PTA-UK ADVICE

Handing over your PTA?

Here’s our guide to making the process as painless as possible!

TOP TIPS FOR HANDOVER SUCCESS!

1. ESTABLISH WHO’S LEAVING: don’t assume you’ll get told. Most parents will leave the PTA as their children move on. If you’ve got lots of committee members with kids in Years 6, 11 or 13, handover should be on your mind.

2. START EARLY: don’t leave your PTA handover until after your big summer event late in the school year when everyone starts winding down. Make sure handover is on the agenda for a committee meeting before the half term.

3.  SHARE THE LOAD: if someone wants to leave, make it their responsibility to recruit a replacement. Get them on the case to identify and brief the new volunteer before the end of term.

4. GET THE SCHOOL ON-BOARD: we know it’s not easy to recruit new volunteers so make sure the school is singing the PTA’s praises, so everyone understands the importance of keeping it going. 

5. GET THE KIDS INVOLVED: at primary, parents are much more likely to take part if they see it directly matters to their children.  

6. HIGHLIGHT THE BENEFITS:  PTA volunteers feel they are more engaged with the school, have made friends and enjoy being part of a team that makes a difference.

As the school year inevitably rocks to a close, if you’re saying au revoir, take time now to plan a successful handover of the PTA reins.

Doing it right

Not surprisingly, you can’t simply walk away. Whether or not your PTA is a registered charity, you are a trustee so you need to formally resign or wait for your term of office to come to an end.

Check your constitution

Your constitution should state the minimum number of committee members that are required. PTA-UK’s model constitution specifies two. If you are at the minimum, you won’t be able to hang up your PTA boots until more committee members are recruited.

Handover check list

Must Have's

❏ The PTA constitution ❏ Information about the PTA’s insurance policy ❏ Banking details ❏ Charity registration number and Charity Commission online account registration details ❏ Latest PTA accounts ❏ PTA-UK membership number ❏ Info on renewing your PTA-UK membership

Must do's

❏ Update bank signatories ❏ Submit required paper work to the Charity Commission ❏ Update your charity’s details held by the Charity Commission including all trustees ❏ Notify HMRC of the new nominated point of contact for Gift Aid ❏ Advise PTA-UK of the new key contact, if this has changed

Must keep's

❏ Minutes and planning records ❏ Reports and accounts ❏ Gift Aid declarations and claim forms

PTA-UK INFO

There’s more information online at http://www.pta.org.uk/informationlist/100088/100156/100598/year/month/page2/ including PTA-UK’s Info sheet – Handover guidance.

PTA-UK Magazine April 2012 

16