Altrincham Grammar School for Girls

PTA Objectives

All parents are members of the PTA automatically when their daughter attends AGGS.

The main focus of the PTA is fundraising in order to meet requests for funding from staff and girls and to make donations for the benefit of the school as a whole.

We are a small group of volunteers who meet regularly to agree on funding requests and organise fundraising events. We always need new volunteers to help at our events, and the more people that help, the more money we can raise for the girls and staff.

How do we raise funds?

We hold annual fundraising events as well as one off events throughout the year and new ideas are always welcome.

Examples of fundraising over the past few years (and the amounts raised by each last year) include:

• Our annual Christmas Market (2012 - £4,179)
• Christmas Raffle (2012 - £2,852)
• Sponsored Walk (2012 - £3,562)
• Covenant scheme for regular annual or monthly donations (year to 31.8.12 - £24,557)
• A ‘200 Club’ where 50% of money received from club members is given back in cash prizes each month (year to 31.8.12 - £3,840)
• Name-a-brick in the Centenary Garden by purchasing one and having it engraved with your daughter’s name
• Spring and Autumn plant sales (year to 31.8.12 - £581)
• Second hand uniform sales (year to 31.8.12 - £221)
• Fashion show (2012 - £717)
• Pamper evening for mothers and daughters
• Refreshments at school events throughout the year
• Fund matching from companies

We also gladly receive any donation given to us!

How your donations and fundraising are spent

These are some of the initiatives we have supported or items we have purchased for school recently:

These are some of the initiatives we have supported or items we have purchased for school recently:

Centenary Garden
To celebrate the Centenary of the school in 2010, the PTA built and planted the beautiful Centenary Garden which is now used by all girls and staff – bricks can be sponsored here with your daughter’s name engraved on them

Lionheart - £3,700
This is for Year 9 girls and is a business enterprise day where the winning team go through to regional and possibly national finals – funded 2011 to 2013

Young Enterprise Challenge - £800
This is for Year 12 girls and is a national enterprise competition which runs for a team of 25 girls for 6 months. They design, manufacture, market and sell a product and then present their business and its success to a panel of judges – funded 2010 to 2013

Dance Mirrors - £2,000
We purchased 6 large mirrors for the Dance department for use for all girls in the dance clubs and workshops – funded 2011

Piano - £5,000
Purchase of a piano for the Music Department for use for all girls taking GCSE and A level music as well as for concerts, assemblies and private music lessons

Benches
We have purchased benches for use by all the girls both in main school and in the sixth form – 2010 and 2011

Transport Costs - £2,950
We have paid for the transport for the Year 12 Geography residential trip to Cranedale for the past number of years as well as for the school’s Netball teams when they have attended the National Finals over recent years

Breeze Hill new build - £40,000
The PTA funded the fit out of the conference room facility at the newly built Breeze Hill – funded in 2011

Gazebos - £20,000
The PTA funded the purchase, installation and erection of a number of gazebos for use by girls at lunch time and break periods

Chess Club - £100
We have supported the establishment of a Chess Club to be run by girls in the Sixth Form for all pupils

Portable speaker system - £676
A portable speaker system was funded which is used extensively for all girls in assemblies, presentations and sporting events

IT systems - £24,500
The PTA has funded £12,500 towards the introduction of wireless connections in school and £12,000 for the IT fit out of Room 8 to bring the facilities up to date

Careers Department - £1,200
Literature and IT support has been funded by the PTA in the Careers department giving girls vital information about opportunities once they finish their studies at school

Year 7 Enterprise Scheme - £200
The Year 7 Enterprise team requested a start up loan of £200 to get their scheme off the ground

Enhanced Security System on West Wing Entrance - £1,000

Duke of Edinburgh Award - £670
The PTA funded the purchase of new tents and other equipment for the Duke of Edingburgh Award teams

Year 7 English Books - £450
At the start of the academic year, the PTA funded the purchase of English Literature books for all Year 7 pupils

Recylcing bins - £2,000
The PTA has donated £2,00 to install recycling bins throughout school

Reprographics Department - £1,000
The PTA has funded the purchase of a new guillotine for the reprographics department which is used by all disciplines in school

Anti-bullying Ambassadors - £550
We have funded the training of Anti-bullying ambassadors throughout school in support of the Diana Award scheme run by school

Sixth form common room fit out
Over a number of years we have helped upgrade the facilites at our sixth form centre at Devisdale.

As can be seen, we support a wide range of activities that we hope enhance the school experience for all our girls.

How can you help

There are many ways you can help the PTA:

• Donate to our Covenant Scheme – a regular donation of as little as £5 per month enables us to support the girls and staff in so many ways
• Join our 200 Club and perhaps win a monthly prize of £25
• Become a committee member – we meet each month (generally on the evening of the second Tuesday in the month) at 7.30pm in the staff dining room, and discuss requests for funding and forthcoming events
• Volunteer to be a regular or an occasional helper at events throughout the year- Join our ‘helpers list’ and help with one off events or with serving refreshments at school events
• Name-a-brick in the Centenary Garden – purchase a brick and we will arrange to have your daughter’s name engraved on it and laid in the Centenary Garden
• Donate prizes to our raffles
• Let us know if your company participates in ‘Fund matching’ so we can raise even more money for the PTA
• Keep an eye out for forthcoming PTA events and make sure you book your tickets for them!
• If you have no free time but want to know what your PTA is doing, we can add you to our mailing list to keep you up to date with events

Please email the PTA Secretary (PTASecretary@aggs.trafford.sch.uk) to express an interest in helping the PTA, receiving minutes of our meetings or to volunteer to help at our events.

What will you gain for joining the PTA?

Here are a few comments from current PTA committee members and helpers about what they enjoy most about their involvement with the PTA:

‘It is very rewarding when your daughter comes home praising the new seating area, and it is down to the busy event that you helped with.’

‘I see my involvement in the PTA as my chance to ‘give something back’ to the school while also getting to know other parents and having a lot of fun along the way!’

‘Being on the PTA gives me the opportunity to say how the money is spent and how we can improve and make a real difference to the school’

‘I joined the PTA when my daughter entered Year 7. There was so much hype and excitement about AGGS, I wanted to offer a little back, especially as my daughter is a recipient of a first class education for free. Four years on, I see the PTA as a wonderful vehicle of change, comprised of a working group of ordinary parents and senior AGGS representatives. It offers great satisfaction, helping to raise much needed funds in an enjoyable manner. We also have the autonomy to decide where the funds should be allocated. I've never looked back.’

‘I love helping out because I get to meet lots of new parents. You really can do as little or as much as you like’

‘Being part of the PTA keeps me up to date with what is happening in school’

‘My daughter enjoys me helping and she joins in too’

‘We make a big difference in the school, and have fun in the process, and it is a great opportunity to catch up with other parents, especially those in different years’

‘Joining the PTA gives parents a wonderful opportunity to give something back to AGGS which gives each and every one of our daughters the finest quality education, all for free. Knowing I have been part of raising in excess of £350,000 over the last 7 years which has been invested into a multitude of facilities that otherwise may not have been made available to current and future girls at the school is the icing on the cake, which can only be surpassed by the joy you will share with your daughter on results day’