How to plan a school event
School events bring families, staff and students together, and they often raise money for the things your school needs. Whether you’re planning a concert, a fete or a trivia night, the same steps apply. This guide walks you through them, from the first idea to the thank-you note.
What should you decide first?
Start with three questions: what the event is for, who it’s for and what success looks like. A concert celebrates students’ work. A fete raises money and brings the community in. A parent information night shares something important. Knowing the purpose shapes every decision that follows.
Then set a goal you can measure, such as a number of tickets, a fundraising target or simply a full hall. Get approval from your principal early, and check the event fits your school’s policies on venues, food, photography and child safety.
Who should be on your organising team?
A small team with clear roles beats a big committee where everyone helps a bit. Most school events need:
- A lead who keeps the plan moving and makes the final calls
- A staff contact who handles school approvals, rooms and student involvement
- Someone looking after tickets, payments and the budget
- A volunteer coordinator to build and manage the roster
- Someone handling promotion: the newsletter, school app and social media
Your PTA or P&C is often the natural home for this team, especially for fundraising events. Make sure everyone working with students has a current Working with Children Check.
How do you choose a date and venue?
Check the school calendar first. Avoid exam weeks, sports carnivals, camps and the last days before the school holidays, when families are stretched. Weeknight evenings suit concerts and information nights. Weekends suit fetes, markets and family days.
The school hall, oval or library is usually the easiest venue, as it’s free, familiar and close to home. For bigger events, like a formal or gala dinner, you may need an outside venue. Either way, plan for wet weather, accessibility, parking and toilets.
How much should you charge, and how will people pay?
Keep pricing simple. Common options for school events are:
- A family ticket, so parents with several children aren’t priced out
- Adult and student or concession prices
- Free entry for students performing or volunteering
- A gold coin donation for low-key events like a disco or casual day
Selling tickets online saves volunteers counting cash on the night and tells you exactly how many people to expect. If your event is free, you can still use registrations to manage numbers. With TryBooking, ticketing for free events is free.
How do you sell tickets and manage numbers?
Online ticketing makes the busiest parts of a school event easier:
- Seating plans let families choose their seats for concerts and performances, so nobody queues early for the best spot (seating plans)
- Custom forms collect what you need at booking, such as student names, year levels, dietary needs or allergy information (custom forms)
- Capacity limits stop you overselling a hall or classroom
- Ticket scanning speeds up entry on the night with the Scanning app, and the Box Office app handles door sales
How do you get families to come?
Families are busy, so tell them early and remind them often. Use every channel your school already has:
- The school newsletter and app, with the booking link included
- Class group chats and your PTA or P&C social media
- Flyers in school bags for families who prefer paper
- A reminder a week out, and another the day before
Students are your best promoters. A rehearsal in assembly or a sneak peek of the art show gets them talking at home.
What do you need on the day?
Run through a checklist the day before so nothing is left to chance:
- Volunteer roster, with a briefing time and a clear contact for each area
- First aid kit and a trained first aider on site
- EFTPOS or tap-to-pay for food and stalls, plus a small cash float
- Signage for entry, toilets, exits and accessible seating
- Your guest list or ticket scanner at the door
- A plan for lost property, and for students waiting for a lift home
How do you wrap up after the event?
Thank your volunteers within a day or two, in the newsletter and personally. Share photos where you have consent, and report back to your school community on what the event raised or achieved.
Then capture what you learned while it’s fresh: what worked, what didn’t and what you’d change. Next year’s team will thank you.
What school events can you run?
If you’re looking for ideas, these work well in most schools:
- End-of-year concert or music night
- School fete or market day
- Trivia night or quiz night
- Disco or movie night
- Art show or open day
- Year 12 formal
- Mother’s Day or Father’s Day stall
For more, see our school fundraising ideas, fundraising ideas and event ideas guides.
How can TryBooking help with your school event?
TryBooking is built to make school events easy, from concerts and fetes to formals and fundraisers. Schools across Australia use it to sell tickets, take bookings and manage entry. See how it works for schools.
