EAST Lancashire schools are researching the possibility of asking parents to help fund school running costs -- as part of their weekly shop.

Two schools in Pendle and Accrington are among hundreds to sign up for a new Yourschool programme aimed at raising more funds for schools.

Under the scheme, money is generated by parents using a free card when they make a purchase at participating retailers. A percentage of the sale is then rebated back to the school with no charges to either party.

A similar programme has been operating for several years in America, generating millions of dollars for schools.

The cards would open a new funding stream for head teachers who struggle to meet mounting costs because of falling budget settlements or those with less financial support from parents.

Colin Wright, ICT co-ordinator at West Street Community Primary School in Colne, stumbled across the initiative on the Internet.

Accrington Moorhead High School has also received documentation to research the scheme.

Mr Wright said: "We were fine with the budget settlement for the coming financial year but other schools have perks we just don't have.

"Unfortunately we do not have any particularly close ties with businesses through parents or any major turn over from fundraising events.

"Due to our catchment area we have seventy per cent of our children designated as special needs children and we do struggle to get funding from parents. Where other schools can raise hundreds from a school disco we just can't.

"So we are looking into this scheme and the more parents are aware of it the better it will work."

Yourschool research reveals that just under half the teachers interviewed believe their schools raised less than £1,000 a year.

And more than 60 per cent say British schools need more cash to run more effectively. One in four said they strongly supported initiatives working in conjunction with retailers as long as they did not exploit children.

Dianne Vaindirlis, co-founder of Yourschool non-profit making company, said: "Local initiatives still remain the most popular source of funding for schools. However such is the size of funding required by schools that these current methods are simply failing to plug the gap.

"Our survey also reveals that whilst the majority of teachers felt comfortable with marketing initiatives of major brands, they have little real impact on the ground.

"The only way businesses will ever make a real impact on school fundraising is if they pull together as one resource -- channelling the money directly back into the school instead of conducting big ad campaigns."

For more information schools should contact www.yourschool.org.uk