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07/11/2023 – 8pm The Claremont
PRESENT: Claire Summers (Chair), Natalie Jolliffe (Vice chair), Shagun Bansal (Treasurer), Niloufer Jamal (Secretary), Sara O’Malley (Committee Member), Emma Butterworth (Committee Member), Lucy Prior (Committee Member), Ben Dryland (Committee Member), Jenny Brown (Committee Member), Samantha Walker (Committee Member), Nicki Taylor (Committee Member), Emma Claridge (Committee Member), Ami Parker, Holly Weer, Mark Rae
1. APOLOGIES: Candi Roberts (Headteacher)
2. Chair Update – CS
While Term 1 is never a hugely financially lucrative one, this one has been a success in terms of parent engagement with much improved attendance and interest at the new format AGM & new parents drinks.
This term’s new initiatives have included:
· Regular playground sales already generated approximately £500, thanks To Jenni Maslin-Fogg and friends for leading those.
· A new look for the weekly email newsletter - with thanks to Holly Weer.
· Two individuals taking on corporate sponsorship thanks to Mark Rae and Emma Franks.
· And final preparations for Chip-In; Thanks to Jonathan, Lucy & Ben.
· Children’s Christmas cards also took place against his year - at the time of the meeting total was lower than recent years and may need eviewing in future years [post meeting note: final total looks closer to £500].
· We have paid the school so far: £500 for road signs with the South East Water grant, £2340 for the pantomime tickets, £500 for new sports tops & purchased £150 worth of Santa hats for Christmas lunch.
· CS had a productive meeting with Mrs Roberts re funding. Mrs Roberts passed on her thanks to the PTA for all that we do and her apologies for not being able to make it tonight.
· CS flagged our Localgiving renewal is coming up and is £180/year. No vote required as an expense but Exec Committee did review and consider a worthwhile expense as fundamental to new Chip-In scheme.
· We still need volunteers for the open morning on Nov 22nd and to take down Christmas decorations (NB: spots for Xmas decs filled during meeting)·
3. Events / Fundraising updates & Lead person
Clarefest: Emma B proposed May 15 for Clarefest which was unanimously agreed on.
Summer Fete - Discussion on whether fete or Christmas market would be preferable. Decision to put the message out to parents that a team is needed by January 2024 in order to run a Summer Fete and potential dates of June 29 or July 13 have been proposed. Post meeting note: No Pub in the Park so July 6 may also now be an option.
The team would need to be involved in planning, co-ordinating the school side of things, external vendors (food, insurance certificates, licenses, bar), co-ordinating class stalls and volunteers, item donations, general volunteers, health & safety, the Arena. A team of 4-5 people organisers would be needed and will have complete committee support.
ACTION: Holly to draft up class rep and social media comms requesting Summer Fete support.
ACTION: Niloufer to support Holly with taking on social media and handover social media accounts to her.
Playground Sales: Jennie Maslin-Fong. Committee acknowledged she is doing a great job and sales have been running smoothly.
Discos: Nicki Webb. Dates almost agreed with school. One disco date to be changed to January 26, 2024 rather than Feb 2nd due to DJ availability. A PTA member will be required for Y5/6 disco and Reception ones.
Cinema Club: Sam W. Expenses look to be the same as last year which were a total of £1100 (sales totalled £2400). A vote was conducted to approve spend of £1150 for this year resulting in unanimous agreement. SW has mentioned that as more cinema clubs are wanted, we need a strategy moving forward. There was discussion of 2 viewings on consecutive days, 2 separate sales of tickets and could we increase to one cinema club per term? There was unanimous agreement that it was worth trying above options and also potentially try running it on different days to Monday for children that are on clubs that day.
ACTION: Claire S to write up how we release cinema club tickets through the website.
Easter: Lucy P. All good to go ahead on the last day of term (Thursday, April 28).
Secret Room: Last year’s team will be running it on Tuesday, Dec 12. Jenny B to support and shadow next year for their last year.
