Friends of Putney High School
Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022
Friends of Putney High School Annual Report and Accounts For the Year Ended 31 August 2022
1
Friends of Putney High School
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 31 August 2022
The year ended 31 August 2022 has seen the Friends of Putney High School (FOPHS) raise over £38,000 before costs. This is a notable achievement as we were still only able to hold a limited number of events at the start of the academic year, due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.
By March 2022, we were back to our usual levels of activity and were happily able to hold an in-person Quiz Night and were finally able to bring the whole school community back together for a Jubilee Summer Garden party in June.
We held our AGM and engagement sessions with School in person this year but the three FOPHS committee meetings were conducted via Zoom and this will continue going forward as it makes life easier for all attendees.
Our events began with a long overdue second-hand uniform sale in September. Whilst the covid numbers in October were still too high for most indoor activities, we opted to hold our postponed-from2019 Book Fair outside in the Junior School scooter park instead. FOPHS then organised a movie night for Year 7 in November. The year group watched (and sang) Mamma Mia together in the PAC. A lovely activity to bring the Year 7 cohort together, early in their first year at Putney High Senior School.
Once again we recreated a virtual shopping emporium in place of our traditional Christmas Fair this year and held another hugely successful online raffle which was our biggest fundraiser of the year. We also brought a taste of the Christmas Fair to Putney by holding Festive Fun Days for Junior and Senior pupils who visited by year group to keep the covid risk down.
2022 has happily marked a return to our usual levels of activity. It is also our 40[th] birthday year and we adopted a new logo to be used during this calendar year to celebrate the last four decades of friendship, fun and fundraising.
2
In January 2022 FOPHS received a hugely generous donation of £50,000 from the Nick Maughan Foundation for which we are incredibly grateful. We look forward to supporting the Foundation’s objectives of education, environment and community whilst further enhancing the pupil experience at Putney High School. Our thanks to the whole Maughan family and to Alice Maughan for the time and energy she has given to FOPHS over many years as she stands down from the Standing Committee at the AGM.
The FOPHS Quiz was back in person on March 24th and was our biggest quiz night ever. We had 23 tables/teams in the PAC – indicative of the enthusiasm within the parent community to get back together again. Our thanks to Hamptons who sponsored us again.
FOPHS also helped at a Putney High School event on March 30[th] , lending logistics, organisational and folding skills, plus woman power to a Thrift Sale for the pupils of Year 6-13. The sale itself was to raise money for Choose Love and their work with refugees all over the world. £1,438.02 was raised and the pupils very much enjoyed their in-house shopping event and to clearing out their cupboards, only to fill them again.
The highlight of the year in terms of events for FOPHS took place on Tuesday 7[th] June when we threw a special Jubilee Summer Garden Party for the whole school. After a sit-down tea for the whole Junior School on the double tennis courts, it was wonderful to see girls, staff and parents mingling and enjoying cream teas, Pimms and fairground games to the sound of a steel band.
In June we also hosted welcome coffee mornings for incoming Reception and Year 7 parents off-site which were well attended and enjoyed by all. We also held virtual cocktails on Zoom for the same parent groups which again were well received and gave them an opportunity to connect parent to parent which they appreciated.
In July, we shipped another 15 boxes of old-style Putney High School Uniform to the Rain Edge Community in Kenya. The community there are incredibly grateful and we have received joyful video clips of our old uniform enjoying its second life.
We had also planned a 40km Walk and Talk to celebrate our 40[th] birthday, our school community, and 40 years of incredible parent
3
volunteers. After a couple of practice walks, the event sadly had to be postponed as it had been scheduled for what became the eve of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. The walk will now take place on Sunday March 12[th ] 2023 and is open to all parents and staff.
As ever, our achievements at FOPHS have only been possible thanks to the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of the Standing Committee, our parent volunteers and our Year Group Rep teams throughout the school. Our thanks to all of those who have helped at events, at open days and to support their year groups.
We are also very grateful to all the staff who have helped FOPHS over the past year and who have provided invaluable support. In addition to the Senior School and Junior School Leadership teams, special thanks go to Sabine Russell, Alex Swift and Suzanne Fearon from Communications and Development, Sarah A in Admissions as well as the staff in the school offices, Finance and Operations and the caretakers and Anthony and the catering teams. We thank you for your support and enthusiasm for all the activities that FOPHS has undertaken this year.
