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11/11/2024 – The Claremont Pub - 8pm
PRESENT: Axelle Joos de ter Beerst AJ (Chair), Natalie Jolliffe NJ (Vice chair), Shagun Bansal SB (Treasurer), Claire Summers CS (Committee Member), Lucy Prior LP (CM), Jenny Brown JB (CM), Lisa Gammon LG (Secretary), Ben Dryland BD (CM), Anna Pearson AP1 (CM), Candi Roberts CR (Headteacher), Emma Butterworth EB (CM) Ami Parker AP2 (CM), Gemma Ferguson GF (CM), Sarah Seddon SS (Teacher), Marta Zielinska MZ (CM -Teacher), Becky O’Brien BO, Gemma Ferguson (GF)
APOLOGIES: Nicki Webb NW (CM), Emma Doward ED (CM), Samantha Walker SW (CM), Jennie Maslin Fong JMF
1. Chair’s Update (AJ):
▪ Axelle opened the meeting thanking the PTA for the warm welcome she has received as the new Chair.
▪ Gemma Ferguson (GF) was introduced to the Committee. Gemma has offered to join the Committee as a parent, to provide SEN representation and advice. Gemma was nominated by AJ and seconded by BD to join the Committee.
2. Financial Summary (SB/NJ):
▪ £18,500 in bank
▪ £30,700 expenditure
--£23k committed for KS2 Maslow’s Corner- wet weather canopy, £2.3k Trinity trip, £3.6k playground, £1.4k classroom contribution, rest PTA expenses
▪ New Parent event raised £300 from the raffle
▪ Wreath Sales good, £2.6k ticket sales.
▪ Direction donations already at nearly £3k.
3. New Comms Process (AP1):
▪ Comms team have a live spreadsheet tracking and recording all PTA events throughout the year.
▪ Any information/ events for the comms team to communicate in a newsletter is required to be added by midday on the Monday before that week’s newsletter release.
▪ New Parents: PTA to target new families in communications, to inform and highlight PTA’s role at school.
Action: Send shared comms spreadsheet to committee- AP1
Action: Put together FAQs – AP1
4. Annual Events for the Year and Lead Person:
4.1 Playground Sales (JMF)
▪ Flagged “Nearly New Toy Sales” raised £800 last year. Currently no one to lead this playground sale. Last year it was run by school uniform team.
Action: Ask Nicki Webb to provide feedback on last year’s event.
▪ Ongoing volunteers required for playground sales.
o Ideas proposed for playground sales going forward.
o New suggestion that a playground sale and date is assigned to each year group to organise and seek volunteers.
o Have YR6 students as helpers.
o GF asked if donut sale can include non-sugar option and for inclusive queuing system.
Action: JMF and GF to discuss how to make playground sales inclusive for all children.
4.2 Disco (NW)
▪ Nicki Webb happy to lead again this year.
▪ Discussions around how to mix year groups. At the last disco some children in YR5/6 didn’t seem to enjoy it as much, which made this particular session quite difficult to manage.
▪ New Ideas: silent disco, YR6 to help at reception disco, open library as a breakout area for SEN children, PTA to offer ear defenders. Arrange SEN toolbox if volunteers feel a child needs to break away from event.
▪ Break out area will require 2:1 ratio
Action: Exec team to investigate ear defender costs and SEN toolbox - NJ/BD
Action: Silent Disco costs – NW
Action: Send disco dates to school office asap- NW
4.3 Cinema Club (SW)
▪ 2nd December The Grinch (animated version)
▪ Tickets go live Friday 15th November at 8pm
▪ Ticket sales close midnight 27th November
Action: New Lead required as Sam Walker will be leaving school at end of school year.
Action: set ticket sales on website NJ
Action: NJ to advertise all job vacancies on website.
4.4 Christmas Cards (ED)
▪ On track. 160 forms back, which have been sent back to Xmas4schools and we should get our links to order soon. Then items should be delivered by 29th Nov and handed out 1st week of December.
▪ The prize winning designs will be announced in the school newsletter and the office has the prizes (donated book vouchers).
▪ CR- School have already judged the card designs.
▪ NOTE- All donations in relation to a PTA event should be expensed. To allow the PTA to log all outgoings involved in each event.
Action: NJ to discuss with ED re reimbursement for book tokens.
4.5 Secret Room (JB)
▪ Jenny Brown shadowing the outgoing team
▪ Collection dates – at drop off 2nd,3rd,4th,5th & 6th December
▪ Secret Room event – 13th December
▪ Risk assessment complete – still to be handed in
▪ Comms Team creating a Christmas event focused newsletter
Action: A Bear for ‘Name the Bear’ and wrapping paper donations required. Comms team to note in newsletter.
