Friends of Coxhoe Primary School
Charity Number: 1120078
2023-2024 - Key Meeting Dates
Autumn Term Key Events
Message from the Chair:
Dear Parent/Carer
I would like to introduce myself as the new chair of Friends of Coxhoe Primary School (PTA). I have two girls, Charlotte in Year 3 and Lizzie who has recently left Coxhoe Primary this year for Comp. I work from home running a small business in the village and am looking to build support for the school locally.
So, what is the aim of the PTA?
The role of the PTA is vital in supporting the school to provide the best education and enrichment opportunities possible for your children. The funding and budget the school receives from government is to support only the curriculum – For everything else that’s our simple mission - raise additional cash to enhance the experience for all children, whilst having a bit of fun and making new friends in the process.
How can you help?
We currently have a small team of 4 committee members and around 5 regular volunteers and need to grow our bank of people who can help.
There are lots of different ways to get involved as often as you like from a one off to a regular commitment – as time and circumstances allow.
- Volunteering – to support events held by FOCPS. We hold lots of events including bake sales, Christmas shopping nights, fetes, and craft workshops. Volunteering your time might include making teas and coffees, manning a stall, or getting involved in crafts. We also need lots of help preparing for events that can be done at home (wrapping gifts, shopping, preparing activities etc).
- Donating – gifts for raffles, baking for sales and events or linking us with businesses and employers in the local area who could donate.
- Ideas – coming along to meetings or sending in your ideas to help us raise money in new and different ways.
All your help goes a long way to fund additional trips and equipment the school would otherwise unable to provide.
Our team has done a fantastic job over the past years though really challenging times and I would like to personally thank our most recent Chairs, Sarah H and Sarah B and Treasurer Joanne for an outstanding job and very big shoes to fill! It’s why I need your help, to make sure we continue to go from strength to strength and support the school with some very big and exciting plans.
What next?
Please get in touch by phone, email, text messenger (whatever works for you) and let me know if you would like to be part of the committee or if can help in any way or indeed if you have any fundraising ideas but don’t want to formally be on the committee.
For those who think they might be able to regularly volunteer a simple DBS check can be arranged so you can work unsupervised in the school.
Chairperson: Mhari Breen
Secretary: Sam Lyons
Vice Secretary: Denise Caygill
Treasurer: Joanne Walker
The Friends of Coxhoe Primary School includes parents, carers, grandparents, and members of the community who work tirelessly to support our school. They meet at school in the evening and plan a wide range of fundraising events. They then work closely with the staff to spend funds raised on a variety of different projects.
The events themselves are also great fun for the children. The school disco is popular and the Summer Fair is becoming grander each year.
The group welcomes new members with open arms as the list of jobs grows longer; you can choose your level of involvement to match with the time you can spare. No amount of help is too small and will always be greatly received.
If you would like to be involved please ask at the office.
How we raise funds...
We work closely with the school to identify ways to enrich what school is able to offer; this includes a broad range of items/experiences.
With the support of the wonderful families in Coxhoe we hold:
- Bake sales,
- Discos,
- Film nights,
- Christmas shopping evenings,
- Sponsored events,
- Class challenges,
- Stalls at events such as Christmas performances.
Fundraise while you shop!
Want to help the PTA but lack of time gets in the way?
We get it, life gets busy! But, you can help us without leaving the comfort of your own home. We have registered our charity with three different businesses that give us a donation every time you shop using them.
This is at no extra cost to you and will only take a few minutes to sign up, then, you just shop as normal.
With Christmas coming up it's the perfect time to get involved!
Click here to access the different pages.
Support outside of FOCPS
Community & Parent Support
At Coxhoe School, we work very closely with individuals and other groups from the Community. We believe that the local primary school should be the heart of the Village and, in recent years have developed strong links with all aspects of the Community. This enables us to work together as a community and really make a difference.
Parental Engagement
The school encourages open communication between home and school and issues regular newsletters to parents, via their children, detailing events and particulars concerning school. These events are also communicated through our school website.
May we take this opportunity to thank the people of Coxhoe for the faithful support, interest and encouragement given to the school. We aim to build on the links already established in our community, and, with your help, make our school a place of which we can all be justifiably proud.
Parent/Family Helpers
We are always grateful to those parents who come in to school and help. Don’t be shy! If you have some time to spare or a particular talent or area of expertise then we would love to hear from you.
Currently parent helpers are involved in supporting children with reading, helping in practical and creative subjects such as cookery, sewing, art, music and design technology. So if you are free, even for an hour a week, come in and speak to Mrs Caygill (Deputy Head) who organises our parent helpers – she would love to hear from you.
