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10/06/2024 – Claire Summers’ residence - 8pm
PRESENT: Claire Summers (Chair), Natalie Jolliffe (Vice chair), Shagun Bansal (Treasurer), Lucy Prior (Committee Member), Jenny Brown (CM), Lisa Gammon (CM), Ben Dryland (CM) and reps from Summer Fete team (Zoe Phillimore, Anna Pearson, Helen Sanderson, Marishka Dunlop and Sarah Lester)
Virtual attendees: Candi Roberts (Headteacher), Niloufer Jamal (secretary), Nicki Taylor (CM), Emma Doward (CM), Samantha Walker (CM)
1. APOLOGIES: Sara O’Malley (CM), Emma Butterworth
2. Chair Update- Claire Summers
Term 5 Review:
Clarefest: CS acknowledged this year’s event as the best yet with excellent security. Special thanks to Emma B and her team.
Second-hand Uniform Team: CS gave thanks to the team who consistently do a great job.
Easter Egg Hunt: Huge thanks to Lucy for a great event as always
Cinema Club: Thanks to Sam for organising. 120 out of 150 tickets have been sold this term, with a final push needed.
Playground Sales: Have been held less frequently based on feedback but have been highly profitable. Thanks to Jenny and her team.
Sports Day Ice Lollies: Thanks to Sara for organising this. The school have said it’s a real highlight for the children.
Ice Lolly sales: These are upcoming for the rest of the Fridays in the term. Thank you to Lisa & Juliette for organising these.
CS reminded the Committee that our 3 new policies (financial control, safeguarding & complaints procedure) have been uploaded to the website & can be accessed here and requested all Committee members read them and are familiar with their contents: https://www.claremontprimarypta.com/financial-policies https://www.claremontprimarypta.com/safeguarding-policy https://www.claremontprimarypta.com/complaints-policy
2. Financial Summary (SB/NJ):
Current Status: Healthy balance of over £31,000 in the bank
Total Income for the Year from Events: Just over £39,000, with a profit of £21,875 to date.
Clarefest & playground sales have been the most profitable with Clarefest looking to be highest profit ever made from the event - over £11,000.
Other expenditure (bank fees, PTA overheads & general expenses) totalled £29,361 with £27,380 going to the school towards things including I.T., repair of the footpath, theatre trips, sports kit, DT and parking signs.
Expenses voted for but not yet paid include the Year 6 BBQ & yearbooks, summer fete and cinema club expenses totalling £3,031
Expected expenditure (not yet approved by the committee) includes Trim Trail (playground) equipment and a wet weather canopy for Maslow’s corner. The amounts are TBC.
NJ highlighted the school lottery as a significant, low-effort income source. Action for Holly: Highlight lottery sign-ups in the weekly PTA newsletter.
Chip In Initiative: Need to clarify funding goals and broaden its scope beyond IT. Action for Lucy: Prepare some year-specific communications about IT funding usage and research Chip-In banners for future consideration by PTA for purchase.
3. Funding for the School (CR):
Trim Trail: The responsiveness reps worked with Mrs. Cook & Mr. Coulson to look at options, process & eventually presented a shortlist to the school.
For KS1 - images were put up & children were asked to travel to the Piece they most liked.
For KS2 - Responsiveness reps went to classes to have an ‘eyes closed, hands up’ vote.
Votes were collated & the Net Tunnel & Chin Up Bars were the winners
Mrs. Roberts presented this data to the PTA on June 10th (at this committee meeting)
The members present at the meeting unanimously voted in favour of the potential expense of £4,321 for the trim trail with installation set to be completed by September 2024.
Maslow's Corner: CR mentioned quotes had been obtained for the different sizes of canopies with costs ranging significantly. She is awaiting a final quote and will come back to the PTA once she has it. Work will potentially only take place during the October half term. CR requested PTA support for funding these. The Committee considered the current funds available, and need to maintain reasonable reserves and concluded there is in principle broad support from all members that at least £10,000 could be donated towards this project but that there would need to be a formal vote once final numbers were in and fundraising from the rest of the term’s activities known.
CR highlighted the serious challenges with school funding and that it would be beneficial if the PTA could fully fund the above items.
Ben emphasised the importance & value of CHIP-IN especially now that schools need to self fund more due to reduced funding. CR agreed to put out more information to the school about funding in September.
Summer Fete team suggested they fundraise for a specific item from the Summer Fete silent auction. The Committee agreed the trim trail would be an ideal item to highlight in the marketing of this.
Action: Claire and Anna/Zoe to prepare blog for parents about funding and work with school on comms on this.
4. Summer Fete:
Preparations: HS updated the Committee on preparations underway and that plans and budget is broadly on track. Discussion & advice shared about logistics, communications to parents/children etc.
Approach to cash floats on the day was agreed - Shagun to secure £400 cash float. Summer fete team were advised to read the financial control policy.
Decision that animal encounter tickets to be sold online prior to the event
PTA advised to ensure clear signage on age restrictions for bottle tombola.
The platform for, and the comms around, the Silent Auction was discussed - will launch 2 weeks before and close 2:30 PM on the day of the fete.
Donation for Kent Radio - fete team to request a bank transfer to avoid cash on the day.
Vote: Vote to increase Fete budget by £300 to account for additional costs for the summer drinks stall - unanimous
Vote: A unanimous vote on expenditure for headsets (£300) and gazebo replacement (£600) - if they are required to be purchased. [Post meeting note - items are being borrowed for the fete so this expenditure won’t be required this year]
Action: CS to share details of liability forms and insurance required from 3rd parties and for fete team to collect and file on drop box.
5. Recruitment for Next Year:
CS reminded the Committee that after four years CS and NJ are stepping down as Chair and Vice-Chair from September - no interest yet received and PTA is at risk of continuing without more volunteers for these roles. Clarefest team also needs volunteers (supported by current year).
Action:CS to prepare short bullet-point explanation of chair, vice chair/co-chairs roles, and Clarefest team roles for communication after the summer fete.
6. AOB:
Anna Pearson was nominated by CS to join the committee and seconded by NJoliffe.
Ice lolly expenses of £34.75 for the upcoming playground sales were agreed upon by CS, NJollife, LP, LG, AP, JB, BD & NJamal.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES BY CHAIR OF MEETING:
SIGN: C Summers
DATE: 27th June 2024
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