CLAREFEST - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

- CLAREFEST is a fun family day of music and entertainment for all the families of the school. There will be awesome bands playing TUUUUNES, bouncy castles, “Last Man Standing”, face painting, a dance workshop, circus skills, photobooth, festival merchandise, sweets and even ice cream!

HOW’S IT GOING TO WORK?

- On the day you will enter from Claremont Road and show your ticket at the gate. Once you’ve entered you’ll be given a CLAREFEST 2022 wristband which you will need to wear all day and use to re-enter.

- Within the festival, you’ll have the opportunity to buy food, drink and partake in the entertainment on offer.

- We will have toilets and rubbish facilities available (although we welcome you taking your rubbish home with you – bags will be available on the day).

- Entertainment stalls will be operated using a TOKEN SYSTEM (they will not accept cash or card payments). 1 token can be purchased for £1. Each stall will be marked with how many tokens you will need to use e.g. 1 token for a 5 minute jump on a bouncy castle. See the image at the bottom of this blog for full list

- Tokens can be purchased in advance (from the school playground during pick up the week before the event) or on the day (from the token stall near the entrance gate).

- We will be accepting – for the first time ever (hello 21st century) – CARD PAYMENTS at the Bar, BBQ and Token Stalls. The use of cash is being discouraged so please support us making this a cashless event.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW:

- Buy ENTRANCE TICKETS for all those wishing to attend before the day. Tickets sales will end at 12pm on Friday 20TH May . We have already sold nearly 700 tickets and only have 900 available so grab yours up from here before they’re gone!

- PLEASE VOLUNTEER your time to help set up on Friday afternoon / for part of the event on the Saturday / clear up on Sunday if you can. The more volunteers we have the more fun everyone can have! Please email Emma Butterworth if you can offer any time. Even 30 minutes on the day itself will make a difference.

BEFORE THE BIG DAY:

- CHECK THE WEATHER: We have put in a special request for sunshine and are keeping our fingers crossed but you may want to have wellies and waterproofs at the ready, as well as sun hats and sun cream!

- STOCK UP ON TOKENS which will be for sale from the school playground w/c 16th May during pick up. See image in this blog for the list of what stalls you will need tokens for on Saturday. These stalls will only accept tokens so buy yours in advance to save queuing on the day.

- You can also pre-purchase slots (£5 each) for the DANCE WORKSHOPS from the team in the playground at the same time.

The workshops will be

For years 2 - 6; 2.45pm - 3.15pm and 4.15pm - 4.45pm

For pre-school - year 1; 3.30pm - 4pm (under 4's will need adult supervision)

With a performance @ 5pm - 5.15pm

WHAT TO BRING ON THE DAY:

- Appropriate clothing (once you’ve checked the weather),

- Something to sit on/under…a picnic blanket, camping chairs, umbrella, you may even want to bring your own gazebo if it’s looking like it’s going to rain all day.

- Something to drink out of it... e.g. a plastic cup, pint/wine/prosecco glass if you have one to help us minimise waste.

- Your contactless payment cards to help us run this as a cashless event for the first time ever!

Please do not bring your own food or drink (unless of course you have a specific dietary requirement) as a variety of food and drink offerings will be available to purchase and every penny raised from their sale, will go towards the PTA.

WHAT TO DO ON THE DAY:

- If you’ve done all the above then all that remains is to turn up and have fun!

- Please be your usual responsible and respectful selves. We are grateful to the school for lending us their grounds to host this event and intend to leave it as we find it.

- Help us by taking your own rubbish home with you. Rubbish bags will be available.

Thank you for supporting the PTA and we hope you have a wonderful time!

Summer Fete – how we will need you to help make it a success!

As many of you know, the Summer Fete is a family fun day for the whole Claremont community – pupils, parents, extended family, future pupils, past pupils, neighbours,.. There will be all your usual fete fun – bouncy castles, games, ice cream, face painting, food and refreshments. And the best bit? Every penny raised will go towards the PTA!

It will be on Saturday 2nd July, 12-3pm and tickets are now on sale through our website for £2.50 per adult (children are free) and on the gate for £3 per adult.

