TGS PTA - EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting)

7pm Tuesday 20th January

This is a critcal, formal meeting to discuss the possible imminent closure of the PTA.

Attendance can be in person (TGS School Library) or online via MS Teams.  Please confirm whether you will attend in person or via MS Teams.

Please register your attendance with us by choosing one of the options below, adding to your basket and checking out - you will not be charged for this.

Letter from the PTA – AGM update & our future                                       

Dear Parents & Carers,

This is an important announcement about the future of TGS PTA.

It is with regret that we must announce that we may have to suspend our PTA activities or significantly reduce them.

Both the current Chair and Secretary are due to stand down at the EGM on January 20th and must be replaced or else the PTA cannot continue.  Finding replacements is a challenge and so far we have not had any interest registered with us.  If we are unable to find replacements to commit immediately, the PTA will not be able to function and will most likely have to close down.  

In addition, we do not have enough parent volunteers to act as committee members to organise and run fundraising and celebration events, investigate grants or charity-focused schemes.

The role of the Chair is primarily responsible for leading the PTA in adherence to its Constitution, Code of Conduct and Governance model, and since it is a registered charity, the Chair & Treasurer are required to ensure compliance with the Charities Commission and that it is managed lawfully.

The Secretary is largely an administrative role to support the Chair and Treasurer in organising and documenting meetings & decisions.

To register your interest in Chair or Secretary roles, please email us at pta@tgs.kent.sch.uk with full contact details.  If we are able to find replacements, a formal vote will be taken at the EGM at 7pm Tuesday 20th January.  

How does the PTA Help our Children?

It is a sad reality that the school does not receive enough funding for everything it needs and so the PTA provides vital additional funding to the school to meet those needs not met from the government. The PTA has recently funded a major revamp of Mitchener Hall Audio and Visual equipment with a £30,000 donation, provided £2,400 of funding for last year’s school Drama production, and over £3,400 of sports coaching. We also support the welfare dogs, purchased quiz buzzers for the school quiz team – and so much more. We will provide contributions to this year’s school play.

The PTA also plays a crucial role in enhancing our children's wider education by organising events that help to enrich our school community. We welcome new parents and children to TOGS by organising the Yr7 Picnic in the Park and the Year 7 Disco. We celebrate major milestones in our children’s school career with the Year 11 breakfast and the Year 13 pre-prom strawberries and fizz party. We are funding the purchase of new kitchen equipment for a cooking course to prepare our students for looking after themselves at university and an independent life and we provide sports coaching.

All these benefits to school life require funding, and so we organise fund-raisers such as the annual Winter Fair, quiz nights and the occasional ball. We have wanted to organise some adult-focussed events  (licenced events such as quiz evening).

Many parents are already very generous with their time to volunteer on the day of events (Winter Fair, Discos and Proms), but some have children ending their TGS journey and so new volunteers must be found that are willing to take a leadership role in event management.

We also need parents throughout the school year to provide ideas at our monthly meetings during term time to help us continue the PTA and fund its activities.  

How Can Helping the PTA Help You?

Contributing to the wider education of your children is a reward in itself. But there is much more. You can develop planning and project management skills useful at work or re-establish skills you once had but may not have used recently. There is the pride in making a successful event happen and bringing enjoyment to parents and children alike. You can learn a lot more about how the school works. You can set a good example to your children about the importance of contributing to your wider community and a common good.

 If you’re interested, please contact us at pta@tgs.kent.sch.uk

Together, we hope we can overcome this challenge and continue to make a positive impact on the lives of our children.

Warm regards,

TGS PTA Committee