And just like that…it's the end of term!

First and foremost, we want to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has supported the PTA this year. Whether you donated time, money, presents, prizes, used AmazonSmile or Easyfundraising to raise money for us at no cost for you or did a sun dance for our event days, every contribution has gone a long way. We are delighted to say the target of £29,200 was smashed and the collective effort raised over £30,000* for the school!

The PTA would also like to say a special thank you to Claudine Cerrini who is stepping down after many many years so she can enjoy her last year as a Claremont parent without PTA responsibility. Claudine we will miss you but thank you for all your support not least getting us newbies up to speed on all things PTA. We know you’ll secretly miss organising the Tank Room so you’re welcome back anytime!

Just to recap on this year, we started the year with some socials at the Claremont for old and new reception parents, our first ever virtual Raffle by Text took place in the Autumn and we navigated Covid restrictions to ensure Christmas festivities (and cinema club) could run as normal. After Christmas, the Spring Scavenger Hunt was a hotly contested affair, the Easter bunny helped the children hunt down their eggs, two after school discos were enjoyed by years 3-6, we danced the night away as the sun set on our first Clarefest in three years (raising over £10,000) and ended the year with a bonza Summer Fete which raised over £8,000!

This has meant we have been able to contribute nearly £30,000 to the school for:

IT - £15,000

New Outdoor Classroom - £10,000

Xmas Panto Trip and Lunch - £2,385

Classroom Contributions - £1,400 (£100 per class for teachers to spend as they need)

Year 6 send off (Yearbooks/leavers BBQ) - £ 660

But we mustn’t rest on our laurels! Our next fundraising event is actually taking place before the new term even starts! On Sunday 4th September, the Claremont Dragons are racing in the Tonbridge Dragon Race to raise valuable funds for the PTA! All are welcome to cheer them on, on the day and to donate through localgiving here.

Looking ahead to next year we would love to make it an even bigger and more fun filled year for the PTA - but we need your help to make that happen! If you have enjoyed any of our events this year and think you can help in any way (you don’t need a specific skill - just a bit of enthusiasm!) then we welcome you to join us at the AGM on Thursday 29th September (at school at 7.30pm) or email us if you can't make that date.

We also look forward to welcoming Reception parents at our Reception Parent Social on Friday 23rd September from 7.30pm. We will confirm the venue in September but for now please save the date if you have a little one starting in Reception in September.

We wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you at the AGM!

Claire, Natalie, Sami, Sara and the rest of the PTA Committee

*please note all numbers are initial estimates until final accounts are signed off at the AGM in September

PTA by Numbers and Pictures!

Here is all you need to know what the PTA is funding this year, why these contributions are essential to the school and how much we have left to raise and how you can help - we hope the graphics help bring it to life!

The PTA has committed £29,000 to the school this year including the annual contribution of £15,000 to I.T. and an additional £10,000 towards the new outdoor classroom – you can find some photos from the launch of the outdoor classroom at the bottom of this blog.

But why does the school need these contributions from the PTA?

Julie Cook, School Business Manager, tells us below:

Now onto how much has been raised and what is left to raise?

We have been blown away by your amazing support to date this year - Clarefest alone raised an unprecedented £11,800! Thank you to everyone involved. That has helped raised a massive £23,000 already, but we have £6,200 to raise to reach the £29,200 we have committed to the school.

Please help us plug the gap by supporting the Summer Fete on Saturday 2nd July. Buy your tickets from our website now (adults £2.50 in advance, or £3 on the gate. Children go free) and check our blog for how you can help in other ways. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you can't make the fete but would still like to help, please make a one-off or monthly direct donation (with Gift Aid if eligible) through our localgiving page - click here to take you straight there.

Thank you so much!

Outdoor Classroom Launch - Monday 16th May 2022:

With PTA Members Lucy Prior and Natalie Jolliffe (left), Mr Hume (middle), Mrs Roberts (right) and the lucky children of Maple class who had front row seats!

*please note numbers are rounded for simplicity and are all estimates until year end accounts (for year 1/9/2021 - 31/8/2022) are complete and approved at the AGM in Autumn 2022.

PTA Meeting Minutes 28th April 2022

CLAREMONT PRIMARY SCHOOL PTA

PTA MEETING

28 April 2022, 7.30pm, The Claremont

Seven members constitute a quorum. See Table 1 at the end of report for full attendance and

voting record.

APOLOGIES: Candi Roberts, Sarah Seddon, Ben Dryland, Lucy Prior, Nicki Webb

1. Tonbridge Dragon Boat Race 7.45pm (Year 2 Dads attending – Seb and Adam)

The team have entered the race (4 th September) and secured the boat. Team are hoping to get

sponsored for the entry but team wondering if it could be something focused on raising funds

for something specific the school needs. E.g. IT, does the school need more iPads? Consider

promoting at Clarefest & Summer Fete – introduce the team, have a stand on the day (part of

the PTA stall). They also get a small marquee at the event so could promote PTA fundraising

Action 1 – CS to liaise with Julie Cook to ask for specific funding needs (e.g. IT / Outdoor

classroom).

Action 2 – allocate the Dragon Boat team some space at the fete / Clarefest and/or the PTA

noticeboard.

Action 3 - CS to set up a local giving page (inc. QR code) for fundraising.

Action 4 - Dragon boat team to try and get a sponsor (£500 for boat, £200 for tshirts)

Action 5 - CS to call out in weekly email for parents that work for organisations that may be

willing to sponsor and consider corporate matching for those parents that might be on the team.