Prior to commencing your work in school all helpers will be required to have successfully completed an enhanced DBS check which helps us ensure pupils are safeguarded.
Policies
Code of conduct
Complaints
Conflict of interest
Data Protection
Equal opportunities
Privacy
Safeguarding
Volunteering
AGM
Our AGM took place on Monday October 10th.
Click the link below to download the minutes.
Meeting Minutes
June 2023
PTA Notes 08.06.23.pdf
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
Community Pantry
We are proud to support our local community pantry who in turn do an amazing job at serving our school family and wider community.
Our families are welcome to drop contributions off for the pantry any Thursday morning. It can be left at the office door where it will be collected and delivered to the pantry.
Head over to the Parish Council Website and search Coxhoe Pantry
https://www.coxhoeparishcouncil.gov.uk/partnerships/coxhoe-and-area-community-pantry/
Recent Events 2022-2023
King's Coronation Picnic
We celebrated the King's coronation in style with a picnic on our school yard and school field. We were joined by all of our Coxhoe families and the event was a great success. The sun even managed to shine for the afternoon as well.
Thank you so much to all who attended. This event raised £396.24.
Matilda Performance
Friends of Coxhoe Primary School are supporting the production of Matilda in March by funding the transport for the cast members to the venue (£500).
Please support our fundraising at both performances by buying raffle tickets and refreshments
UPDATE: A huge thank you to everyone who supported the Matilda performances. We are very grateful for the donations of raffle prizes. Thank you to our volunteers on the night and for everyone who bought raffle tickets and refreshments at the event. We raised £524 and have paid for the transport for our amazing cast members to the venue.
Healthy Tuck Shop
Our healthy tuck shop has been running for a couple of months now and we are pleased that the children are really enjoying it while helping us to raise funds.
Items available include things like popcorn, raising, fruit juices, cereal bars, snack-a-jacks and fruit winders.
Each fortnight children look forward to choosing some tasty snack time treats which are a healthier alternative to traditional tuck shop items.
Healthy Tuck Shop – Summer 1 - £236.33
It's Panto time!
In January this year, all of our children enjoyed our yearly visit to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, performed at the Lubetkin Theatre at East Durham College. This was funded entirely by the money raised by the FOCPS who donated £1790 to ensure the children had the perfect start to 2023.
Miles for Smiles 2022
After having to make quite a few tweaks to the date and format of this years Miles for Smiles we were beginning to wonder if we were actually going to pull it off.
But in true Coxhoe style our efforts paid off and we had another success! This is of course largely because our families and children are so brilliant and got involved.
We raised a total of £1158.50
The winning class was Rowling who raised an amazing £360.50
Rowling got to enjoy some extra time outdoors and a delicious fruit platter as a reward.
Bag 2 School
As part of our goal to be kinder to the environment we organise Bag2School collections where families and friends can recycle clothing, bedding, towels and other items. In return for helping to save this items from the landfill the FOCPS raise funds in return.
Our last collection raised £86.40
UPDATE: We would like to thank you for your continued support with our fundraising activities. The Bags2school collection in March raised £90, beating our last collection!
Fund-Raisin
This year we are continuing to do a little bit of “Fund-raisin”! On March 20th, we will be sending children home with a box of raisins and asking them to return the empty boxes filled with any spare cash that they can. We’ll collect the boxes up and count the coins; the class with the most money raised will win themselves a fruit platter like the one below.
UPDATE: We would like to thank you for your continued support with our fundraising activities. The cash in raisin boxes raised £385.46. Dahl are our winning class - well done!
Bedtime Stories
Bedtime stories took place on Wednesday 1st March as part of this year's World Book Day. Children came into school in their pyjamas, dressing gowns, slippers and bring a cuddly toy to listen to bedtime stories read by their teachers. Children also enjoyed some cookies and a drink of milk. FOCPS invited parent/carers to come into the school hall for a cuppa and biscuit while children were listening to the stories.
Thank you for support at this event - we raised £33.71!
Bake Sales
Our Bake Sales are back for 22/23 and we are happy to say we are back to our original format! Each class will get a turn to host their own bake sale to see who can raise the most money whist enjoying some tasty treats along the way.
Could there be a prize for the winners?
Follow along below for dates and to see which class is in the lead
Bakes Sales year to date - £439.62
Summer Fair 2022
It was amazing to, once again, be able to run our Summer Fair! The weather played its parting in helping to make it a wonderful afternoon with an amazing family atmosphere.
Lots of hard work went into organising the fair and we want to say a HUGE Thank You to everyone who helped out and worked their socks off.
It has been our most successful Summer Fair to date and we raised a whopping £2033.10