The Trustees
We would like to thank all the trustees who have served on the FOPHS Committee since the last AGM, which was held on Monday 4[th] October 2021.
The Senior Leadership Team: Mrs Longstaff, Headmistress Mrs Armstrong, Head of School Mr Mutton, Deputy Head (Academic/Digital Innovation and Curriculum) The Junior Leadership Team: Mrs Page- Roberts, Headmistress, Junior School Miss Franks, Deputy Head Pastoral, Junior School Mr Miller, Deputy Head Academic, Junior School Suzanne Fearon (Director of Communications and Development) Sabine Russell – Development Officer
The FOPHS Standing Committee: Chair: Jane Day Secretary: Vanessa Robert Deputy Chair, Senior: Jo Butter
4
Deputy Chair Junior: Alice Maughan Deputy Chair Junior: Angelina Harris Treasurer: Wendy Ward
Parent Reps: Reception: Liz Leicester Year 1: Ruth Niven Hirst Year 2: Ann-Marie Reza Year 3: Tess Goldman Year 4: Helen Perrott Year 5: Daria Boeva-Gaffikin Year 6: Laura Smith Year 7: Natasha Wada Year 8: Benazir Guha Year 9: Leigh Curtis Green Year 10: Lizzie Hackett-Brown Year 11: Sharon Kaye Year 12: Rachel Tanner Year 13:
We would also like to thank the Deputy Reps: Reception: Joanna Martin Year 1: Joyce Zhen Year 2: Charlotte Mallen Year 3: Federica Santini Year 4: Jill Emney Year 5: Jamini Kesavan Year 6: Kathryn Foster Year 7: Joy Stevens Year 8: Sandrine Sauvel Year 9: Lisa Saunders Year 10: Maana Ruia Year 11: Benedetta del Balzo Year 12: Lesley Swain Year 13:
In several year groups there were other parents who also played their part as part of a larger Rep Team. Teams they indeed are, and we are grateful for all that they do throughout the year to help create the warm, open and inclusive school community that we have all come to expect and appreciate.
5
Review of Activities
As ever, I am very grateful to all the Standing Committee members who have worked tirelessly and in good humour throughout 2021/22 to make this year another successful one for FOPHS and for the Putney High School community.
Vanessa Robert, Alice Maughan, Jo Butter, Angelina Harris & Wendy Ward have dedicated a great deal of their personal time to keep FOPHS running smoothly over the last year.
A personal thank you from me to Alice Maughan for acting as Chair from October 2021 until January 2022 as I needed to temporarily step back due to family illness.
Special thanks to Vanessa Robert for her diligence and tireless dedication on all FOPHS matters but especially regarding GDPR and the Class lists. Thanks also to Suzanne Fearon, Alex Swift and Sarah A for agreeing to take the preparation of Class Lists and collection of consent for FOPHS in-house and for their help and patience during this transition period. From now on parents will be able to access their class lists via the FOPHS area on their Firefly pages.
Thanks also to the parent Reps for always keeping positive and available (to both FOPHS and their year group parents) and for continuing to find the time for FOPHS.
Event Summaries (and monies raised):
Second-hand Uniform Sales - £6,183
FOPHS was delighted to be able to hold second hand uniform sales once again this year – we know how popular and useful these are for all parents. We held two sales – one in September at the start of the academic year and another in April at the start of the summer term. We also sold second-hand uniform at the Let’s Get Started events for both the Junior and Senior School in June 2022. All sales are now contactless payment only. Thanks to Melanie D who came to help and lend us her expertise.
Second-hand Book Fair – October 2021 - £1,071
Held outdoors in the Junior School Scooter Park – many of the books were donations we had gathered in March 2019 just before the first lockdown and of course were supplemented with a further collection.
6
Any books not sold were given to The Children’s Book Project which redistributes books to families throughout the UK and any not suitable for them were taken to Oxfam.
