Parents Teachers Association
Our Parents Teachers Association (PTA) formed soon after the school was founded and it has become an integral part of our school community. The PTA has raised nearly £50,000 since it’s inception, which has been spent on equipment and resources to enhance our pupils' education experience, the school’s facilities (when on the temporary site) and towards larger equipment when we moved to our current building in 2021.
But the PTA is about much more than fundraising. The association exists to provide closer links between home and school and it is an excellent way to bring staff, parents and friends together for fun events, whilst working towards a common goal.
In the first five years, the PTA created regular activities such as: 200 Club, quiz nights (adults), movie nights (kids), cake sales, summer fairs, etc.
All parents and members of the school community are encouraged to get involved, even if they only have a small amount of time available. All families are automatically members of the school PTA when their child joins our school. There is plenty of opportunity to do new things, and the PTA is keen to hear parents' ideas and seeks everyone's support.
Parents Teachers Association Handbook.
Role of the Committee
Our PTA committee currently consists of 8 roles: chair, treasurer, secretary, ordinary members (3), ordinary member (Digital Comms), ordinary member (Newsletter). As the school keeps developing, we will increase the number of roles as required; there will be opportunities for new members to put themselves forward for any positions at the AGM.
The Committee meet on a regular basis usually once every half term.
Community Links
The PTA have been working with The Property Partnership, a small local estate agent, on building an ongoing sponsorship relationship after they were approached in early 2018. We had extremely positive feedback from the St Margaret’s Fair committee after running two successful Silent Auctions at their fairs.
One of the PTA goals for the years to come is to continue to forge relationships with organisations and businesses in the local community to benefit our fundraising efforts.
Fundraising
In the last three academic years our active PTA have raised over £32,000. Each year they organise a strong calendar of events and fundraising initiatives is undertaken, with a view to organically growing and expanding.
The 100 Club (now the 200 Club) has been an extremely successful introduction by Sally Prickett and alongside the donation from the St Margaret’s Fair is the biggest fundraiser. These sit alongside bake sales, movie nights, Bags2Shool, Christmas Cards, the Richmond Fair, the Staff Auction, Easy fundraising and many others. We even try and get the children involved in fundraising, over May half terms they collected money in milk bottles in exchange for completing extra jobs for family and friends.
We have funded playground renovations, particularly in the new reception area, as well as extra equipment to benefit the rest of the school. The PTA support also allowed the school to hold a music day and purchase a PA system.
Organising
After a busy year, one major change for 2019/20 was to ask individual classes to take on responsibility for some of the smaller regular events, to allow to committee to concentrate of bigger events and coming up with new ideas and initiatives to continue to grow the PTA fundraising capabilities. These included bake sales as well as Movie NightsCrib notes are provided and the committee will of course be on hand to offer help and guidance when needed.
Donating to the PTA
If you can, please consider making a one off, or even regular donations, to the PTA: it is very simple, you can do so through Paypal. Did you know if you fill in a gift aid form and return it to the school office your donation can be increased by up to 25%!
The PTA app Classlist also contains information on different ways you can support the school through the year; keep an eye on the news section for updates!