Action: MZ to provide Secret Room class timetable
4.6 Wreath Workshop (AP2)
▪ Ami Parker requested wreath making expenditure £700- voted and agreed.
▪ Votes: Ben Dryland, Gemma Ferguson, Marta Zielinska, Candi Roberts, Emma Butterworth, Anna Pearson, Jenny Brown, Shagan Bansal, Lucy Prior, Claire Summers, Natalie Jolliffe, Axelle Joos de ter Beerst, Lisa Gammon
▪ 56/60 tickets sold so far
▪ Ticket price increased this year from £25 to £35 due to cost increases and need to buy more greenery as there wasn’t enough last year.
▪ £1,500 expected profit
Action: NJ to provide AP2 with list of ticket purchasers to arrange helpers.
4.7 Easter Egg Hunt (LP)
▪ LP to liaise with school to set a date that does not clash with YR3 school trip.
▪ Costs similar to last year
Action Point: Easter Bunny volunteer required- LP
4.8 School Fete (AP1/ZP)
▪ Plan to set date as soon as possible. Likely to be 28th June 2025.
▪ Planning will commence January.
5 . School Uniform (NW)
▪ New lead required urgently. If no volunteer, School Uniform sales will be put on hold.
▪ Priority - Job description to be written and posted on website and in newsletter
▪ CR offered to highlight school uniform message/vacancy in school’s weekly newsletter
▪ Consider reducing the collection days to once a month.
Action: EB to speak to NW about current process and responsibilities
Action: NJ to setup dedicated school uniform email address
6. Clarefest (EB)
▪ Tom Butterworth speaking to Year 1 group of dads to discuss Clarefest take over.
▪ Year 5 parent suggested to co-run with EB but PTA ideally looking for volunteer in KS1 to take lead role over for a few years.
▪ Clarefest 2025 commitment needs to be finalised by January 2025 when early bookings are required to be made.
7. Chip-In (BD)
CHIP-IN UPDATE AS AT 31ST OCTOBER 2024
▪ We currently have 74 active direct debits, up from 46 at the start of term.
▪ Eight one-off annual donations received this term.
▪ In total, 82 active engagements this term.
▪ Current annualised income, including Gift Aid and Localgiving processing fees:
▪ Monthly direct debits = £11,037
▪ One-off annual donations (during 2024 calendar year) = £1,173
▪ Current annualised total = £12,210 (81% of £15,000 target)
▪ Chip-In banner and leaflets visible at all PTA events.
Action Point: Revisit Chip-In message for ongoing comms. Highlight how contributing directly has a positive impact on your child’s education.
8. AOB
▪ New Parent Liaison: Becky O’Brien. Open Morning 20th November next event
Action: New Parent Event should be renamed to New Starter- BO
▪ New Event Idea: Ami Parker (AP2)
o Christmas Crafts– location school hall.
o Reuse tank room/personal supplies: several different craft tables
o YR6 as helpers
o Advertise as a new PTA concept to target one year group at a time. Perhaps trial with YR4 first.
Action: AP2 to send school overview of dates/numbers/theme
▪ PTA to consider supporting charities and local community. Ideas:
o Continued extra support for Millwood house residence. Perhaps YR6 craft an Xmas item to donate to Millwood.
o Foreign currency donations. Buckets at drop off first day back after half terms/summer holidays and present at School Fete. Foreign currency can also be given to Oxfam.
o Shoe collection at the end of school year- CS investigating
o Liaise with Tracy Brookbank -school charity lead.
▪ INCLUSIVITY:
o GF: Can the PTA pay for a third party to talk to Claremont parents about autism. CR to take this away and consider as part of school offering.
o Idea to dedicate a newsletter highlighting how/what the PTA is doing to improve inclusivity. Need to be clear that the role of the PTA is not to educate or give professional advice to parents regarding Children with additional needs.
o GF proposed before Cinema club film to show children a short clip educating children on autism. CR to take away and consider as part of school offering.
o PTA Committee agreed inclusivity is really important and that the PTA wants to, and should, be taking action to improve it. Clarity on what the PTA can/can’t do within it’s constitution will be important. Where out of scope, the PTA may have to defer some suggestions to the school for consideration in their usual ways.
Action: AJ/NJ create statement for the PTA that clarifies/formalises its role in regards to children with SEN
▪ Specific parent events to engage parents and build friendships.
o AP2 proposed hosting a quiz night in March.
o AJ: Premium whisky tasting
Other Action Points:
▪ Signage Boards: MZ is going to speak to Tracy.
▪ Retrospective survey/feedback asking New Parents how PTA can improve communications - BO to consider.
Next PTA meeting Monday 13th January 8pm
Action: Venue to be decided LG
APPROVAL OF MINUTES BY CHAIR OF MEETING:
SIGN: Axelle Joos de ter Beerst
DATE: 26th November 2024
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