Year 7 Movie Night – Mamma Mia! - November 2021 - £320
There’s nothing like a little ABBA to bring the joy on a dark November evening. Year 7 gathered in the PAC to watch and sing this movie as they came together informally as a year group. Thanks to Natasha Wada for organising an event for the Year 7 group, as we were unable to hold a disco for Year 7&8 this term.
The Online Christmas Raffle, £6,372
Thanks to Jo Butter for organising another fantastic online raffle this year which once again was our biggest fund raiser. As we all know, a raffle is only as good as its prizes, so our thanks and appreciation to the year groups and parents for donating such wonderful prizes.
Virtual Christmas Fair and Festive Fun Days – December 2021 – £3,165
The PAC was transformed into a winter wonderland for two Festive Fun Days as FOPHS did their best to bring a taste of the Christmas Fair to Putney High School.
The Junior School girls visited by year group on Day 1 to enjoy a host of traditional fairground games, to do some Christmas shopping for their families at Elfridges and a there was even a video message from Santa himself plus a festive cookie. Years 7-11 visited on Day 2. Hot chocolate and crepes were very popular as were the DIY photo studio, raffle and fairground games.
Once again Alice Maughan coordinated our external stall holders and created a wonderful online virtual emporium with over 30 retailers offering discounts to Putney High School parent shoppers. Vanessa coordinated Christmas tree orders and a Cauliflower Cards Christmas Order for the Junior School enabling the girls to design and order Christmas cards, gift wrap, mugs and labels.
Quiz Night - March 24[th] 2022 – Raised £6,038
This was our best attended quiz ever. Due to high demand we increased our capacity and squeezed 23 teams/tables into the PAC for an evening of fun and competition. Our thanks to Benedetta Del Balzo for running this popular event and to Rachel Tanner for
7
running the bar for us. Alex from Inquizition hosted this year in 3D after running last year’s online event and did a splendid job. In the name of fundraising, for the first time ever, we permitted cash-for-alimited-number-of-questions on the night. However, the teachers’ table still won. It was a lively evening full of fun and enjoyed by all.
FOPHS Jubilee Summer Garden Party – Raised £1,439
In March, School suggested it would be nice to do something to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee for girls and parents. FOPHS didn’t need much encouragement. A committee fit for a fair was scrambled and despite the short lead time, planning got underway.
The primary purpose of this event was to bring the whole school community together in person for the first time since March 2020, to renew friendships and to create lasting memories for the girls at this unique moment in history. It was not organised as a fundraiser. More as a fun raiser. This was the first time that many parents were able to come on site, after over two years of restrictions and the girls brought their extended families and their siblings to join us at the end of the school day.
The Junior School pupils made the most fantastic bunting which set the tone for the whole afternoon. Huge thanks to the parents who came to help set up and run the fair on the first day back after half term. It was all hands on deck as we created and laid a table for 326 on the double tennis courts where the Junior School girls were seated for jelly and cake and 15 simultaneous pass the parcels.
The Senior School girls had their tea on the Galbraith Lawn and then headed over to the Junior School site for two hours of red white blue and purple fun: A steel band, bubble tea, cream tea, face painting, a balloon modeller, fairground games, commemorative stickers, a Pimms and G&T bar for the parents, Gilbert Giggles shows for the youngest guests, A Royal Portrait Selfie area, name the Corgi, a Young Enterprise marketplace for those who like to shop, and even an ice cream van in the scooter park plus a bubble machine and many many balloons.
The afternoon was only possible due to the amazing help we received from parents and support from the staff. Especial thanks to the Junior School as we took over their entire site for the day. It was a magical
8
afternoon and the sun shone – which was fortunate as we didn’t exactly have a wet weather plan!
Pledges to the School
The school is always incredibly grateful for the continued support, of the parent community. The extras funded by FOPHS are appreciated across all age-groups and disciplines by the school and indeed by the parents and their daughters.
