Londonderry Primary School PTA Trustees’ Annual Report for the year 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023
Purpose of the Charity
The purpose of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is to advance the education of pupils in the school, in particular by:
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Developing effective relationships between the staff, parents and others associated with the school.
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Engaging in activities or providing facilities or equipment which support the school and advance the education of the pupils.
The benefit which flows from improved relationships between home and school includes funding for additional resources for the school and links built with the local community. This is demonstrated through having an active PTA that works in partnership with the school and engages parental support and through pupils having access to resources, events, activities and links with the local community which are not available through direct school funding.
The benefit is for children at Londonderry Primary School. Charity trustees (PTA committee members) are usually also parents at the school which their children attend and hence gain benefit in the same way as all other beneficiaries.
Governance
As a PTA we work closely with the pupils’ families and teaching and support staff for Londonderry Primary School. This both supports and compliments the work of our committee and volunteers and ensures that the views, requirements and concerns of all stakeholders can be fully realised.
The PTA is governed by its Constitution which has been agreed and is adhered to by all members of the PTA committee. We regularly review processes to ensure best practise is forefront in all aspects of what we do.
Trustees during this Reporting Period
| Chair | Clare Burgess | Acting Principal | Donal McGarrigle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary | Christine Wilson | Teacher Rep | Caroline Lowry |
| Treasurer | Natasha Adamson | Teacher Rep | Gary Adams |
Teacher representatives are elected as trustees for a term of one year only, replaced each year by other members of the teaching staff.
Activities during this Reporting Period
As in previous years the fundraising year began with the children designing personalised Christmas cards and gifts that could then be ordered for taking home to friends and family, with the PTA making a set profit per item sold. This initiative is always well supported with children enjoying seeing their artwork on cards, mugs, placemats etc.
With Covid restrictions now a distant memory, we were able to return to hosting the traditional PTA events, which included the half term disco, Christmas movie night, pamper night and sports night. In addition the PTA also raised funds from an Easter raffle, a tuck shop at the talent show and a new coin war challenge.
In June, following the success of last years’ first post-Covid Summer fair, the PTA were excited to host the 2023 summer fair. Despite the challenging economic climate, there was a huge turnout and over £2,500 was raised for the PTA, of which £1,130 related to the sale of raffle tickets under a society lottery. The PTA were very grateful to the local businesses that supported the school by providing raffle prizes in spite of the tough times being faced by small business. The event was enjoyed by all who attended and it provided a great opportunity to promote the work of the PTA and recruit new volunteers.
With the funds raised we were able to provide support for the school community, including:
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£100 per class donation (including morning and after school clubs) to buy materials and equipment the school budget cannot source;
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A book for each pupil as a Christmas gift from Santa;
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An Easter egg for each pupil from the Easter bunny;
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A contribution towards the P7 leavers party and the leavers hoodies; and
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Equipment for the school (leaf blower, laminator/trimmer and paint for the mobile classroom).
How the charity has mitigated any harm flowing from its purposes
We work closely with the school SMT to undertake risk assessments on all activities and ensure that our activities follow the ethos of the wider school environment.
How the charity has ensured that any private benefit has been incidental to the public benefit
We confirm the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
Statement of compliance with the duty to have regard to the Commission’s guidance
In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.
Financial overview & statement of the charity’s policy on reserves
The PTA has no other assets or liabilities other than the bank accounts (current and reserve) held in its name. We opened the period of account on 1 August 2022 with cash in the bank and in hand of £7,800.78. Income for the year totalled £11.929.78, mostly from fundraising activities but with other income including disbursements from Amazon Smile and Easyfundraising for cashback given on purchases made online by our supporters and a donation from a local business. Expenditure for the year totalled £9,883.21, leaving cash in the bank and in hand of £9,852.75 at the close of the period on 31 July 2023.
We work with the school to ensure that all monies raised can be quickly and effectively put to use to achieve the objectives of the association. As such the PTA try to only carry small reserves from year to year. This policy is from time to time re-evaluated if there is a larger target requiring multi-year fundraising.
The Reserves Policy is based on a sum equivalent to 3 months’ average expenditure. This should be sufficient to meet any unforeseen item of major expenditure on activities or to be able to continue, in the short term, funding planned activities in the event of an unexpected cancellation of a planned fundraising activity.
A prudent approach was taken to reserves in the accounting year due to the challenging economic conditions and cost of living crisis and the resultant uncertainty placed on planned fundraising events. The PTA intend to work with the school to identify opportunities for the effective use of the funds currently held in reserves.
Statement of thanks to the volunteers and supporters throughout the 2022/23 year
Continued thanks go to Campbell Keatings, the Tesco Community Champion (Newtownards) for his ongoing support which includes regular donations of stock that we sell and use at events such as the Summer Fair and Tesco’s continued support of other school activities.
Our thanks to Mr McGarrigle (Acting Principal) and the teachers and ancillary staff for their support at the events throughout the year and to our regular committee members and volunteers for their continued support, generously offering their time and support to the association’s work.
Looking forward, the Trustees of the PTA are set to change with both the Chair due to resign as her children prepare to leave Londonderry Primary School at the end of their P7 year.
I hope that this will be another successful year for the PTA, with the children and school benefiting from the additional funds and resources.
Signed on behalf of Londonderry Primary School PTA
Mrs. Natasha Adamson LLB Hons Treasurer
Londonderry Primary School PTA 2022/23
Londonderry Primary School Parent Teacher Association c/o Londonderry Primary School
4 Glenbrook Road, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 4EY
Registered with the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland No. 104230