Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Annual General Meeting - 7/10/24 - Minutes

Monday, 7th October 2024

Attendees:

• Jen Fitness

• Scott Fitness

• Lou Feldon-Lawrence

• Tash Oakley

• Jo Ayres

• Rory Delargy

• Kirsty Peet

• James Lewis

• Clare Bridger

• Felicity Sandham

• Suz Dunnett

• Lynda Harwood-Compton

• Frankie Burlend

• Zoe Martin

• George Rayfield

1. Welcome

Lou warmly welcomed everyone to the meeting and expressed heartfelt thanks for the new music room. It’s been years in the making, but the positive impact on the school has been well worth the wait.

2. Re-election of Committee Members

• Joint Chairs:

  • Jen Fitness: Nominated by Suz, seconded by Clare.

  • Lou Feldon-Lawrence: Nominated by Suz, seconded by Clare.

• Treasurer: Scott Fitness (as above).

• Secretary: Tash Oakley (as above).

3. Class Representatives

Class reps are a vital part of our school community. The following were confirmed:

• Reception: Kirsty Peet

• Year 1: Flick Sandham and Zoe Martin

• Year 2: James Lewis

• Year 3: Sharon T (to be confirmed), with Suz as backup

• Year 4: Felicity Wevill

• Year 5: James Lewis

• Year 6: Rory Delargy

4. Confirmation of Previous Minutes

The minutes from the last meeting were confirmed.

5. Co-Chair Report

• Events Highlights:

  • We hosted many fantastic events this year, especially the circus. A big thank you to Suz, Jen, and Scott for making it such a success!

  • The quiz night was a huge hit, and we’d love to repeat it. If organising the curry night is too much work, perhaps we could explore other “quizine” options. We might even consider hosting a kids’ quiz.

• Communications and Marketing:

  • Great efforts have been made on the website—well done to everyone involved.

• Projects:

  • The Hub (sensory room) has been revamped and is making a significant difference to the children who use it.

  • New Requests:

    • New tables and chairs for outside.

    • An art gallery in the corridor.

6. Fundraising Initiatives

• £5 Challenge: This was a success and we’re looking to continue such initiatives.

• Form Fundraising:

  • This year, we’re trying something new—each year group will take over fundraising every half term.

  • Year 3 is starting off with a bake sale and a Monster Ball.

• Event Planning:

  • We need to pre-book events to spread them out, as the diary gets very full.

7. Treasurer’s Report

• We raised £15,129.24 in this financial year.

• After expenses, we have £10,479 remaining.

• We need to reserve £3,000 for smart board equipment replacement.

8. Open Questions and Discussions

• CAF Legacy Account and Metro Bank: A question was raised regarding these accounts; further clarification will be provided.

• Match Funding:

  • We should encourage match funding from companies.

  • This will be communicated through the newsletter.

• Payroll Giving:

  • A system has been set up to make it easier for parents to donate directly from their payroll.

9. Future Fundraising Ideas

• Christmas Fair:

  • Considering the effort versus earnings, we discussed possibly not holding the traditional fair.

  • An alternative is hosting “Elfridges” during lunchtime instead.

• Seasonal Fundraisers:

  • Although coasters and cards won’t be done this year, we could explore extended shopping events for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.

• Other Ideas:

  • Organising a camp-out event.

  • Continuing with non-uniform days.

  • Creating Christmas hampers filled with donations collected during crazy hair and colour days.

10. Other Matters

• DBS Checks: Frankie confirmed as DBS checked.

• Meeting Schedule for Next Year:

  • We’ll rotate meetings between Mondays and Tuesdays.

  • Virtual meetings are acceptable to everyone.

  • We’ll have one meeting each term, scheduled early in the term.

  • Next Meetings:

    • 21st January at 7:30 pm

    • 28th April at 7:30 pm

11. Any Other Business (AOB)

• Library Needs:

  • We’ll look into creating an Amazon wish list for books.

  • There’s a need for new library furniture.

• Fire Pit Area: Discussed as a potential project.

• Wish List: Members are encouraged to contribute ideas.

• Offer of a Maypole: An offer has been made to provide a Maypole for the school.

• Whole School Trip:

  • We discussed organising another trip and emphasised the importance of fresh ideas.

• Art Gallery: Proposed as a creative initiative for the corridor.

Meeting concluded at 9:20 pm.

Thank you to everyone who attended—we’re looking forward to another fantastic year ahead!