Claires Court PTA Constitution
- The name of the Association shall be Claires Court PTA and in this Constitution
the “PTA”.
- The object of the PTA is to advance the education of the pupils in the School.
- In furtherance of this objective, the PTA may:
a) Develop more extended relationships between the staff, parents and
others associated with the School;
b) Engage in activities which support the School and advance the
education of the pupils attending it;
c) Provide and assist in the provision of facilities and opportunities for the
education of the pupils at the School;
d) Promote and assist a past pupils’ network (Alumni).
- The PTA shall have the power to do anything within the law which promotes
this object.
- The PTA shall be non–party political and non–sectarian.
- The PTA shall take out Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance to
cover its meetings, activities, Officers and Committee*.
Membership
- Members may consist of all parents and/or guardians or carers of pupils
attending the School, and all past pupils of the School. All teachers currently
in post are members but shall automatically cease to be a member on
termination of their contract of employment with the School.
- Any person wishing to support the objectives of the PTA may if the PTA so
decides be admitted to membership.
- The Main Board (as defined below) may for good reason exclude any person
from membership whose presence at or support of the school is deemed a
danger to the school or its pupils or staff or might bring the PTA or school into
disrepute (but only after notifying the member concerned in writing and
considering the matter in the light of any representation which the member
puts forward within 14 clear days after receiving notice).
- The Main Board shall consist of the President, Secretary, Treasurer (the
“Officers”), at least three elected Trustees and such individuals shall act as the
charity trustees and have control and management of the PTA and its
property and funds.
- The Main Board will include those additional chairs of sub-committees that are
required to further the charity’s work.
- At each annual general meeting of the PTA (“AGM”), the members will elect
a President, Secretary and Treasurer, and at least 3 Trustees, none of the latter
of which shall be parents and/or guardians or carers of pupils attending the
School.
- The President will chair the AGM and the various Main Board meetings held
through the year. The duties of the President are to serve as a figurehead of
the PTA at the various events of the School and elsewhere when the PTA is to
be represented.
- In addition to the Main Board, at each AGM the members present shall elect
the members and chair of each sub-committee which the Main Board has
indicated will be required.
- Both the Main Board and the sub-committees shall have the power to co-opt
additional members including a teacher representative from their school
section. Headteachers and Co-opted members have full voting rights at the
sub-committee level.
- Quorum:
a) Five members of the Main Board including either the Chairman or
Secretary shall constitute a quorum at Main Board meetings, AGM and
any Special General Meeting called; and
b) Five members of the Main Board and/or any sub-committee shall
constitute a quorum at such sub-committee meeting.
- Main Board meetings shall be held at least once each term, and
sub-committee meetings more frequently, as it is through the work of the
sub-committees that the PTA’s various activities are developed and
promoted.
- Both the Main Board and sub-committees may appoint smaller working
groups, as it deems necessary and shall prescribe their function provided that
all acts and proceedings of any such working group shall be reported to the
Main Board or sub-committee as soon as possible and provided further that
no such working group shall expend funds of the PTA otherwise than in
accordance with a budget agreed by the Main Board or sub-committee.
Examples include those working groups that support the Boat Club for Rowing,
the Tours Club and the Sailing Club.
- Other than as specified in this Constitution, every issue shall be determined by
a simple majority of the votes cast at any meeting and the chair of the
meeting shall have a casting vote.
- No member of the Main Board who is entitled to vote shall receive any
payment of money or other material benefit (whether direct or indirect) from
the PTA other than:
a) reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses;
b) insurance against the costs of a successful defence to a criminal
prosecution brought against them as charity trustees or against
personal liability incurred in respect of any act or omission which is or is
alleged to be a breach of trust or breach of duty; or
c) charitable benefits in his or her capacity as a beneficiary.
- Whenever a member of the Main Board has a personal interest in a matter to
be discussed at a Main Board meeting the relevant individual must:
- a) Declare the interest before discussion begins on the matter;
- b) Withdraw from that part of the meeting unless expressly invited to remain to provide information;
- c) Not be counted in the quorum for that part of the meeting; and
- d) Withdraw during the vote on the matter.
