Parent Teacher Association (PTA), (formally known as Checkendon School Association)

Why do we have a PTA?

We are fortunate at our school to have a PTA that’s an integral part of the school community.  For a small school, we are a mighty team, who work hard to raise funds which school needs support with to provide a wonderful broad curriculum and experiences for all pupils. We are successful because we foster a strong relationship between parents, school and our local community.

How do I join the PTA?

All parents, teachers and governors automatically become members of the PTA, but of course we would love as many people as possible to be actively involved and support in whatever way they can. This could be through personal skills of marketing, accounting and gardening or volunteering at small and large events and encouraging as many family and friends to get involved! 

Who is on the committee?

Our current committee members are:

Chair – Sophy Rogers

Deputy Chair – Emily Hancock

Treasurer – George Newcombe

Secretary – Hollie Day

Committee Member – Annabel Booker

You can contact us on checkendonPTA@gmail.com, or approach any one of us in the playground. We also have a group of committed parents, grandparents, school staff and governors who regularly attend our meetings, which are held roughly half termly in a local pub. Everyone is always welcome!

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Our Annual General Meeting is held at the start of the autumn term and provides an excellent opportunity for all parents to come along and hear about the events we have run, the funds we have raised and how the money has been spent. It is also when we elect our new committee members.

How we raise money

Like most PTAs, most of our funds are raised through the events that we run. We have found running one or two large events, where efforts can be put into sponsorship and larger scale ticket sales is a successful model. But we also run several smaller, regular events which bring in money, as well as seeking external grants. If you have an idea, please do let us know!

We are also a registered charity. 

Checkfest is a mighty festival for our small school and has grown year on year. This Summer event, filled with local musicians and food trucks in our beautiful grounds, really does epitomise the collaboration of parents, school, and the local community, providing a delightful evening for all.

Fireworks/Laser Show. Checkendon has a long history of providing a fireworks display for the local community. We have now branched out into lasers, which offers a new take on fireworks, without as many loud bangs, which we believe is kinder to the environment and more accessible for everyone.

Other regular events: doughnut Fridays, second-hand uniform, cake sales and ice lollies!

How you can help 

Most importantly, please support our events. This can be through finding sponsorship or raffle prizes, baking cakes, participating in gardening and site clear ups,  volunteering at events and encouraging friends and family to attend.

Another way to support us is to sign up to easyfundraising.co.uk and select Checkendon School Association as your cause. Thousands of retailers are part of scheme and will then make a small donation for every purchase you make. We are also registered with Amazon Smile (again as Checkendon School Association) a website offering the same products as Amazon’s usual site but each time you shop, the Amazon Smile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the cost to your chosen charity.

You could also find out if your employer offers matched giving. Many companies pledge to match a sum of money that employees either raise or donate to a charity. This is a great way of supporting us, either through your own sponsored activity or by helping to run an event. 

Could you take part in a sponsored challenge to raise funds for a key project?

How we spend the money we raise

The PTA committee are responsible for deciding how our PTA funds are spent. We do this through close collaboration with school. This can be for one off items, like the school roof, play equipment, ukuleles, or enriching extra-curricular activities by supporting music, art, and sport. Most recently we have provided funds for fixing the school roof, refurbishing the school library, supporting Judo, art, and music lessons for the whole school, as well as Writer’s Week, and treats at the Bluebell Walk and Sports Day.

How we keep you up to date

We send out emails to everyone via the school office, as well as posting messages on class WhatsApp groups and the PTA’s WhatsApp group. We also have Facebook and Instagram and our newly established newsletter.  Please like our posts and share our events!

Our Newsletters and Minutes from our meetings can also be found on this page.

Online shop

To purchase tickets for our next event, please use the following website.

Checkendon School Association (pta-events.co.uk)