PTA survival guide

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

Due to everyone leaving in September it looks like I am going to be Treasurer as of September unless there is an influx of enthusastic new parents. Person who has been stitched up volunteered to be Chair is in same boat. We just about have a Vice Chair if we can twist his arm. Our Secretary is staying and the current Treasurer will be still be on committee plus there's one other committee member around somewhere.

Really keen to make the next two years as painless as possible so would welcome advice from seasoned PTA people. With the cuts the PTA money is more important than ever but I'm well aware everyone is struggling financially at the moment and don't want to keep tapping them, would be good to come up with something to include the wider community more and how to get as many parents helping at things like the fair as possible . Any suggestions (including run screaming whilst you can) gratefully received, thank you !

There's a PTA website at Ncpta.org.uk. Your PTA might already have membership, but they give guidance on legal requirements. It should tell you what Treasurers and Chairs are required to do, such as doing audited accounts and filing a report with the Charity Commission.

We have one or two class reps for each class. They help to communicate to individual classes and set up rotas for their particular stalls for fairs etc. This helps to distribute the work and people are more likely to help if requested by someone they know.

There's a PTA website at Ncpta.org.uk. Your PTA might already have membership, but they give guidance on legal requirements. It should tell you what Treasurers and Chairs are required to do, such as doing audited accounts and filing a report with the Charity Commission.

We have one or two class reps for each class. They help to communicate to individual classes and set up rotas for their particular stalls for fairs etc. This helps to distribute the work and people are more likely to help if requested by someone they know.

I find that parents tend to be more generous when they know what the money is going towards. Try to have a specific aim for each event, eg. disco in aid of new desks for year 3, casino night in aid of new instruments for music sessions, cinema night in aid of sports coach etc.

Be very specific about what help you need. We have found that asking people to do very narrow time slots is more appealing than asking for general help at events.

Develop a thicker skin and be prepared to feel very disappointed in others on a regular basis.

Apart from that, you'll have a ball.

I was wondering about class reps, will suggest that one and have a look at website. Meetings seem to be evenings on the same day of the week generally as far as I can tell but I'm pretty new to all this. The new reception children start their introduction sessions very soon and a letter is going out. Am hoping it will focus on what the money raised actually does.

Have a feeling that people do worry if they start helping they will need to do it for ever so we really need to emphasise how much one off offers of help are appreciated. Was talking to a friend today and she said whenever she has offered to help no one has ever taken her up on it so that is something to look at.

Like the idea of a newsletter, all communication at the moment tends to be asking for things and that way can incorporate idea of specifying what money is going towards. Thanks for all this, I'd really like to survive with some friends left in playground at the end of it, if only for DS's sake !

Make sure that your meetings are welcoming for newcomers. I tried a few times to get involved in our PTA when dd was in reception, but found it horribly closed and cliquey - nobody made an effort to talk to me or introduce me to anyone, and they spent half of the meetings laughing at in-jokes which I didn't understand. I have subsequently discovered that other parents have given up trying to help for similar reasons. Just too much like hard work!

I don't think our PTA are aware of how they are perceived by those outside the inner circle, and they are forever complaining that not enough parents get involved. I don't think the cliquiness is at all intentional - it isn't usually a cliquey school - but it is off-putting
nonetheless. I should probably just tell them, but not brave enough!

Not saying that this problem applies to other PTAs of course, but it might be worth asking yourselves how easy you make it for newbies to get involved.

Agree with magicmummy.

Be welcoming to new people. This didn't happen under last year's committee and it put people off. We all introduce ourselves at every meeting and say a special welcome to newbies.

Communication is key. Again, previous committee rarely replied to people's emails etc even if they were offers of help. This year we reply to all offers of help really quickly. It's hard work as we all work ft but I think it's worth it.

I think there might be a slight problem of perception going on atm. I got the feeling there are a few people who have been keen to help and it hasn't been followed up, verified by what my friend said today. Currently seems as if some of committee's parents help out at events which means they need a little less help, though could be wrong about that. I have suggested a questionnaire to see how people see the PTA, what they would like it to do and ways in which they migh like it to change. I didn't really have a clue who was on it until recently and DS had been there for two years by then. From what I've heard there are a fair few people out of catchment applying this year so if they've got in they are probably fairly motivated to get integrated and there's a perfect opportunity to get them involved.

We're asking for less to brought in for summer fair this year which hopefully will help .Hopefully it's a good chance to be more specific about help on the day, like the shorter slots idea and think we need to start doing this.

Also, do you all make a fair bit on your raffle ? I can't find the email now but I'm sure for the Christmas Fair the raffle only made a small amount less than the cake stall, not much over £100 which didn't seem much to me for the amount of effort that went into it (we have about 150 pupils). Sorry for all the questions and thank you for the help, it's giving me a much clearer idea of what we can do.

I'm treasurer of my school's PTA - I started in September - so still a newbie.

One approach we have changed, that has resulted in more money being raised, is that every event we arrange will break even, and be a fun event for parents/children, and any profit made is a bonus.

Taking the pressure off of must make huge bonus, has led to more people volunteering and resulting in more money being made, as skills/ideas have come out of the woodwork.