Whilst we have a dedicated team organising the event, they are small in number and we cannot make it happen without a large pool of volunteers, donations from the parent body and some specific skills and pieces of equipment. This blog is to explain the ways we will be asking the Claremont community to rally together to help make the Summer Fete a success!

DONATIONS:

We will be asking parents to donate items to help us populate the stalls and raffle. Shortly after the May half term, we will be holding some donation mornings where we will be collecting:

- Sweets in a jam jar (no chocolates or nuts) - see example photo below

- Teddies

- Books

- Fancy dress costumes.

- Unopened bottles of alcohol

- Raffle prizes – a specific colour depending on your child’s year group.

Teddies, books and fancy dress costumes can be second hand but good quality please.

The raffle will be a “Colour Raffle”. There will be 7 wonderful hampers up for grabs. We are asking each year group to donate raffle gifts of a specific colour:

- Reception – RED

- Year 1 – ORANGE

- Year 2 – YELLOW

- Year 3 – GREEN

- Year 4 – BLUE

- Year 5 – PURPLE/PINK

- Year 6 – WHITE

The Donation mornings are happening on Wednesday 8th, Thursday 9th and Friday 10th June during morning drop off. Find the PTA helpers either at the Banner Farm Road Gate or in the playground by the Reception pen from 8.40-9am.

VOLUNTEERING ON THE DAY:

As is Claremont tradition, we will be asking each class to provide volunteers to help set up, run and tidy away a stall. We will ask Class Reps to coordinate the rota for each class so that will come from them in due course. These are the stalls that each class will be responsible for:

Reception Sapllngs - BBQ

Reception Acorns – Hook a Duck and Lucky Dip

Year 1 Elm – Bouncy Castle 1

Year 1 Ash – Bouncy Castle 2

Year 2 Maple – Teddy Tombola

Year 2 Rowan – Book/DVD/Greeting Cards Stall

Year 3 Hazel – Fancy dress stall

Year 3 Cedar – Sweets Tombola

Year 4 - Bar and Craft Stall

Year 5 – Linden - Coconut Shy (/other game tbd) and Sponge a Teacher

Year 5 - Elder - Bottle Tombola

Year 6 – Sweet treats – e.g. Cupcakes, popcorn tbd

More information about the volunteering rota will come from Class Reps in coming weeks.

LENDING US YOUR SKILLS:

We are looking for:

- A chalk writer for the Bar signs

- A graphic designer to help make our map look pretty – hand drawn or computer drawn

Please email us now if you could lend us your skills in these areas.

LENDING US YOUR EQUIPMENT

We will need 2 art easels, also probably need some clothes rails and may need extra tables and gazebos. Please email us if you might have any of those we can borrow on the day.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

The PTA

Committee Meeting Minutes - March 2022

PTA MEETING

CLAREMONT PRIMARY SCHOOL PTA

PTA MEETING

10 March 2022, 7.15pm, 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

1. Intro/Update - CS

a. Teacher Rep – vacancy still outstanding. We have had one expression of interest from a TP in Year 5. Committee discussed how to attract/approach volunteer.

Action 1: CS to follow up with interested party and CC to chase / ask internally if any volunteers.

b. Barclays access - Sami and Claire can now successfully access the banking.

c. New PTA Committee member- Nicki Web has volunteered to join the Committee. Nominated by CS, seconded by NJ.(Voting not required). Welcome Nicki!

2. Actions from Last Meeting (S’OM)

a. Disco – cannot be held before Easter. CC is in touch with DJ Lollipop and will check Hall availability on Fridays (3x events on a Friday) as no clubs. Year 5&6, then Year 3&4 and then Year 1&2 if we can squeeze them in. Ticket (£5) inc. snack and drink, up to about 100 tickets available. Put on website and request volunteers when buy tickets.

b. CSR Promotion – SO’M action o/s - Corporate Social Responsibility days & Corporate matching– agreed we should publicise in the next email/blog; parents employers may offer this, encourage parents to investigate as they may be able to use days for assisting Event(s) set up.

c. Covenance Scheme – BD to continue to consider re-vamp/re-brand of scheme. Consider legalities of title of Covenance Scheme which is old fashioned. Need to promote better.

d. Spring Wreath Making - couldn’t get interest to facilitate/host so agreed not to progress, retain for Christmas.

e. Engagement with other school PTA’s – BD going through all the local info online; found a couple of schools similar to Claremont from a size perspective. Will collate learnings and share, inc. what corporate sponsors pay for sponsorship,

f. Staff band for Clarefest – DC was going to ask if there was a staff band that would like to participate in Clarefest – CC agreed to chase.

