Gold Star Winners
PTA Fundraising Achievement - Primary
Worthington Primary School Parent Teacher & Friends Association, Leicestershire
Yard Sale
It was easy to see why this simple but effective fundraiser was a clear winner in the PTA Fundraising Achievement Primary category. An extended version of the more traditional boot sale, the Yard Sale not only involved the parents, pupils and staff of Worthington Primary but also attracted support from local residents and traders and other community groups such as brownies, cubs, youth groups; plus visitors from neighbouring villages and towns.
Residents were invited to sell their unwanted items from the comfort of “their own front yard”, whilst the PTFA made this a truly memorable day by opening the school for a BBQ and music show. The PTFA publicised the event and produced a unique passport to direct visitors to the “yarders”.
The simplicity of the event, its fundraising success (it raised over £1500), the community spirit that was born and the increased support for the school, gives you an indication as to why the reward was made to the PTFA of Worthington Primary.
Changing the Life of the School – Primary
Newton Ferrers School Parent, Teacher and Friends Association, Plymouth
Early Birds and All Star Clubs
Not an easy thing to do, but the PTFA of Newton Ferrers School made such a significant impact on the school that their efforts not only changed the life of the school, but also had a major effect on the local community.
Placed in special measures in 2003 and with a falling pupil roll, the PTFA decided their role was to win back the confidence of parents and the wider community, in order to restore faith in the school. To do this, the PTFA began to research the idea of the Early Birds breakfast club.
After a green-light from the Governing Body, the PTFA worked closely with the head teacher, Governors, the LEA and parents. Regular consultations were held to ensure stakeholders were informed of progress. Parents and the wider community were involved in fundraising, to support the launch of the Club, in September 2004.
The reward was made to Newton Ferrers PTFA for the success of the Club and its extension to include the All Stars after school club. The school is now out of special measures with a wider appeal and an increasing roll. It is seen as a thriving school actively involving the wider community on a daily basis. The impact of this project on school life has been immense and certainly helped to save a small rural primary from certain failure.
Fundraising Achievement – Secondary
Friends of St Vincent’s School, Liverpool
Celebration Concert
The Friends of St Vincent’s faces additional challenges when planning their fundraising activities; a special school for blind and partially sighted children, St Vincent’s is also a residential school, taking pupils from several hundred miles away. This limits parental involvement so the Friends were keen to find an idea that would encourage greater parental participation and support, whilst raising much needed funds towards a new school mini bus. The idea of a Celebration Concert was born. As a small school, with only 55 pupils the Friends decided to think big and involve the wider community in an ambitious musical extravaganza, held at The Liverpool Lighthouse. The Friends managed the publicity and ticket sales and the event was a 500 seat sell out.
All the pupils were involved in the concert along with children from other local schools and community groups. For the first time, parents, teachers and pupils of St Vincent’s worked together with local schools and involved their own past pupils. The reward was made in recognition of the improved home school partnership; all 55 families played a part in the success of this event and the positive links made with the local community as well as the fundraising achievement of £950, raised in such challenging circumstances.
Changing the Life of the School – Secondary
Friends of Duffryn High School, Newport
Raising the Profile of the School
The Friends of Duffryn High School had such a positive view of their home school association that the judges were in no doubt as to why the reward should be theirs.
Without a PTA since 2000, the Friends was created in July 2004 with dual goals to create an effective communication channel for parents and the wider community and to raise the profile and awareness of the school across Newport. The obstacles overcome by the Friends to achieve their objectives, including the fact that Duffryn is in an area of high economic deprivation, was commendable.
The Friends put together a series of events and activities designed to raise the profile of the school; two such particularly impressive activities were the close relationship established with local feeder schools and writing a regular column in the local weekly paper. The activities provided by the Friends of Duffryn High School helped to raise staff and student morale too and in a very short space of time. The holistic approach undertaken by the Friends helped secure the reward as this association, through its various wide-ranging projects has helped to turn the school around for the better.
Achievement in Parental Involvement – Secondary
Dylan Thomas Community School Parent Teacher Association, Swansea
Campaign Against Closure
Courtesy of South Wales Evening Post
In May 2005 the pupils and parents of Dylan Thomas Community School received the devastating news that their school was under threat of closure. Very quickly, the PTA realised that they had a vital role to play to keep the school open. The professionalism and structured approach taken by the PTA was evident and left no doubt that the reward for Achievement in Parental Involvement should be made to this PTA.
The PTA used the expertise and specialist skills of the parent body to raise awareness of the school’s plight and to take the parental view to the local media, councillors and the Welsh Assembly. The success of the campaign was evidenced when over 350 parents attended the first public consultation meeting. The PTA kept up the momentum through the summer and into the autumn term 2005. In November 2005, the school received the fantastic news that their school would not close. However, the PTA did not stop there. They are now working with local feeder schools to raise awareness of the school and a representative from the PTA is always on hand to show new parents and pupils around. The fact that the whole parental body got behind this campaign and the ethos of the school has so greatly improved since the campaign was started, led to Dylan Thomas Community School being a winner.
Achievement in Parental Involvement – Primary
Friends of Mount Street Infant and Nursery School, Brecon
Seed Project
The Friends of Mount Street Infant and Nursery School wanted to encourage a greater number of children and their families to join in events and to raise the school’s community spirit. Not an easy task with a diverse school base which includes permanent Brecon based families as well as British Army and Ghurkha Regiment families who are often moved to a new base after only 2 years.
The Seed project gave each pupil at the school £1. The idea was to grow the £1 whilst doing something enjoyable with the support of parents and family. Ideas included the purchase of a bucket and sponge to wash cars and the purchase of ingredients to make then sell cakes. The activities took place after school and funds were “grown” either at school, at home or in the local community.
This was a simple idea which had a major effect on the school. The children were given the opportunity to be creative, innovative and to use their own talents; parents were able to join in, including Nepalese families, in a way that suited them. Moreover, the partnership between school and home was strengthened; families who had not previously had the confidence to join in school life actively supported and participated in this project. The school is now a flourishing part of the community and the association has been revived, so much so, that the Friends now have more volunteers than ever before.
