Attendees: Helen Albon, Katie McMahon, Sandra Whitehouse, Sarah Shreeves, Marcus Cherry, Jom Simpson, Luchi Montes de Oca, Donna Shaw, Patience Oyeme Olaiya, Kelly Iles
Agenda
Actions from last meeting
Finance
Past events / fundraising totals
Proposed future spending (need to include year 6 leavers)
Planned events (tea towels)
PTFA development
AOB
1) Actions from last meeting
Actions:
Uniform shed - launch went well - fundraising totals below.
Playground: meeting with Mrs Ballantine moved to after half term.
£1,000 on books for the library - HA action - to ask school what books they would like to buy. Update, needs to be discussed at next meeting with Mrs Ballantine (date not yet confirmed).
New parents coffee morning: Big Success. Lots of parents and carers attended.
Blog about programme of activities - published.
2) Finance (Jason to update)
Review of balance, income & expenditure. Balance in new account = £17,400 (confimed by Sandra)
JR previously reported approx £1,150 in old account. Transfer will be completed very soon.
Recently paid: Hose and trolley for raised beds £285; St Francis Garden plants; £200 for year 6 SATs breakfast. £600 for year 6 leavers’ gift; Murals (need to add amounts); animal workshops (Jason to confirm amount)
Still to pay: Disco expenses and reimbursements.
3) Past events fundraising totals
£209.60 from uniform sales in September and a further £50 in October so far.
£216 for Bag2School (TBC according to the weight)
£1,094.52 Disco - Ticket sales so far:
£500 - Matched funding (Jess Downs):
4) Proposed future spending:
Remaining commitments up to July 2025
£1,000 on books for the library
£600 for the Bristol Old Vic performance in December 2024 (still to be paid?)
School playground, planting
Show you care, park elsewhere signs?
Year 6 leavers
KI attended on behalf of the year 6 leavers commitee to ask if the PTFA can make a contribution to the year 6 leavers’ activities, and if so, how much?
Last year, as in previous years the PTFA agreed £600 for year 6 leavers gift and £200 for SATs breakfast. We discussed whether we felt the £600 amount was still appropriate - the feeling was yes.
The £600 is technically a ‘gift’. It’s not for anything specific like the hoodies- that’s just what parents have decided to buy in previous years.
The £600 contribution for children leaving the school is arguably not what PTFA fundraising is for because we exist ‘to engage in activities or provide facilities or equipment to support the school and advance the education of pupils’.
The SATS breakfast is an integral part of the school’s care for pupils during a critical part of their academic development, so that fits.
How the £600 gift to parents fits, some might argue, is less clear, and the PTFA needs to set the amount for this gift, not the other way round.
However, there has been strong feeling that we want to continue to give a gift as a thank you / acknowledgment to yr 6 pupils & parents many of whom have supported the PTFA fundraising for years.
If we increase the amount even by a relatively small amount there has been concern this also might cause upset for those who haven’t had an increase in previous yrs.
There’s also a school hardship fund to support parents.
We have been keen in the past to make sure yr 6 parents understand the issues, and feel we are supportive, and that we really recognise and value everything they have contributed to the PTFA over the years!
Grow With It update:
Raised beds - Bulbs have been planted at a planting day on Saturday 14 September. Another planting session is organised for 19 October. Volunteers are needed for this. Several signs for the raised beds are being designed by a parent and will be installed this term.
Greenhouse: This is next in the Grow With It plan. Proposal to install at the front of school and develop the area into something with a ‘school garden’ feel approved. Need to source. Ideas welcome for school garden feel.
Playground: Several natural playground companies have been approached for quotes and advice on the area at the back of school. Hoping to make progress with this as soon as possible. There are issues with an invasive weed on the slope where we planned to add the playground. This will need to be sorted before work can start. HA to arrange a meeting with Mrs Ballantine to discuss further.
Uniform shed:
5) Planned events
Asda Cashpot for Schools: Signed St Bon’s PTFA up to this scheme which is running until 30 November. Advertised this via socials and classes. More advertising to be done in October and November. Parentkind – the charity that supports school PTAs - have teamed up with Asda, who is making millions of pounds available to donate to primary schools across the UK through their ‘Cashpot for Schools’ initiative – all people have to do is, opt in through the Asda Rewards app, choose our St Bon’s primary school and shop and scan in store or shop online at Asda.com, between 2nd September and 30th November 2024
Asda will donate 0.5% of the value of their shop to our PTA. Also, every time somebody opts in, Asda will give an additional £1 to the school Cashpot. Plus– Asda are also giving £50 to every school to get them started.
HA: reminder to parents
October
Bag 2 School: took place on Friday 11 October, and also planned for 27 February 2025, and 5 June 2025.
Discos: Friday 18 October. New ticket system a success - we have the right number of adult volunteers. No need for a ballot. All children have been given tickets.
Some parents missed ticket sales deadline, wanted to swap / hand back tickets. One parent fed back on her child using the glow sticks to do sword fighting and requested not to have glow sticks this time. Lots of other options explored to replace over £300 of profit brought in by glow sticks, but agreed with Mrs Ballantine that on balance the glow sticks were enjoyed by the majority and brought significant profit, and to keep them, and increase supervision.
Need to be clearer in the comms next time that if a child has additional needs then a parent can automatically attend to supervise that child.
Christmas shop (designed cards and goods): Sarah to update?
November
Christmas Craft evening: Now booked for Friday 15 November. Launch this week if poss. FED sponsoring the graze boards.
Christmas Fair, Sunday 8 Dec 2-5pm: Now booked and advertised in last week’s newsletter.
Father Christmas (Nick) is booked. Santa costume needs to be located. Tickets to be set up online.
Grotto
Living Nativity -booked. School is happy with the risk assessment sent by company. Risk assessment points to be incorporated in main risk assessment (HA). To go in covered area outside the reception classrooms. Tickets? Marcus to update. Possible Christmas story trail.
Snow Globe inflatable booked
List of businesses to approach for sponsorship / donations / prizes has been circulated to the Christmas Fair team.
Poster designed and socials ready
Christmas hampers raffle. Raffle tickets purchased (Katie).
Silent auction - starting to add items.
School choir booked. HA spoke to Mrs Ballantine.
Live music?
Compere to be booked
Matched funding arranged.
Stalls - list needs to be agreed ASAP.
January: AGM. Katie MacMahon, PTFA secretary, has handed in her notice after 4 years on the Committee and will be stepping down at the next AGM. Thanks to Katie for all her amazing work over this time! Looking for someone to fill the post of Secretary at next AGM.
February 2025
Movie night date TBC
March / April
Class bake sales, March to May
World Book Day - fire pit and stories in the playground? Actor parent?
Wonderlicious bar to conicide with the school play - this received popular support.
Quiz night for parents - Matt Mc would be willing to play quiz master again.
May
Wellbeing event? Clothes swap
Disco
June
Summer fair - date?
6) PTFA development
PTFA visibility - tshirts? Can someone take this on?
New class reps all on Whatsapp group. Rules for the Whatsapp group communicated (ie use the group only for PTFA related news and updates), but regular reminders needed. Important to go through school comms channels with anything not related to the PTFA.
Next PTFA meeting will be 14 November 8pm online.
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