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School fest planning checklist

A school fest or fair needs a clear purpose, a team with named owners, a realistic timeline and a plan for the day. This checklist combines three sources: a software company's school event guide, a UK parent-teacher association's summer fair countdown, and a US university's special event checklist. Some details, such as licensing, are UK-specific.

1. Decide what the fest is for

Start with the purpose, because it shapes everything else. Swoogo's school event checklist says to decide whether the event is a fundraiser, a cultural day or a sports event, and to set measurable targets such as the number of people you expect. The Geneseo checklist also lists goal and purpose as the first planning step, after appointing an event coordinator or planning committee.

2. Build the team and give each job an owner

Delegate tasks to staff, teachers and parent volunteers, and involve the school administration, teachers and student councils (Swoogo). The PTA+ checklist says to get the team together early and to read any handover documents from previous years, which will hold useful information about spending and profit.

3. Choose the date and the space

Check the school calendar so the fest does not clash with exams, holidays or other major events, and reserve the venue early (Swoogo). The PTA+ checklist says to find out which areas of the school are available.

4. Work to a countdown

The PTA+ summer fair checklist counts down from twelve weeks. A shortened version:

  • 12 weeks: get the team together, read the handover notes, find out which areas are available, put the date in the diary, and share a save-the-date with your school community
  • 11 weeks: put together sponsorship packages, decide which food and drink stalls the PTA will run, and book the main attractions
  • 10 weeks: divide up the jobs and start recruiting volunteers
  • 8 weeks: get the paperwork in order, check licensing, and liaise with the school about staff involvement
  • 6 weeks: start publicising the event with posters and a media release
  • 4 weeks: create a site plan showing where each activity will go, and think about power and water
  • 2 weeks: write a bad weather contingency plan
  • The week before: finalise the risk assessment and give everyone a copy

Check the licensing and music rules for your own country. The PTA+ checklist notes that UK events must comply with event licensing regulations, that selling alcohol needs a Temporary Event Notice, and that playing recorded music may need a music licence.

5. Plan stalls, food and attractions

Choose a mix of stalls and games that suits all ages and budgets, and decide which food and drink stalls the school runs and which it outsources (PTA+). Ask whether student groups can perform. If you approach sponsors, be clear about what you are offering in return.

6. Sort the equipment and the site

The Geneseo checklist breaks logistics into groups:

  • Equipment: chairs, tables, booths, stages, barricades and tents
  • Communication: sound equipment, radios and phone numbers
  • Power: refrigeration, cooking equipment, stages, lighting, PA systems and power strips
  • Site needs: trash containers, a security plan, parking, signs and banners
  • Services: a first aid station, a site plan, a clean-up schedule and a recycling system

The PTA+ checklist adds: check what the PTA already owns, check that gazebos and marquees are fit for use, and work out what you will do with rubbish and recycling. Swoogo says to coordinate with facilities staff and to test audio-visual equipment before the event begins.

7. Involve students and volunteers

Give students roles such as setup and ushering (Swoogo). The PTA+ checklist suggests asking whether the school will support enterprise stalls run by older pupils and young volunteers. For adult volunteers, the Geneseo checklist covers job descriptions, shifts, identification and an orientation.

8. Promote it

Use school newsletters, the website and announcements, and consider social media countdowns (Swoogo). The PTA+ checklist suggests starting publicity about six weeks out, with posters, and one last social media push on the day.

9. On the day

Make sure all equipment and signs are in the right place, test the communication equipment, make sure every area is staffed, and check the trash receptacles often (Geneseo). Brief security on the key areas and set up an information area.

10. After the event

Leave the site in better condition than you found it, send thank-you notes to staff, volunteers and sponsors, and complete a written evaluation and a financial statement (Geneseo).

Where this fits with house competition

A fest can be one event in a house competition year. The inter-house competition guide shows how to plan the year, and the sports day checklist covers a sports day in detail.