- A member of the Main Board or a sub-committee shall normally cease to hold
such position if he or she:
a) is disqualified under the Charities Act 2011 from acting as a charity
trustee;
b) is incapable, whether mentally or physically, of managing his or her
own affairs;
c) is absent from three consecutive meetings;
d) ceases to be a member of the PTA;
e) resigns by written notice to the Main Board; or
f) is removed by a resolution passed by all the other members of the
Main Board after inviting the views of the individual concerned and
considering the matter in light of any such views.
- Honorary positions The Main Board may choose to honour the contribution that certain members
have made to its work, for example following the departure of their children
from the School, by appointment as honorary Vice President. It is hoped that
honorary Vice–Presidents will wish to continue to participate in the work of the
PTA.
- Observers at the Main Board It is expected that one other officer from each sub-committee together with
one of the Principals, the Head Teachers of the separate school sections, and
the Head of Sixth Form shall be invited to each meeting of the Main Board as
observers on the Main Board and for the avoidance of all doubt may
contribute but shall not be entitled to vote at meetings of the Main Board.
- Member meetings The AGM shall be in the Lent Term and 14 days’ notice shall be given to all
members. At the AGM the chair shall be taken by the President, or in their
absence, one of the Officers of the Main Board.
- Nominations shall be proposed and seconded by members and must have
the consent of the nominee. Nominations may be made at any time prior to
the commencement of the AGM.
- One accountant who is not a member of the PTA committees or Main Board
shall be appointed annually at the AGM to independently verify the accounts
and books of the PTA.
- Special General Meetings (EGM) may be called by the Main Board; and must
be called by the Main Board at the written request of a minimum of 10
members.
- Fourteen days’ notice shall be given of any Special General Meeting (EGM) to
all members of the PTA.
Finances
- The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping account of all Income
and Expenditure, shall present a financial report to all Main Board meetings,
and shall present the independently verified accounts to the members at the
AGM.
- Bank Accounts shall be operated in the name of the PTA and withdrawals
shall be made on the signature of any two of the Main Board Officers.
- The financial year shall commence on 1 September of the academic year for
which the Main Board is due to serve.
Miscellaneous
- Any matter not provided for in the Constitution and concerning the
organisation and activities of the PTA shall be dealt with by the Main Board
whose decision shall be final.
- No alteration to this Constitution may be made except at the AGM or a
Special General Meeting called for this purpose. No amendments or
alterations shall be made without the prior written permission of The Charity
Commission to Clauses 2, 34 and 35 and no alteration shall be made which
could cause the PTA to cease to be a charity in 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.
- The PTA 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 a 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
PTA but will be given to the School for the benefit of the children of the
School, or in the event of school closure to the School to which the majority of
the children of the closing school will go, in any manner which is exclusively
charitable in law. If effect cannot be given to this provision then the assets
must be given to some other charitable purpose.
- Any notice required to be given in pursuance of this Constitution may be sent
by hand, or by post or by suitable electronic communication or any
newsletter distributed by the PTA and for the avoidance of all doubt shall be
deemed to have been properly served upon any Member by being
publicised on the School Bulletins distributed weekly to all Members, such
notice being given in 14 days.
Updated and approved PTA AGM February 2022
Amendments in para 35 largely arose from advice from the Charity Commission, as
a consequence of school closure information being developed.
*Currently this cover is provided via the PTA’s membership of the Parenkind National
organisation. From their website:
“As a national charity, Parentkind gives those with a parenting role a voice in
education. We invest substantial resources in representing parent views on their
child’s learning to local, regional and national governments and agencies because
evidence tells parental participation in education benefits all children in all schools
and society as a whole. Parentkind is the network of PTA fundraisers in the UK. We
bring specialist fundraising support and advice to parent volunteers so that every
school can benefit from a successful PTA. Our 12,500 PTA members raise over £120+
million per year, placing us alongside some of the largest charities in the UK.”
