Annual report and accounts 2024-2025
Grange Park Primary School Parents, Teachers and Friends Association
NIC: 105741
This annual report and accounts applies to the 2024-2025 financial year, which ran from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025.
Grange Park Primary School Parents, Teachers and Friends Association (usually known as Grange Park PTFA) became a registered charity on 4 October 2016. Grange Park PTFA is governed by the model constitution prepared for PTAs in Northern Ireland by Parentkind. Trustees are elected annually by the members at the AGM.
Principal address: Grange Park Primary School, Grange Park, Bangor, BT20 3QG
The trustees for the 2024/2025 financial year were:
Laura Graham (Chairperson)
Jennifer Armstrong (Treasurer)
Public benefit statement
The Grange Park Primary School Parent, Teachers and Friends' Association carries out its purpose by holding social, educational and sporting events centered at the Primary School for the children, their parents and guardians and the local community to promote the work of the school and encourage advocacy for its mission. Any surplus from such events is gifted to the school in pursuit of Grange Park's academic purpose.
In carrying out their duties, the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit requirement statutory guidance. The public benefits of Grange Park PTFA are:
Purpose 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 PTFA that works in partnership with the school and engages parental support.
Purpose 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.
These purposes do not lead to harm. The benefits are for children at Grange Park Primary School. Charity trustees (PTFA 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. This benefit is incidental and necessary to ensure the benefits are provided to all beneficiaries.
This year’s activities
The 2024/ 2025 year brought more new members, and the activities were largely a repeat of the previous year, building on the success of the events. Some members also left the committee, generally after a longstanding commitment.
P1 parents’ coffee morning (‘Tea & tissues’) – this free social event helps new P1 parents get to know each other over coffee and cake, introduces them to the PTFA and encourages engagement between parents and the school. First event of the year: 30[th] August 2024
Halloween disco (Thursday 24t[h ] October) – the primary purpose of this event is to provide a fun social occasion for the pupils, while also promoting parental engagement, although it is also a successful fund-raising event. Always a highlight of school year.
The PTFA helped serve refreshments at the P7 open evening on 28[th] November.
Santa came to Grange Park Primary on 18[th] December and the PTFA did a brilliant job of decorating his grotto.
On 20[th] February a PTA member arranged an information meeting for parents around online safety with guest speakers from Thrive, PSNI and consultant paediatrician Dr P Cosgrove. There was also a session on the Smartphone Free Childhood (SFC). PTA volunteers served refreshments.
The quiz was arranged for 28[th] March at the same venue as previous years, the Bryansburn Inn. Our quizmaster, James returned and another great evening was enjoyed by all.
We introduced 2 new activities for the kids this year. Firstly, an ‘opt out’ day where they could pay 50p per rule to break up to 5 rules. This was held on 11[th] April and got good feedback. Great fundraiser with very little effort.
The second was a colour run which was held on school grounds on 23[rd] May. This was facilitated by staff and PTA volunteers.
Another new event for the school was the dance showcase on 29[th] May. This was led by Mrs McFarland and PTA members served refreshments pre show.
The final event of the academic year was the ever-popular summer fair, held on school grounds on Friday 6[th] June.
We saw many previous Grange Park pupils return to their old school and they especially enjoyed watching some of their previous teachers getting wet sponges thrown at them!
In terms of fundraising we took part in the Asda cash pot initiative which led to a credit of £335 in March 2025.
We continued to grow our number of supporters on Easy fundraising.
Spending
We opened the academic year of September 2024 with a bank balance of £6020.66
The 2 main projects we funded this year were supporting the school counselling service (£4000) and replacing and providing more forest school supplies (£1150.27)
The closing balance was £ £6,579.78
Signed off by Laura Graham (PTFA Chair for 2024/2025)