Christmas Cards: Emma Doward - completed, all went fine but deadline was quite early which may have hindered participation.
ACTION: Emma Doward to investigate alternative suppliers for 2024 in case later deadline possible with no loss of profit.
Wreath Making: Ami - All tickets have been sold. 3 Volunteers needed.
ACTION: Niloufer to email First aider distribution list with details of PTA events requiring a first aiderand create spreadsheet to ensure we have one present at all events.
Wine Tasting: Kent wines are happy to partner again, however a venue is needed. Criteria is that it doesn’t sell alcohol already, is local and is big enough for 50 people.
ACTION: Mark to speak to his friend regarding potentially using The Forum. Natalie to look into The Hive & The Amelia.
Christmas Toy and Jumper Sale:
Nicki W: Sale running on Friday, Dec 1. No volunteers for the tent and concerns about the weather. Decision to still go ahead outdoors with a plan B/hall as backup.
NW asked if okay to go ahead with another in-person uniform sale. Everyone in agreement that it was.
Natalie J suggested we need to find somebody to put all info on the website re: playground sales, updating events etc.
ACTION: NJ/CS to find support for populating/updating website.
4. Funding
CS met Mrs. Roberts recently to discuss the feedback and suggestions made up at the AGM and the school’s ideas for funding. Mrs Roberts identified some potential areas for PTA to fund this year and will confirm in fundraising poster by end Term 2.
Committee considered how funding to update the trim trail (wooden outdoor play area) would be a positive marketing tool to parents and funding more weather proofing in outdoor areas (Maslow’s corner, etc) would be valuable to the PTA to support playground sales.
Sara O’M mentioned contacting parents who raised idea about a project for funding at the AGM to update them on recent discussions.
ACTION: CS to follow up with individual concerned.
Committee discussed incentives used by other schools: e.g. at St Peters school, donors names are on bricks on pathway into school or whether there’s a way for discrete parts (e.g. one piece of play equipment) to be funded by one individual/s.
ACTION: CS to feedback to CR above discussion and ideas raised.
5. PTA Policies
Exec Committee has reviewed the suite of policies available to PTA’s, using Parentkind guidance.
Sara O’M proposed the Committee should introduce a Complaints procedure and it will be emailed to the committee for feedback before adoption.
Committee considered other policies and agreed that the additional policies needed are Safeguarding andFinancial control & expense. The existing constitution is already being reviewed by S’OM and can reflect the key aspects of the other policies (e.g. equal opportunities). CS flagged approval from charity commission is needed before changing constitution.
Job Descriptions for the Exec Committee are being updated and will be shared once ready.
ACTION: Sara - share draft new policies with the committee and exec committee JDs for adoption at the next meeting. Provide an update at the next meeting re: updated constitution.
6. Chip In
Lucy & Ben presented plan for launching Chip-In and sought Committee approval to launch: unanimous support and appreciation for the hard work gone into preparing this.
Plan will be to print leaflets to send home with each child and hand out by PTA members at the school entrance gates on the launch day. BD will seek helpers via whatsapp. Class rep and social media messages to go out as well. Key selling point to be that this could replace need to ask for financial donations at Easter & Christmas.
There was a vote to approve the amount of £75 for printing expenses resulting in unanimous agreement.
7. Financial Summary
· We are thankfully very healthy in our bank balance (just over £37,000)
· £107 made at the new parent raffle which is down from last year.
· Playground sales have taken off and we have healthy numbers on that.
· School lottery is at £137
· Wreath making tickets made £1530
· There was a vote for wreath making expenses (£400) resulting in unanimous agreement.
· The main expenses have been: playground sales, hats for Christmas lunch, donations to the school (as set out in Chair’s update), general PTA overheads (£350 - maojrity of this was the annual renewal of our Wix website).
· Direct donations received have been £742 through the existing direct debit schemes.
8. AOB:
Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 16th, 2024 at the Claremont Pub & Garden at 8pm
APPROVAL OF MINUTES BY CHAIR OF MEETING:
SIGN: C Summers
DATE: 16 November 2023