PTA Constitution
1. Name
The name of the Association is the Friends of St Mary Cray Primary Academy Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
2. Objects
To advance the education of the pupils of the school by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities for education at the school, and to further these objects the PTA may:
a. Foster more extensive relationships between the staff, parents and others associated with the school; and
b. Engage in activities which support the school and benefit the pupils attending it.
3. Limitation of the purposes of the Association
Nothing in these rules shall permit the Association, or any of its Committees to interfere in the administration or management of the school.
4. Membership
All members of staff, the governing body and parents or guardians of children attending the school shall automatically become members. Other people with an interest in furthering the objects of the Association may apply for membership, and be admitted at the discretion of the Committee.
5. Officers and Annual General Meeting
a. The Headteacher shall be President of the Association.
b. The other Officers shall be the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. In special circumstances officers may be co-opted until the next AGM. No one of these Officers can continue to hold one office for more than three years, but is eligible for election to another post. After one year has elapsed, a person is eligible to serve for up to three years in a previous post. If a vacancy remains unfilled at the time of the first meeting of the Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting, the Committee may, at their discretion invite the retiring Officer to serve, even though that person has already served for three years or more in that position.
c. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in the Autumn term and 14 days notice of this meeting shall be sent to all members. A quorum shall comprise of 10. A special General Meeting may be called at the written request of a minimum of 10 members at the Committee’s discretion. 14 days notice shall be given of any Special General meeting to all members of the Association.
6. Committees
a. The management of the Association shall be in the hands of the Association Committee, consisting of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer together with a maximum of 25 other members. All Committee members must be elected at the Annual General Meeting. In special circumstances committee members may be co-opted until the next AGM.
b. Committee meetings shall be held at least once per term. 10 members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
c. The Committee may appoint subcommittees, and shall prescribe their function, provided that any business shall be reported to the Committee as soon as possible, and provided that no subcommittee shall spend funds of the Association otherwise than in accordance with a budget agreed by the Committee.
7. Finance
Bank accounts shall be operated in the name of the Association.
a. The Association has power to accept donations, subscriptions or otherwise raise funds for the purpose of the Association, to the extent that such activity should not include permanent trading.
b. Cheques shall be signed by two Officers
c. The accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer and shall be audited by one auditor appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
d. Event expenses will be paid by cheque within 7 days of an event providing that receipts are presented. No payments of expenses will be made on the day of an event.
For security reasons, the Treasurer and one other Committee Officer will regularly remove money from the high earning stalls at any Event. The a. amount taken by the Treasurer will be noted down and left in the money box.
b. At any large Event, only 2 or 3 persons (to include the Treasurer or if the Treasurer is not available, one other Officer) are permitted to be present and to count up the money at the conclusion of the event. This will take place in a locked room with no access to other persons.
c. All monies to be collected from all stalls by Officers before the counting starts.
d. Where possible two Officers will take all monies from Events to be banked as soon as is possible post event. All money is to be kept locked in the safe until such time as it is banked. If it is not possible to have two Officers, then there must be still 2 persons, one of whom is to be an Officer.
e. Two Officers, can agree in writing, a spend of up to £500 outside of a PTA meeting. However where possible all expenditure to be agreed at a PTA Meeting. Any expenditure agreed by the Officers outside a Meeting, should be declared at the next Meeting so that it can be minuted.
8. Amendments
No alteration to this Constitution may be made except at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose. No amendments or alterations shall be made without the prior written consent of the Charity Commissioners to Clauses 2, 8 and 9, and no amendment shall be made which could cause the Association to cease to be a charity at law. Alterations to the Constitution shall receive the assent of two thirds of the members present, and voting at an AGM or Special General Meeting.
9. Dissolution
The Association may be dissolved by a resolution presented at a Special General Meeting called for this purpose. The resolution must have the assent of two thirds of those present and voting. Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets remaining after satisfying any outstanding debts and liabilities. These assets shall not be distributed among the members of the Association, but will be given to the school, or in the event of a school closure, to the School to which the majority of the children in the closing School will go, in any manner which is exclusively charitable at law. If effect cannot be given to this provision, then the assets may be given for some other charitable purpose.
22/10/2020