Schoolfunds established a simple fundraising idea back in 2003, which
is now known as The National School Reward Scheme.
The original concept was to create a scheme that raised funds for educational establishments but didn’t require anyone
buying anything they wouldn’t have normally bought and more importantly didn’t cost a penny extra.
The idea rapidly developed into a national scheme which now involves
over 600 leading online retailers.
We wanted a system that did not require customers having to fill in school details every time
they made a purchase and one that was easy to use and safe.
We appreciate the concerns over privacy, so chose not to ask for any personal details.
We only needed to know about the school, so that's all the information we
collect to operate the scheme. This also removed the need for a login and password.
With schoolfunds just select your school the first time you visit, then use the
schoolfunds directory ever time you want to shop online, to find the products
and retailers you want to shop with.
With our new website layout we have tried to make it as easy as possible to buy
what you want from who you want, saving you money and giving a boost to
children's education.
Exclusive Discounts
Schoolfunds have a special relationship with the retailers and we receive
exclusive discount codes, vouchers and free delivery offers which are not
even available on the retailers own website.
So how does it all work?
The way the scheme works is every time a person uses the links on the schoolfunds website to shop online with a retailer,
the selected school identification number (SID) is passed in the link. The retailer in turn advises schoolfunds should the
link result in a sale and the points are awarded.
There are significant cost savings for companies who trade online with lower staffing levels and deliveries direct from warehouses etc. With
billions of pounds spent annually online, even a small percentage used to provide educational equipment would be
a significant benefit to schools.
The scheme also provides a useful marketing tool for the retailers to encourage customers to buy online. The scheme now includes
over 600 retailers and is
growing all the time.
About the schoolfunds team
We have a big scheme run by a small team who are dedicated to the scheme and committed
to providing the best possible service.
Although the system is highly automated we believe in the personal touch and are
never to busy to answer a question or assist where possible.
We are always on the lookout to improve what we have created. If you have any
suggestions for improvement please take the time to let us know.
If you do find a problem with the site, be it a faulty link image,
missing page or spelling mistake, please let us know so we can correct it. After
all, the site may be run by a computer system but the input is human.
Please Note: Orders must be completed online to qualify for points.
No, there are absolutely no costs to either the individuals or the school.
Do I need to register my personal details?
No, schoolfunds does
not require any personal details, logins or passwords. The only thing you
need do is select your school once, then shop as normal using the
schoolfunds website to find the
retailer you require.
Do I need to fill
out my schools details on the retailers website?
No, everything is
dealt with automatically. Shop as normal on the retailers website.
How do schoolfunds know which school to award points
too?
When you click on a
link to a company your selected school's unique
identification number (SID) is passed to the retailer and their webpage opens in
a new window. Should the link result in an online sale the retailer advises schoolfunds the
SID, date, time and the value of the order for the points to be awarded
NOTE: Only online purchases that originate from the links on schoolfunds
will receive points as we generate the school identification number. It is
therefore recommended that you make schoolfunds.co.uk your homepage.
Does the order need to be completed
online?
Yes, in order to receive points
for your school your order MUST be placed online having first used the schoolfunds
link to the company.
Companies often display contact telephone numbers, however
if you do not complete your order online and telephone your order, the company
and schoolfunds has no way of knowing your enquiry originated from
the schoolfunds link and no points will be awarded.
When are the Points awarded?
The reward points are updated every Monday. The suppliers
have different ways of accounting for sales, some advise within hours, some
on despatch of goods and some in batches during the month. The points
calculation is normally on the exVAT amount and does not include the
delivery costs (there are a few exceptions who include points on the full
sale). This is one the disadvantages of having so many different companies to deal with.
What happens if I later cancel an order or return items?
If an order is
cancelled or an item returned, the retailer will advise schoolfunds and the
points value of the items will be deducted from the school's total. It can
be several weeks before the deduction is made.
What is the Annual Prize fund?
Occasionally, we are unable to track the purchases made with companies and award them to an
individual school. This may be due to no school being selected, bonuses from
suppliers or other reasons beyond our control. So we created the Annual prize fund which accumulates
unallocated points from companies.
At the end of the year the points
will be allocated at random to active schools to boost their
reward total.
How do I find my school?
Use the "school"
button on the navigation bar at the top of the page to bring up the school
selection pages. The schools are arranged by Region, Local Area Authority
and School Name.