During 2021-2022, FOPHS pledged £18,005 to 16 projects that the Committee considered would benefit the girls and the school.
| £1,957.24 | Musical Productions for Junior School |
|---|---|
| £3,972.00 | Kit car Formula 24 |
| £237.64 | Biophilia for Galbraith–plants |
| £1,275.00 | Maths Talks forJunior and Senior Pupils |
| £642.00 | Pantomime Workshops |
| £1,030.00 | Write Inspired Workshops for Year 6 |
| £447.70 | Sixth Form Terrace–plants and planters |
| £500.00 | Ninja Kids Workshops |
| £1,340.00 | Irish Dance Workshop–KS1 and KS2 |
| £848.00 | Indian Dance Workshop–KS1 and KS2 |
| £1,000.00 | English Literature – seniorgirls |
| £1,580.00 | Public Speaking Workshop |
| £1,000.00 | PHS Leavers Ball – Year 13 |
| £400.00 | UCAS/Higher Education Notebooks |
| £1,275.00 | E-SafetyTraining–Junior Girls |
| £500.00 | Learning Loft Mural–Junior School |
Engagement Sessions
Our scheduled Engagement Sessions both in the Junior and Senior Schools took place in person this year. All year group Reps met with the relevant Senior Leadership Teams alongside a member of the FOPHS standing committee and these sessions were constructive, valuable and interesting for the parents and staff alike. Our thanks to the Reps for giving up their time and providing a much-valued channel of communication between their year group parents and Putney High School.
The Standing Committee
The FOPHS Committee meetings took place in November, January and May via Zoom.
9
I would like to thank this year’s Standing Committee, year group reps and event organisers for all their help and for all that they have done and continue to do for FOPHS. It really is a team effort.
This year we are saying farewell to a few longstanding members of the Standing Committee and on behalf of Putney High School and all our parents I would like to thank them for their commitment to FOPHS and the huge contributions they have made during their years on the committee.
Farewell to:
Alice Maughan recently told me that she has spent one sixth of her life as part of FOPHS, either as a Rep or on the Standing Committee. Alice has been an outstanding Junior Chair and has also provided FOPHS with its unofficial HQ, hosting coffee mornings in her garden and storing old-logo uniform in her shed. Before becoming a Rep and then joining the Standing Committee she was involved in organising the Star Ball. We are delighted that she isn’t really leaving FOPHS completely and that she will be the Year 7 Rep this year. She is already hard at work!
Jo Butter has been a brilliant Deputy Chair for FOPHS. As well as masterminding the now online raffle, Jo has been an integral part of all of our event teams and her quiet counsel, effortless calm and attention to detail has always been much appreciated.
Wendy Ward has been our Treasurer for the past two years. She has done a fantastic job and been a highly valued and highly organised member of the committee.
On behalf of the entire School community we thank them for all their time and their contribution and I personally thank them for making the committee a total pleasure. I look forward to seeing them all at FOPHS events in future.
Welcome: I would like to warmly welcome Natasha Wada, Helen Perrott, Becky Philip and Monica Conway who will be joining the Standing Committee at the 2022 October AGM. Once the voting has been completed, the FOPHS Standing Committee line-up for 2022-23 is as follows:
10
Jane Day – Chair Vanessa Robert – Secretary Helen Perrot – Deputy Chair Junior Becky Philip – Deputy Chair Junior Natasha Wada – Deputy Chair Senior Angelina Harris – Deputy Chair Senior Monica Conway – Treasurer
This will be my final year as Chair of FOPHS and I will be looking to stand down at next year’s AGM at what will be the end of my fourth year at the helm, but first I am looking forward to an action-packed year ahead.
Financial Summary
During 2021/22 we raised £88,320 before direct costs and including a one-off donation of £50,000. The FOPHS Committee pledged £18,005 to support a range of school projects. During the year payments totaling £13,439 were made to the school in respect of historic and current year pledges. At the year-end FOPHS had funds of £122,504 of which £20,461 represented amounts pledged but not yet claimed by the school, leaving an available balance of £102,043 at the start of the new financial year.
Jane Day Chair
11
, FOR Es Ind•p•nd•nt •xamln•rf• r•port on th• •ccounts tbI o¥ AffNel SCMt>)L Ji•r kn2Z ISb219 ¥ •xlkn 143 clh >)11 Act•¥lkn wryY•oJ my8xaml. I w •xm 144OXbl (1• *41 31. fl.z IX2011 12
Orty c(rnW8 rf na$ to h 13
57 sim X7J71 34F ILT •A374 DAtr. 21. g. IL I>MV. 21. •4. 2 14
15
IU4 16