PTA
We have a very supportive PTA, who annually provide extra funding for the school which is gratefully received.
As soon as your child enters the school you automatically become a member of the PTA, and we hope that you are able to support it in any way you can.
PTA events are not solely aimed at raising extra funds for the school. The PTA run discos for the children at Christmas and the annual Summer Fair provides great entertainment as well raising funds.
Meetings are usually held each half term and all are welcome to attend. The meetings are advertised in school, but even if you can’t attend your ideas are always welcome.
Spring Bank Primary PTA
A very warm welcome (welcome back) to our school
This has been written by our PTA to hopefully explain what, how and why we run a school PTA. Please read on even if you are familiar with the PTA as we are making some changes that we would like to tell you about. We realise it can be strange and a little nerve-wracking joining a new school – but the PTA is a great way to have those questions answered and to give you a greater understanding of how school works.
In it’s time the PTA has raised thousands of pounds, which have been spent on improving equipment and resources that enhance our children’s education. But we want to be about much more than just fundraising. The PTA exists to provide closer links between home and school, and it is an excellent way to bring staff, parents and friends together socially in support of the school.
Firstly you are automatically a member of our PTA – what you decide to do about it is up to you! All parents and members of the school community can get involved if they want to, even if they only have a small amount of time available.
The PTA is extremely conscious of the ethos of our school and our diverse community and we try hard when organising and planning events to respect this.
How We Raise Money
Some of our most popular events are the Summer and Christmas Fairs .We do have mid-term events, for example, discos and talent nights as well as the ‘termly’ bun sale. We try and respond to the children’s requests for events but without help it is not possible to do all they wish to do. Please come forward and allow us to do more!!
How We Spend the Money We Raise
Once money is raised from events, the funds are banked straightaway. Mr Brawley will let everyone know how much we have raised in his newsletter. At our meetings (which are advertised around school- please come and have your say) we take the decisions on how to spend the money.
Often staff have a shopping list of items that the school would like to purchase. In the main the PTA funds are for the ‘extras’ not provided by the school budget, things that make our children’s learning experiences more fulfilling and exciting. To this end our money in the past few years has funded:
Gym kits
Wet weather equipment and games
Trips to the pantomime
Subsidising coaches for school trips
School benches for playground seating
Gardening club and allotment equipment
Visiting workshops into school
Sports equipment
Voucher Schemes
We participate in all the supermarket schemes including Sainsburys, Tesco and Morrisions. If you have any vouchers please take them into reception. We have had some great ‘freebies’ with these schemes – a new gym bench, various sports equipment and software so please keep the vouchers coming in.
Links with Local Business
We have, over time, developed strong links with the local community and are very grateful for their support. Many of our local shops are generous in their donations of raffle prizes etc. If you have any local contacts or run a business that can help us please let us know via the school office. We are currently looking for a sponsor for our school sports kit – if your business is interested please ask Mr Brawley or Kate Garman for more information.
How Can You Get Involved?
There are many ways you can help and support your child through the PTA. Offering to help before events or at other times during the year is so valuable – it really is a case of ‘many hands make light work’. It doesn’t matter if you can’t help on a regular basis, or even if you can’t come into school. There are always little jobs that can be done from home if you have half an hour to spare e.g. wrapping gifts, preparing raffle tickets, etc. We really couldn’t achieve what we do without you.
You can help by letting us know if you have any skills we could use – everything is potentially valuable to us.
Class reps
To make communication simpler and more effective we are asking for a parent/carer from each school year to agree to be a class rep for this academic year.
What would you have to do?
- attend an informal meeting once a term to share information and find out what is going on.
- They would be the link that is needed between school and the parents for their class and be able to feedback what both children and parent’s of that year group would like to see happen and to gather their help and support at events
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If you would be able to do this please fill in the slip below and hand in at the school office by 7th October. We will get in touch with the date of our first meeting in the next two weeks. Many thanks for considering this important job – in the exciting event of there being two people for the job – we hope you will share it.
I would be happy to be class rep for year —————-
Name —————————————————————
Contact telephone ——————————————