Action 2: CC to chase / ask internally if any interest in forming a Staff Band for Clarefest.

3. Financial update & achievements - SF / NJ

Activity since last meeting:

~£35k in the account, exc. PayPal (£298.66). Last month ~£3k income: ~£1400 local giving. £1000 sponsorship. £400 purchases through website (Stripe). £600 outgoings: £300 licence (lottery and licence), and £225 Clarefest deposits and £95 storage boxes.

Cashless Payments for events

· Update on options to use pre-pay tokens for some stalls rather than cash:

o re-usable plastic tokens (biodegradable options being looked into) cost about £30 for 500. Token could have value of it printed on it e.g. 50p per token.

o NJ suggested paper tickets as cheaper alternative and easier to manage flow.

Action 3: NJ to look into machine to print and cut paper tickets ~5000 and feedback

o Committee preference is to offer tokens to be purchased on the day rather than in advance. Need to ensure easy to buy tokens and minimise queues – e.g. at the bar, BBQ, and a token stall. Could include a specific amount (e.g. 5 tokens) within the ticket entry to minimise queues at the beginning.

o Risk was flagged about tokens being taken away and reused for future events and potentially uncontrolled PTA assets. Committee agreed can minimise this risk by reducing number of tokens that leave the site/are taken away through 1) a “recycling” box at exit (no refunds), 2) no minimum spend and 3) ensuring tokens are bespoke

o Need to consider logistics of handling tokens on the day and how people could carry tokens easily (e.g. on a bracelet?).

· For card payments: SF proposed Sum Up (£40 one off cost per reader) to be used. Best value rate for charity. We would buy 3 separate Readers which are connected to someone’s phone. NJ proposed using Wix App so connected to the website. Potentailly all Committee members could use the Wix App to take payments directly at events.

Action 4: NJ to investigate using Wix for payments / making in person sales.

· Committee had a general discussion about “going cashless” at events and whether desirable to fully go cashless. Advantage is logistically easier on the day. Clearly communicating to attendees how they will need to pay would mitigate risks. Solves problem of running out of cash. Main risk is if technology fails so some ability to handle cash would be a good as a back-up plan at least.

Action 5: SF to consolidate further research and propose a recommended approach.

4. Events / Fundraising Updates

a. Easter – LP

LP has bought all the Easter eggs for event on 1st April 2022. Has 10/11 volunteers. All going well. PTA supplied the paper to make the baskets last year. LP to check receipts and see if more budget approval is needed for paper. Provide enough information for children with allergies (could send a photo of what basket would look like). If bad weather, will do in the school hall.

Action 6: LP to check with school whether the hall is available as a plan B, check status for paper and situation for Reception pupils who leave at lunch

Action 7: CS to review and sign off risk assessment.

b. Scavenger Hunt – CS

30 ticket sales so far. Further promotions needed this week before sales end.

Action 8: CS and CC to push ticket sales through weekly email and posters.

c. Clarefest– EB

Preps going well. Huge thanks to all those busy behind the scenes.

BBQ – Toby Brandon running BBQ (Clarefest & Fete), needs additional help. BD expressed keenness to be involved as prep for Summer Fete BBQ.

Action 9: EB to facilitate additional BBQ helpers.

Site Visit next week for people doing music. No teacher band currently but CC to keep pushing and asking see what possibilities (see Action 2). Suggestion for further children involvement e.g. irock.

Action 10: EB to discuss with school whether iRock could play at Clarefest

Tables –concern (also for summer fete) that we don’t have enough. Summer Fete Team are due to do table stocktake and will report back. May need to source extra if not enough.

