Overview

Our aim is to enhance the children’s experience of school.    We are a group of parents and staff who meet regularly to plan events and help raise money. The SPSA raises around £20,000 a year, which has been spent on improving equipment and resources in the school as well as paying for some of the “extras” that the school would otherwise not be able to afford.

But the SPSA is about much more than just fundraising. We also organise family, fun events which help provide closer links between home and school, assist in co-ordinating parent volunteers, support the class reps and provide a great way to bring staff, parents and pupils together socially in support of the school community.  Every parent becomes a member of the SPSA when their child joins the school.  We rely on active members for all the social events and fundraising activities that happen throughout the year.

Many of the events we hold are now firmly established in the school calendar and are hugely popular with parents, staff and pupils alike.  The annual programme includes:

• monthly cake stalls
• monthly car boot sales
• the Christmas Bazaar
• evening social events such as the Quiz Night &  Summer Party
• an International Food Evening for children and parents
• the annual ‘Sunflower Fete’.

We also assist with the production of school tea towels, Christmas cards and provide other fundraising activities, such as a film club, raffles and theatre trips  – look out for information about these in the school’s weekly newsletter which has a dedicated SPSA section, produced by our volunteers.

What has the SPSA funded?

We tend to provide time and/or direct funding for activities, equipment and facilities that the school could not otherwise afford.  Here is an overview of what we’ve been up to:

• The indoor and outdoor environment –  the play tower and train in the infant playground; the Centenary tower in the middle playground; the timber trail and climbing walls in the junior playground; the round tables and seating in the playgrounds and the shelters were all funded by SPSA in recent years.  We also provided and maintained the planters in the playgrounds and created opportunities for the children to get involved.  Our focus last year was to build the beautiful sensory garden at the main entrance.  It is now being enjoyed by many pupils at break times.
• Music and Art -  We purchased a new keyboard for the music room; piano stools and a full new PA system for the school.  We annually fund the purchase of  instruments for individual lessons and orchestra and for music in class lessons.   We arrange for specialist artists to come to the school to deliver new and innovative art days for the children across the year groups.  This year we funded an innovative drumming workshop focussed on years 4 & 5.
• Sport - We provide a general fund for sport including sports day medals, prizes etc; specialist ‘skipping days’ for the whole school in previous years; some extra equipment supply & repair.
• Curriculum Enhancement -  We regularly fund the teachers’ wish lists; reading books for the infant & Junior libraries, other learning and educational materials such as interactive story DVDs, theatre visits and cultural workshops.  In the past we have co-ordinated parent volunteers who assist with the library and give individual reading and maths tuition.  We recently funded a large screen in the main hall.

What’s in it for you?

• It’s sociable - a great way to make friends, right across the school.  There’s a great sense of teamwork at SPSA events, and we support each other.
• Children love to see their parents taking an interest in what’s going on at school – school is a huge part of our children’s’ lives and they like to feel that we are part of it.  Research clearly shows that children do better at school when their parents/carers take an active interest in their school environment.
• Become part of a strong community - the success of any school depends on a partnership between the staff and governors, the children, and the parents.  The SPSA enables parents to get involved and strengthens this partnership, creating a school community of which everyone feels part and wants to see succeed.
• A huge sense of pride and satisfaction when you see your children and their friends enjoying things that were made possible by the fundraising work in which you helped.

How can you help?

There are many ways in which you can help the SPSA and if you have just a few hours a term you can make a valuable contribution. Please contact us if you’d like any further information about any of our regular or ad hoc activities, have an idea you want to share, want to come to the meetings or just be ‘kept in the loop’ in case you can help.  Contact Abigail Milne, our volunteer co-ordinator on janda@milnes.plus.com or 07968399437.

We are aware that many parents work full time and whilst they would like to contribute in some way, they can’t spare the time.  We welcome any donation you would like to make.  As a registered charity, the SPSA can receive gift aid, making each £1 worth considerably more.  For more details of how to donate please contact Sarah Parkingson, Treasurer at sarah@meedja.co.uk

What’s next

Keep an eye on the Sunflower newsletter, which has dates of our open meetings as well as a host of activities to get involved in.   We have a few events in the Autumn term  that we would love you to join.

Many thanks and we hope to see you soon.

The Southfield SPSA is co-chaired by Catherine Barlen and Angela McHale.