2. Update from the Chair - CS

a) Scavenger Hunt £1700 raised inc. Winkworth sponsorship. Massive thanks to Kate Bourne

for all her hard work in leading and organising!

b) Easter very successful, raised £1450 (£950 profit), big thanks to LP for organising and the

team that supported, the children loved it!

3. Actions from Last Meeting (S’OM)

a) Teacher Rep - CS to follow up with interested party and CC to chase / ask internally if any

volunteers. – 17/05 update – still no interest. CC also advised that she would be stepping

down at the end of this academic year so we will certainly need someone from school

community for next year.

Action 6 – Teacher Rep: CC to keep asking within the school.

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b) Events Licence – agreed that we should discuss and review the need for this when this

comes up for renewal and decide what the ongoing requirements are.

Action 7 – Committee to review Events Licence when comes up for renewal.

Action 8 - Agreed to set up a lessons learnt / mop up session after Clarefest so learnings could

be taken into Summer Fete.

Action 9 – Cinema Club – SW to discuss with school re. potential dates and chairs (due to lack of

benches). CC to discuss with Dominic Coulson whether he can still support the tech. *Risk

Assessment and Booking Form will need to be completed).

Action 10 – Second Hand Uniform Sales – first in person sale raised £151! Big thanks to Nicki

Webb. NW to use PTA Committee Whats App group to call out for help at in person sales next

time.

Action 11- Gardening / Allotment – BD to approach school as not for PTA to decide. (o/s action

from last month).

4) Financial Update – SF

£37,136.47 in bank account. £2,277.44 income (last calendar month). Outgoings £325

photobooth, and £462 Clarefest expenses imminent.

Action 12 - NJ and SF to meet separately to go through quarterly accounts and reconcile

everything to keep up to date (inc. Paypal).

Action 13 - SF to open a Revolute account for use of dollars if ever needed.

5) Urgent matters

a) Payment system / Tokens for events - SF

Sum Up is recommended Application. £29 for the machine, through any phone and multiple

phones £120 total approved by committee (please refer to Table 1 for voting record). Promote

use of cards (in comms prior to event) but have a cash float for bar and BBQ (just in case!).

Action 14 - SF to buy 3 machines and test it prior to Clarefest on different phones and networks

(on the school field!). SF to buy tokens. NW to use for Uniform sales.

Action 15 - EB to advise SF what float is needed for Clarefest as we may need to order money.

Tokens will be paper; can buy a roll and a holder. Token stall next to the entrance. Sell them on

the playground week prior, after publicising costs. £50 to procure paper tokens approved

(please refer to Table 1 for voting record).

Action 16 - EB to draft Clarefest blog with all the information (as above).

b) Annual Return – S O’M

Committee confirmed we don’t need independent verifier of accounts as less than £25k income.

Deadline is 22/6 to submit last years annual return.

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Action 17 - SF to review and populate spreadsheet and CS and S O’M to submit into the website.

c) Events / Fundraising updates

a. Easter success – as above.

b. 2 nd  hand uniform – dates all agreed for rest of year.

c. Clarefest – EB – all in progress. No major items to minute (other than covered

above).

d. Summer Fete – CS – all in hand. CR raised issues about the bar at the Summer Fete.

CS and NJ to address with CR directly. Mark Lester has submitted events notification

to the council and awaiting response. Agreed ticket price Adult £2.50 on website, £3

on the day, exc. Tokens. Kids free.

e. Discos – CC - 2 x discos Year 5/6 (27 th May) and Year 3/4 (24 th June), consider doing

Year 1/2 (17 th June) £140 for DJ. 100 children max £6 per ticket. NJ to add to website

(Year 5/6 launch first) and need 7 volunteers from 2pm. Disco 3.30-5pm.

Action 18 - CS to check with Jodi how many events tickets should be put aside for those that

might need financial support to attend events.

d) AOB

a) Various proposals – CS

- Home pizza evenings : agreed this was not going to be progressed.

- Go Goosy – quick drying onesie. Offering £1 for every item sold – agreed this was

not going to be progressed.

- Boon – run e-bay type auction. Like a marketplace between parents. % will go to PTA

on each sale. Agreed good idea to progress.

- S O’M has now updated the Charity Commission website with all 4 trustees details

(Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary).

e) Next Meeting Date – Tuesday 14 th June (venue tbc)

Table 1 - RECORD OF ATTENDANCE & VOTING:

COMMITTEE MEMBER Attendance Vote – Sum Up 4 x card

machines £120

Vote – paper tokens £50

1. Claire Summers (CS) Y Y Y

2. Natalie Jolliffe (NJ) Y Y Y

3. Sara O’Malley

(SO’M)

Y Y Y

4. Sami Fotoohi (SF) Y Y Y

5. Emma Butterworth

(EB)

Y Y Y

6. Claudine Cerrini

(CC)

Y Y Y

7. Sarah Seddon N n/a n/a

8. Lucy Prior (LP) N n/a n/a

9. Sam Walker (SW) Y Y Y

10. Ben Dryland (BD) N n/a n/a

11. Candi Roberts N n/a n/a

12. Nicki Webb N n/a n/a

TOTAL 7 7 7

APPROVAL OF MINUTES BY CHAIR OF MEETING:

SIGN: C Summers

DATE: 25 May 2022