Something else I would suggest is shortly get someone as your underlying. And the same for all roles in the PTA - this means that when someone steps down, that there is someone who knows the role and can take it on, so you're not left in the postion of noone knowing what's going on. 2 years ago our PTA was all new people, and I was under the last Treasurer for a year before he left due to children moving on.

With regards to raffle - we spend (PTA with asking for sponsorship) £300 on 3 top raffle prizes, then smaller raffle prizes donated by local companies/individuals. We raised £1,500 at Xmas on the raffle alone, and normally go over £1,000.

There are 250 children in the school. Have found selling tickets to friends/family/colleagues a lot easier with the big headling prizes.

We send out news letters informing parents of upcoming events, what the PTA funds are going towards and explaining why we need new members.

Nearer events like summer/Christmas fairs we send out a letter asking for donations of baking/toys/books/tombola stuff etc and requests for help on the day. When we started adding a form at the bottom for parents to fill in to specify what they could offer, the donations increased hugely. It helps that most of the PTA members are often at school to collect their children and are known to a lot of the parents so we can actually ask people as well. (It is a small school so most parents know each other).

I really wish our PTA had a regular newsletter. Just a reminder (who we are what we do) and a list of forthcoming events (dates, times, and how to get in touch if you have a few hours to help). Even just once a term! On A5 paper and handed out to every adult who walks thru the gate at home-time.

I friggin' hate raffles, though, refuse to buy into them or Tombolas.

Thank you all. Have made notes and am going to sit down with the lady who looks like she'll be the Chair, this has been very helpful.

Accept that there will be some people who turn up to the meetings to have a moan about the school in general but never want to do anything to help, then there are those who say "Why don't we do X Y and Z?" but what they mean is "Why don't you do it...don't expect any help from me". Also at our school there are the same set of turning up to help at everything.

But also people do get fazed by the perceived amount of time needed to organise things...which to be fair can be a lot if it all falls to one person, you need to break it down into time slots as others have said. Also our treasurer does a report at each meeting so everyone knows where we're up to with spending. It also helps if you can put the T in the PTA by getting as much staff support as possible.

I suppose at the end of the day it's all about communication, letting people know the value of the PTA and how they can be involved.

Also in terms of getting the community involved - ours is a PTFA - F being friends. Quite a few non-parents or teachers come to the quiz night, for example.

We found that a lot of parents did not want a social life so a Quiz Night would not work.

However they are more than happy to pay £3 for their children to go to Film Night after school, eat popcorn and have a drink and get 2 hours very very cheap childcare!!

Do you have 100 (or 200) club?

Would any of the cash rich time poor parents be willing to make a regular donation and gift aid it rather than attending a social function?

I'm not involved in the pta (actually, as someone else mentioned, called Friends) at my dd's school, but they seems pretty organised. They sent out a list of meetings for the year at the beginning of the year, and they are alternately day time and evening to cover all parent availability (except mine as a working single parent with limited access to baby sitting , but you can't please everyone!!). They have also done a couple of informal coffee and chat sessions in the school activity room around pick-up time to get ideas/input from less involved/more intimidated parents.

Surprised to hear that the quiz night wouldn't work- it's about our most popular and profitable event after the Summer Fete and the Christmas Bazaar. Made over £1100 profit alone this year. We get a fish and chip fan to turn up - they charge £5 a head and we charge £10 a head for the quiz night tickets. Then we also run a bar and charge say £8 for bottle of wine bought in bulk from Tesco for £4 a bottle. People get rather pissed and enthusiastic by the end! Everyone laughed a lot at the headmaster's team coming second to last. :) Also have a summer barbecue at the end of term, that does quite well too.

I don't go to quiz or BBQ nights.
It means leaving DH alone with kids or getting expensive babysitter in (not that I can think of anyone suitable for last 3 years, anyway). Plus, I don't have any sort of social circle of people who would want to go and with whom I could imagine enjoying being with.
Right curmeodgeon, aren't I? But not the only one, I suspect.

"However they are more than happy to pay £3 for their children to go to Film Night after school, eat popcorn and have a drink and get 2 hours very very cheap childcare!!"

We don't charge for after school film club because of infringement of copyright laws. I think you should check that you aren't breaking any laws here.

Our quiz night is hugely successful. We sell over 80 tickets. We have a local catering company supply a pie and pea supper and charge £6.50 for tickets. We bring our own snacks and booze and have a really good night out. It is easier than getting a temporary bar licence. Our summer fete is always hugely profitable. Sadly, we had to cancel the Christmas fair last year due to snow, and the year before we couldn't have one because they were building a new school hall.

Film club rules are a nightmare, you can charge if you get the right license, but it's a very slender profit margin once costs are taken into account.

I have found that asking people to do particular tasks such as writing a newsletter most half terms is ok, but finding someone to fulfil a named job isnt. i decided that i am simply not prepared to doa ll the work, so if noone is prepared to take on x task then it simply doesnt happen. we are also finding that childinvolved fundraisers are much more successful than evenigns. a sponsored fill a matchbox raised £1700 (from just 90 children) but we'll be lucky to make £500 from a curry night disco that tehy all asked for and has taken LOADS of effort to organise. play to sgrengths and be firm on what you are prepared to do.