If your school is not listed please email us for it to be
added.
If you have any problems with the selection of your school, please email us and we will send you a quick link to your schools homepage.
We will reply within 24 hours but aim to respond within 2 hours during
normal office hours.
Once a school is selected your computer will remember your
selection using a cookie for future visits.
In the Left-hand menu, select
"Information" and then "School Details" the address, telephone number and
other school details will be displayed.
What rewards can my school have?
Your school can select almost any
item from any supplier. Once the required points have been collected, the
school emails schoolfunds with the reward request and the reward is supplied
to the school at no cost.
Can you trace an
individual order?
Schoolfunds are advised by the
retailers of any sales that result from the links on the schoolfunds
website. The information we receive includes the school identification
number, the date, time and the value of the order . We do not receive any
personal details.
What do I do if I feel points are
missing?
Please email us and supply as
much information as possible about the order. Include the retailer, the
value of the order, the date and if possible the time of the order and
attach any order confirmations you may have received.
We will do our best to resolve the matter by contacting the
retailer and email you with the response.
Why are points not being awarded
for my Tesco grocery orders?
The Tesco programme awards 500
points for new online grocery shoppers on the first grocery order only.
So if you are a previous online grocery customer, sorry you don't get
points.
Tesco do however award points for their Books, Flowers, Electrical,
Entertainment and Wines sections for every sale.
Can any company join schoolfunds?
Whereas schoolfunds welcomes all
enquiries to join the scheme. We insist that the company has a
safe and secure online ordering facility and the content of their website and any
links are suitable for family viewing. All company websites are individually
vetted and approved by the schoolfunds team before inclusion in the
schoolfunds reward scheme.
Why are there
companies on the schoolfunds website that do not award any points?
Schoolfunds includes some
companies who are currently not associated with the schoolfunds reward
scheme. This is for user convenience where it is felt that the company has a
product or service that is of significant benefit and will enhance the
online shopping experience of the users.
The company
will have been vetted and approved by the schoolfunds team before inclusion
on the schoolfunds website. The company will have a secure online ordering facility and the content of their website and any
links are suitable for family viewing.
Bristol School
Rewards:
External notice board, ink cartridges, new feet for chairs, executive office chairs, swivel operators chair, laser consumables, 35 leather faced computer operator swivel chairs.
" Thank you. I am sure that the Finance committee will be quite pleased with the results of the scheme so far. Even I never imagined that the school could get an extra
£6000 in a year. Fantastic, what a brilliant scheme.
We really do appreciate all the help that you give us."
Leeds School Reward: Books for the library
"I received the books today,
thank you. I have never had such efficient and prompt service before
from anywhere.
Thank you so much to the school funds reward scheme, it is a great
boost to resources in school, with money always an issue. I am
personally always fundraising for extra books and equipment and this
has to be the easiest funding I have ever received!"
Wiltshire School Reward: Alphabet Sounds Teaching Tubs and storage rack
"Just to let you know that our Alphabet Sounds Teaching Tubs and
storage rack arrived late yesterday afternoon. Mrs W has assembled
them and already has them in use in her classroom! This is an item
that we would not have been able to afford from our school budget so
we are very pleased that parents using the schoolfunds website
collected such a fantastic amount of points enabling us to
'purchase' it. Thank you for your help."
Reading School
Reward: Musical instruments
"We have been registered with schoolfunds for a few months and recently received our first reward. As what we wanted was not on the
schoolfunds list, I e-mailed the details of the products, catalogue and company to schoolfunds. They did the rest - contacted the
supplier, placed the order, confirmed this and the delivery date to me and, like magic, our new instruments arrived within about 10
days! They also updated the website so that all parents would know we had received a reward. We are now going for a multi-cultural set
of instruments! So far, we are really impressed with the service and benefits of the scheme."
Mrs H - Marchington
"I am very impressed with your prompt and efficient
service and appreciate your efforts."
Mrs B - Earlswood
"I am VERY impressed with the site and also with the quick responses that I have received from you. I have been making sure that the other schools that I have contact with know about your site as well.
Thank you and keep up the good work."
Mrs M - Westhoughton, Near Bolton,
"I think the idea of the schools getting points for
equipment is excellent"
Mrs C - Bromley
"it's fantastic that you were able to come back to me so
quickly. I am most impressed."
Mrs B - Workington
I came across some information about your website and thought that this would be incredibly good news for our school.
