PTFA

The FOLS team meet each year and regularly keep in contact to consider and plan our fundraising events and ways in which the funds raised can be used to enrich the children at school. FOLS expenditure each year is usually by means of:

• A contribution for each class towards a class trip
• An amount to support the curriculum such as new equipment for school
• Saving towards our ‘big’ projects

The funds are spent on the ‘extras’ that are not provided by the school’s budget to directly benefit our children. In the last few years, funds have been used to pay for:

• Transport for school trips
• School trip tickets – recently to the Christmas Pantomime at Plymouth Theatre Royal
• Leavers pens for the year six children

Please refer to the Treasurer’s Report for more specific information.

Big Projects have included £1200 spent on new books for school, £2000 on Chrome Books.

When a member of the school team wishes to apply for funds from FOLS, they request this from FOLS in writing and this is agreed and approved by key FOLS committee members in accordance with our constitution and processed accordingly.

Our Annual General Meeting is held at the beginning of the academic year and provides an opportunity for all parents, staff and friends to come along and hear in more detail about our work, the events we have run, the funds we have raised and how the money has been spent. It is also the occasion when we elect our new committee members and discuss our upcoming fundraising events.

Our subsequent meetings are held at least termly. Minutes of the AGM meetings will be saved on the website and will include a roundup of recent events, details of the total amount raised this school year and any items we have bought for the school.

We will also write to you via Parent Mail and try advertise upcoming events via Facebook so that these can easily be liked and shared with friends.

We will keep you updated after an event to let you know how much was raised, and if we can, we tell you what the money will be spent on. This information will be shared via ParentMail or via the school website.

For informal updates and information, we have a FOLS WhatsApp Group. If you would like to be added to this group, please pass your mobile number to us and we will ensure you are included.

Every parent or carer at the school is a member of the PTA and there are lots of ways parents can get involved.

• Everybody is welcome to attend the PTA meetings which are normally held each term. We try to alternate between a day time meeting and an evening one, to enable as many people as possible to attend
• Ideas – we are always open to fresh ideas for events so please do feel free to come along to our meetings or speak to one of us any time
• FOLS also send out letters detailing the help that would be greatly received. These detail all the activities we are involved in and what help will be needed.
• Donations from parents are extremely important. You can donate ideas, time, items for sale or raffle prizes for example.

The Charities Act 1993 requires organisations such as ours with an annual income in excess of £1,000 to register with the Charity Commission. As a Charity we must abide by Charity Commission rules and regulations and we are bound by a Constitution. Our Constitution lays down rules about how we operate as a PTA and how we conduct ourselves. Being a Registered Charity gives us many extra benefits.

• We are able to apply for Gift Aid, which can earn us an extra 28.2p in every pound donated to the PTA.
• We can raise funds more easily from grant giving trusts, local businesses etc.
• We can take advantage of charity matched giving schemes

Links with local businesses

We have, over time, developed strong links with the local community and are always well supported by both residents and businesses, for which we are very grateful. Many of our local businesses are very generous providing donations for raffle prizes, auction items etc and some have taken part in our Christmas and summer events.