Instead of taking your Parent Teacher Association for granted, try appreciating it as an invaluable asset, says Sharon Noble, a secondary school development manager and PTA chair at her children’s primary school


TREASURE YOUR PTA


M


any people roll their eyes at the mention of the school PTA (or equivalent group). Some parents and


carers view the PTA as ‘parents to avoid’, while school staff can feel frustrated by the seemingly constant requests for room space and help at


22 SUMMER 2020 FundEd


events. At the same time, PTA volunteers – who give up their time to work for the good of the school community – may feel undervalued and taken advantage of. With my two hats of PTA chair and school manager, I see the frustrations and dilemmas from both sides. But things


don’t have to be like this. Nurturing a genuinely constructive working relationship with your PTA will be benefi cial for the school, its parents and pupils, and the wider community. Worryingly, some schools are now


charging PTAs to use their sites for meetings or events, as part of a general drive to generate income from lettings, or simply to cover the cost of a caretaker unlocking premises. However, lumping the PTA together with other school lets seems counter-intuitive. It damages the parental goodwill that is the cornerstone of any successful PTA, and it blatantly ignores the vital role the PTA plays in enhancing and enriching school life.


Untapped riches A good relationship with your PTA can fi rst and foremost bring unrestricted income into the school through fundraising events and activities during the year. The current fi nancial climate makes this funding stream increasingly important. When schools actively collaborate with their PTAs on


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