CS updated on conversations with Batchellor Monkhouse . sponsors. Need to let them know what they can display at Clarefest (e.g. signage/banner).

Chris Jeffreys is creating the marketing materials/logo etc.

Further discussion included plans for waste, use of reusable cups, timing of ticket sales and need for practice run setting up Marquee (EB to consider).

Action 11: EB to continue to liaise with CS and summer fete team to share ideas and synergies over waste and marquee/gazebo usage/needs, tables, marketing etc. [S1]

Massive thanks to all Clarefest team for all their amazing efforts to date, EB to pass on appreciation.

d. Summer Fete – CS/NJ/S’OM

Date has been fixed for Sat 2nd July 2022. Huge thanks to the Summer Fete team working behind the scenes. You know who you are!

Main problem has been our need for an alternative licensee approach as PTA licensee cannot make 2nd July. NJ is discussing with potential licensee and to potentially outsource the bar. A likely solution has been found.

CS sought funding to book Toilet Hire and Bouncy Castles of £1000. Toilets cost for 2 x toilets £200 + VAT. Can also use the Lodge Toilets. Lodge would require volunteers checking regularly for blockages, hygiene). Bouncy castles costs won’t be more than £760. Unanimous approval received (please refer Table 1 for voting record).

In discussion of toilets, given extra are always required for CF and SF, could a longer-term investment be made of additional permanent toilets near the Lodge.

Action 12: CS to flag question re toilets to CR/SS given their absence.

CS confirmed Batchelor Monkhouse are the sponsor and will have a Stand and run some fun activities.

CS updated on plans for a Summer Fete Programme to be published and presented to everyone who attends. Committee were shown examples from previous fetes which were really liked. Parent volunteer Helen Sanderson is leading marketing for the Fete and getting quotes. Potential to sell advertising space to parent and local businesses. Consider ticket price to inc.a Programme and some tokens.

e. Cinema Club – SW

Action 13: SW to look into and progress plans for summer term cinema club.

5. PTA Whats App Group – S O’M – proposed to set up a What’s App group for brief, urgent Committee comms. All agreed. S’OM to action. Also discussed setting up a What’s App group for Class Reps for similar reason.

Action 14: CS to contact class reps and set up group.

6. AOB

a. New Parent pack – CS has been asked by the school to review the pack which is out of date. Inc. second hand uniform details.

b. In discussion, suggestions were made for in person sales at new parent event on Thursday 16th June 2022. Also suggested at Summer Fete and at Sports Day and before switch to summer uniform.

Action 15: CS to confirm 2nd hand uniform date sales with school and finalise new parent packs.

c. Gift Aid – CS identified a concern that the PTA may not be maximising Gift Aid opportunities.

Action 16: BD to consider marketing around Gift Aid as part of his project on the covenance scheme, NJ to consider if can set up electronic forms for CS and Gift Aid through the website and to research Wix donation buttons for direct donations from the website. SF to investigate the process for claiming Gift Aid from CS/ direct debits, how we do it, how much it would raise and therefore if worth while to process them.

d. Gardening / Allotment – BD raised idea of whether there could be land made available on the school site for a small allotment which children could help maintain (via a possible Gardening Club) but managed via parent volunteers. PTA funds could be used to set everything up.

Action 17: BD to approach School in the first instance as not for PTA to decide.

e. World Book Day Costumes – BD raised idea of fundraising through recycling WBD outfits – e.g. seeking donations and selling in advance of WBD each year. Everyone very supportive; could also consider doing in advance of Halloween or other Fancy Dress school charity events (e.g. Children In Need).

f. Second Hand Sale – the above item prompted discussion on the potential of a Nearly New Sale (inc. good quality clothes, toys etc). A Car Boot was proposed which could be held on school field and families pay for a pitch to attend and they can retain the profits.

Action 20: CS to ask parents if any volunteers to run these above events and add dates to our calendar if so.

7. Next Meeting Date – Thursday 28th April 7.30pm.

Table 1 - RECORD OF ATTENDANCE & VOTING:

Available on request

APPROVAL OF MINUTES BY CHAIR OF MEETING:

SIGN: C Summers

DATE: 30/3/22