PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)
The PTA are a small group of parents who organise events during the year to help raise funds for the school. This money is crucial, as it helps make up the deficit of the school budget and allows the school to purchase items they would not normally have been able to. We are always looking for new members to add to our team, so if you are interested in raising money for your child's school, please email: hermitageptatreasurer@yahoo.co.uk
Currently on the PTA are:
Chair: Lisa Gibson
Secretary: Megan Smith
Treasurer: Ryan Salmon
Members: Allana Blaber, Amy Holman, Clare Fifield, Deborah Hardy, Leanne Wheeler, Liz Bray, Matt Green, Natalie Munir
First hand volunteers: Caroline Harrington, Gemma Jackson, Julie Keeley, Laura Whitley, Lisa Brown, Rachel Ashmore, Row Dyson
Recent purchases for the school have included:
Rabbits playground refurbishment including brand new surface and play equipment, new classroom smartboards, Mrs Axton’s memorial garden, science workshop, sports equipment, Sail & Astro Turf for the outdoor area, playground markings, interior of Woodland Lodge, the roundhouse, money towards the new fitness trail, 7 x outdoor welly racks, sound system for the hall. Library books, outdoor toys for Rabbit class. The PTA also offers funding towards days out and residential trips, coaches for pantomime and swimming lessons, school leavers books, sports day medals and licences for educational software such as Tables Rock Stars, Twinkl, Rigolo, Sing Up, Hamilton Brookes, etc.
Each year we also give every class some money to choose how to spend. This year we gave each class a total of £500 which they used for things like equipment and school trips.
SOME EXAMPLE FUNDRAISING EVENTS
* Colour run, Bingo night and rainbow raffle, Sports day, Ice Cream Fridays, Secret Santa, Christmas Fayre, Christmas cards, Firework Night, Sponsored Walk, Toy Exchange & Movie Night.
To find out more about upcoming events, visit our Events page.
THE GOOD EXCHANGE
The PTA are raising money to replace the interactive whiteboards in all 7 classrooms at the school, as they are over 10 years old now. The current outdated smart boards are unreliable and very slow, which is not ideal for keeping the children engaged in their learning. The teachers use the smart boards every single day to enrich their lessons and improve the learning experience for all the children.
So far, through the PTA, you have helped us to raise money to replace 3 of the smart boards through various fundraising events. These new smart boards have been of great benefit to both the students and the teachers. However, we are now looking for some help with funding the remaining 4 smart boards that need to be replaced. We are using a not-for-profit online platform, called The Good Exchange, which matches any funds we raise. You can donate here.
MATCH FUNDING
What is match funding? Many large companies will 'match' the money their staff raise for charities. This is great for Hermitage Primary School as the PTA is a charity. All income goes towards buying things for the school.
What would I have to do? Typically, our match funders spend time on a PTA stall at an event such as the summer or Christmas fayre or firework night. Alternatively, if it's more convenient to them, they can help with planning or setting up of an event.
Which companies offer match funding? We are aware all the following companies offer match funding; we would love to hear from you if you work for one of them.
How important is match funding to Hermitage Primary School? In previous years, the PTA received over £3,000 in match funding in a year. This was around a quarter of all income and arose from just 4 parents.
How can I get involved? If you think you can help with match funding, simply email: hermitageptatreasurer@yahoo.co.uk
Does the match funder have to be a parent? No, your friends, family or neighbours can be match funders. Match funding is all about companies supporting their staff in raising money for whichever charity they wish to support.
Are there any limits? These vary by company. Vodafone Group employees, for instance, will give £350 to each employee member helping at PTA events, provided the event makes more than £350 in profit. 5 members of staff can claim for each event, meaning £1,750 is potentially available for each event.
In summary - Match Funding is a great way to help the school. It is so easy and we want to make the most of it. An hour of your time can mean the school receives several hundreds of pounds.
