volunteers.

Set the date and get permission

Agree the date with the headteacher before anything else, and check it against the school calendar, other local events and religious festivals. If the event is on school grounds, the school or academy trust will need to give permission, and they may have their own conditions about access, parking and which areas can be used.

Have a wet-weather plan from the start. Decide whether you would move indoors, cut back, or postpone, and when you would make that call.

Insurance and risk assessment

Check whether your PTA has public liability insurance, and whether it covers the activities you are planning. Many PTAs get cover through a membership organisation, but policies vary, so read the terms. Ask every supplier, such as inflatable hirers, ride operators and caterers, for a copy of their own public liability insurance.

Write a simple risk assessment for the event. Think about crowd flow, vehicles on site, lost children, hot weather, and what happens if a supplier does not turn up. Ask suppliers for their risk assessments and keep copies together.

Selling alcohol: Temporary Event Notices

In England and Wales, if you plan to sell alcohol, or include it in a ticket price, and the premises does not already have a licence that covers this, you will need a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) from the local council. A TEN can only be given by an individual, not by the PTA as an organisation.

Council guidance on TENs explains the main limits: no more than 499 people on the premises at any one time, including staff and volunteers, and an event lasting no more than 168 hours. A standard TEN must be given at least 10 working days before the event. Late TENs are possible but restricted, so do not leave it to the last minute. Your council's licensing team will confirm the fee and process. Also check whether the school allows alcohol on site at all.

Food and drink

The Food Standards Agency's guidance on providing food at community and charity events, which applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, says you do not need a food hygiene certificate to make and sell food for charity events. Where food activity is very limited and infrequent, the local authority may decide registration is not needed. If you are unsure, ask your council.

  • Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods apart, and do not use food past its use-by date.
  • Make sure volunteers can wash their hands, and clean and sanitise preparation areas.
  • Keep chilled foods such as sandwich fillings out of the fridge for no more than four hours.
  • Keep recipes or ingredient lists so you can answer allergen questions. FSA encourages giving allergen information even where it is not legally required.
  • Check that any hired caterers or food vans are registered with their local authority.

Raffles and tombolas

A raffle or tombola held at your fun day is usually an incidental lottery under the Gambling Act 2005, which means no licence or registration is needed if you follow the rules. The Gambling Commission's guidance sets them out.

  • The money raised must go to a good cause, not private gain.
  • The lottery cannot be the main reason for holding the event.
  • Tickets must be sold at the event, while it is happening. No advance or online sales, including on social media.
  • No more than £100 of the proceeds can be used to cover expenses, and no more than £500 to buy prizes. Donated prizes have no limit.
  • Prizes cannot roll over to another lottery.

Raffles sold before the day

If you want to sell tickets in advance, for example a big summer raffle sold for weeks beforehand, you will probably need to run it as a small society lottery. That means registering with your local council's licensing authority. The Gambling Commission explains the conditions, including limits on ticket sales and prizes, what must be printed on the tickets, that at least 20% of proceeds must go to the society's purposes, and that tickets can only be sold to people aged 16 and over.

Volunteers, layout and first aid

  • Draw a site plan showing stalls, inflatables, rides, food, toilets, first aid, the lost children point and emergency vehicle access.
  • Keep vehicles off the site during the event, and plan when suppliers will arrive and leave.
  • Put cash handling in pairs and agree how money will be counted and banked.
  • Arrange first aid cover suited to the size of event, and make sure everyone knows where it is.
  • Brief volunteers on their role, timings and who to go to with a problem. Follow the school's safeguarding procedures for any adults working with children.
  • Plan for accessibility: step-free routes, accessible toilets, a quiet space, and clear signs.

Booking entertainment

Inflatables and rides are often the biggest draw, and they come with their own checks. See our guides to hiring a bouncy castle and to funfair rides at school events, and browse the fun days category in our directory for suppliers.

Questions

Do we need a licence for a raffle at our summer fair?

Not if it is an incidental lottery: tickets sold only at the event, for a good cause, within the Gambling Commission's limits on expenses and bought prizes. Selling tickets in advance usually means registering a small society lottery with the council.

Do PTA volunteers need a food hygiene certificate?

The FSA says you do not need one to make and sell food for charity events, but you must still handle food safely. Check with your council if you are unsure about registration.

Can the PTA apply for a TEN?

A TEN must be given by an individual, so a named person applies on the PTA's behalf. Check the council's process and fee well ahead.

Suppliers you might look at

Browse more in Fun Days & Fairs.

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information for UK schools, not legal advice. Always follow your employer's and local authority's policies. Last reviewed October 2026.