OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2022-08-31-annual-report

Trustees Annual Report 2022

Name of organisation Banbridge Academy Association

Northern Ireland Charity Number NIC104245

Principal Address Banbridge Academy, Lurgan Road, Banbridge. BT32 4AQ

Names of Trustees

Mrs Audrey Wilson-Reid (Chairman) Mr Philip Corkin (Vice-Chairman) Mrs Michelle Maginnis (Treasurer) Mrs Tracy Hunter (Secretary)

Trustees were elected by PTA members present at the AGM on 26 September 2022.

Governing Document

The governing document has been approved by Parentkind (formerly PTA UK).

The purpose of the Association is to advance the education of pupils in the school in particular by

Public Benefit

1. Improved relationships between home and school

The benefit which flows from this purpose 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. This purpose does not lead to harm. The benefit is for children at Banbridge Academy. Charity Trustees are usually also parents at the school which their children attend and hence gain benefit in the same way as other beneficiaries.

2. Advancing the education of pupils in the school

The benefit which flows from this purpose includes increased educational progress and attainment of pupils in the school and links built with the local community. This is demonstrated through pupils having access to resources, events, activities and links with the local community which are not available through direct school funding. This purpose does not lead to harm. The benefit is for children at Banbridge Academy. Charity Trustees are usually also parents at the school which their children attend and hence gain benefit in the same way as other beneficiaries. This benefit is incidental and necessary to ensure the benefit is provided to all beneficiaries. There is no private benefit to any individual.

The trustees have had regard to the Commission’s Public Benefit requirement and statutory guidance.

Main Activities/Achievements this year

The account of the main activities/achievements this year were outlined by the Chairman at the AGM and are outlined in the paragraphs below.

The Chairman thanked everyone in attendance for attending the meeting and extended a warm welcome to new members.

The Chairman explained the role of the Association and its important function within the school’s community. She mentioned the importance of the Association in raising funds for a variety of co-curricular activities, which the school did not have a budget for. She informed the attendees that it was a great opportunity to meet other like-minded parents, make friends and have fun. The Chairman provided an overview of the main fundraising events that took place over the past year.

Uniform Swap/Sale

Uniform swap and sale proved to be a great success last year and was well supported within the school community. The Chairman recognised how this initiative has been of benefit to pupils throughout the school. There have been some suggestions from parents as to how this service may be enhanced. The option of opening on a Saturday morning in order to facilitate those parents who are working during the week will be assessed. The Uniform Swap was also well attended by pupils and parents during A-Level and GCSE results days. This facility was very much appreciated by those who attended.

Charity support

BAA were in a position to support two local charities during the last school year, J-29 Project in Banbridge and Via Wings in Dromore. Many items including food and toiletries were generously donated by pupils. These were subsequently distributed throughout the community. Supporting both charities is a very valuable and worthwhile project, particularly during the ongoing cost of living crisis which is having a significant impact on much of our community.

Car wash

With the easing of Covid restrictions in early 2022, BAA were able to hold a very successful ‘Car wash’. The Chairman acknowledged the hard work and dedication of all who helped out on the day. It is hoped that this event could be added to the Calendar for future years.

Audrey highlighted the role of the BAA as the welcoming face of the school, demonstrated by attendance at various events throughout the year. Due to Covid restrictions, there was limited opportunity for BAA to show their support over the last 2 years. There were however a couple of opportunities to attend sporting events. The provision of refreshments was particularly welcomed by those in attendance. Hopefully the presence of BAA will become more evident over the coming months as it is likely that the majority of school events will resume as normal this year.

Christmas cards

Thanks were once again extended to the Art department who continue to support pupils in the design and production of Christmas cards. This always proves to be a profitable fundraising initiative, the success of which continues each year.

Thanks

The Chairman extended thanks to the Treasurer for preparing the accounts and the Treasurer’s report. She also thanked everyone for their ongoing support throughout the year.

Treasurer’s Report- a review of the Charity’s Financial Position

The Treasurer provided an up-to-date report, detailing accounts for the year ending 31 August 2022. The accounts have been calculated and agreed by an Independent Examiner.

The Treasurer alluded to the fact that BAA has been restricted with regards to the number of activities that have taken place over the last year. The most successful initiative was the sale of pre-owned uniforms, raising £662.10. The profit from the sale of Christmas cards amounted to £477.08. In addition to this, the car wash raised £222.59. Other incidentals were detailed on the accounts report which the Treasurer circulated.

Principal’s recognition of the public benefit.

The Principal thanked the Association for their tremendous support throughout the past academic year. BAA not only raised vital funds for the school but during these unique times, developed new and creative ways of helping the school community and in particular the most vulnerable pupils – most notably with our pre-loved uniform initiative. He thanked his colleagues for their hard work and dedication emphasising the importance of the partnership between school, home and the pupils. He thanked the Chairman, Committee members and all Banbridge Academy’s parents for their ongoing support. The Principal also commended the resilience of the school community as he outlined the sense of togetherness that had seen us through one of the most challenging times in the school’s history.

He outlined with delight, the fact that the school’s extensive extra and co-curricular programme had returned following the pandemic. He noted the tremendous success achieved by the school in the past year at Regional, National and International level across an array of activities. Including the following notable successes:

The Principal noted that the school had obtained the best results in the history of the school. It was noted that these were the first public examinations since 2019. He paid tribute to the resilience of the pupils, the support of their parents and the dedication of his colleagues. He was pleased to report that Prize Day will

resume this year. It was noted that all pupils achieved 5 A-C GCSE grades including English and Mathematics and an incredible 99.5% achieved 7 A-C GCSE grades including English and Mathematics – these truly remarkable figures ensured that all pupils have future options and choices for their career pathway. At A Level, the vast majority of pupils progressed to their chosen career pathway of university, higher level apprenticeship, employment and/or further training. Unbelievably 91.1% of pupils attained 3+ A-C grades at A Level and 77 pupils obtained 3+ A/A grades. The Principal noted that these figures ensure that the pupils of the Academy consistently rank amongst the best in the country. He further added that as a school we congratulate all of our students on their outstanding results and wish them well as they continue their studies and pursue their future career pathways.

He confirmed the school’s enrolment – 1344 pupils, with approximately 80 teaching staff and 50 support staff. It was noted that the school continues to be regularly oversubscribed and that following years of lobbying, the Department of Education had agreed to a permanent change in the Admissions Number from 184 to 192.

He concluded his comments by thanking everyone present for coming and expressed his sincere appreciation for their considerable efforts across the Academy.

Re AGM Sept 2022