School fete season runs hot from June, and the PTA usually realises a week before the event that the banner from last year has gone mouldy in the cupboard. We print fete banners across south west London every summer and the same questions come up.
This is the checklist we wish every PTA had to hand. Sizes that fit standard school gates, copy that pulls families in, and the fixing details that save the chair of the fundraising committee from a 6am Saturday panic.
5ft x 3ft PVC banner on the front gates is the standard. Add a 3ft x 2ft for the side entrance. Use waterproof 510gsm material, list date, time, and one big draw. Order 7 to 10 days ahead, or same day if you forgot.
Where the banner needs to go
Walk the route a parent drives. The first banner needs to catch them at the junction before they reach the school. The second goes on the school gates so they know they have arrived. The third points to the entrance once on site.
For a typical London primary, that means three banners: a 5ft x 3ft at the gate, a 3ft x 2ft on the lamppost at the end of the road if the council allows it, and a small directional banner inside on the playground fence.
Coordinate the fete banner colour scheme with the rest of the school marketing. If the school uniform is navy and gold, the fete banner in navy and gold reads as official. A fete banner in pink and orange reads as a separate event and risks lower turnout from parents who do not link the two.
Placement planning
Drop the banner two weeks before the fete if your headteacher allows. Earlier creates word of mouth, later means parents see it when they are committed to other plans.
Copy that actually fills the playground
Three lines, big text, no fluff. Top: SUMMER FAIR or CHRISTMAS FAIR. Middle: the date and time. Bottom: the hook (bouncy castle, raffle prizes, BBQ, live music).
Resist the urge to list every stall. The banner is a save-the-date, not a programme. The full schedule lives on the school newsletter and the PTA WhatsApp.
Copy templates that work
Template 1: SUMMER FAIR / SAT 14 JUNE 12 to 4 / BOUNCY CASTLE, BBQ, RAFFLE. Template 2: CHRISTMAS FAIR / SAT 7 DEC 11 to 3 / FATHER CHRISTMAS, MULLED WINE, CRAFT STALLS. Template 3: SCHOOL FETE / TODAY 12 to 4 / ALL WELCOME.
Materials that survive the British summer
Use 510gsm PVC with hemmed edges and brass eyelets. The PTA wants something that can come down at 4pm, fold up, and live in the storage cupboard for next year. PVC tolerates that. Paper or cheap vinyl does not.
If the banner will sit on chain-link fence in the wind, ask for mesh. A solid PVC banner on a south-facing fence on a windy June day acts like a sail and tears the eyelets out.
The banner is a save-the-date, not a programme. Three lines, one hook.
Fitting on a school fence or gate
Cable ties through brass eyelets are the answer. Black or green ties for chain-link, white or clear for railings. Bring scissors for setup and a roll of fresh ties because you will always need more than you think.
If the banner is going on the gate itself, ask the caretaker first. Some schools have specific rules about what can be attached to safeguarding signage.
School fete banner plan
| Position | Size | Lead time | Reuse? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main gate | 5ft x 3ft PVC | 7 to 10 days | Yes with date sticker |
| End of road sign | 3ft x 2ft PVC | 7 to 10 days | Yes |
| Internal directional | 3ft x 2ft PVC | Same day | Yes |
| Sponsor banner | 6ft x 2ft PVC | 10 days | Annual reprint |
Budget and reuse strategy
A 5ft x 3ft PVC banner from us is £42 to £50, well within most PTA event budgets. If you want to reuse it next year, leave the date off the banner and add a separate vinyl date sticker each year. Stickers are £5 to £8.
Store the banner rolled, not folded, in the storage cupboard. Folded banners crease and the creases hold colour fade. A cardboard tube from a fabric shop costs nothing and adds years to the life.
Leave the date off the banner. Add a vinyl sticker each year and the same banner runs five fetes.
Coordinating with the council and neighbours
If your fete banner sits on a lamp post or council fence outside the school, the local council usually requires a 24 to 48 hour notice and may restrict duration. Wandsworth and Lambeth both publish community event banner guidance worth a 10 minute read.
Knock on the neighbours' doors a week before the fete to give a heads up. A friendly note (We are having our summer fair Saturday 14 June from 12 to 4) earns goodwill and pre-empts complaints about parking, noise or temporary signage.
Ready to Get Your Banner Printed?
PTAs across Putney, Wandsworth and Wimbledon order with us each year, and we keep artwork files so the next chair can just say reprint last year, add the new date.
Call 020 3669 9854 or WhatsApp +44 7376 464869 with your fete date, or pop into Shop 395 Tildesley Road, Putney Heath, with a rough idea and we will help you design it.
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