..to think this is hypocritical?

[earwig1]

There are a couple of children in our lovely primary school who are going to private schools next year for Y5. While this is obviously a personal choice that I don't wish to judge, their parents happen to be prominent members of the parents association, one of them is the Head...they will still have younger children in the school and will probably continue to run all the charity events. The school has a lovely social mix and children generally progress very well. I can't help being irritated and finding it very smug, as they are pulling out kids who are doing very well there, just because they can afford it. It is their right, of course, but is it compatible with their prominent role in the school?

I'm sorry, but I don't think you have any right to judge them. They give up their free time voluntarily to help raise funds for the school - and you don't. End of.

minding your own business then, if you prefer. Amounts to the same thing, if you don't like the way the PTA is run, get off your arse and do something.

PTA i think is fine, if they were parent govenors that'd be another matter.. to be honest their actions do state pretty publicly that they think the school is ok, but not ideal.

From what I have seen the PTA don't exactly welcome newcomers...so op might have some difficulty.

"From what I have seen the PTA don't exactly welcome newcomers"

That certainly wasn't true at DD's primary school. We welcomed newcomers with open arms.

I would be seriously disturbed by a head pulling his/her own kid out of his/her own school.
I would not be disturbed by the other one. If you're willing to do the volunteering, then good luck to you.