A Message from the PTA

"A huge, warm welcome to Parents old and new to the 2023-2024 academic year!

We are very fortunate at Hale Prep School to have a Parent Teacher Association that is an integral part of the School community. The committee is made up of parents and teachers who organise fundraising initiatives and events. Each year, we aim to raise funds to pay for resources and equipment that improve the School’s facilities and enhance our children’s education, all while creating fun memories/ experiences for children and parents!

Last academic year, we raised an exceptional £19,000. This enabled us to purchase (amongst other things) a headset system for music and drama performances, new sports bibs and ground sheets, the Year 6 Leavers’ hoodies and the contribution to their end-of-school party. We purchased lots of new play equipment in the playground, which the children have been enjoying, including new wooden outdoor play kitchens and accessories, sports equipment such as rebounders, skipping ropes, golf and cricket bats, etc. We also bought a whopping 20 new iPads.

A major investment was giving £1,000 to each subject leader to support their teaching with amazing software and resources to tie in with the curriculum to help with the skills, knowledge and development of every child in the school. There will be an opportunity for us parents to be shown around the school on the welcome evening on Thursday, 5th October and see how, where and why these fantastic resources are being used in school. Our final donation of £2,000 was given to the school’s new Mental Health Awareness Team to run clubs and sessions with the children throughout the year.

Events we ran last year included the Parent’s Social evening, Halloween Disco, Christmas fair, Easter Egg Hunt, Parent’s School Ball and the Infants Disco. The PTA provided all the decorations for the very special King’s Coronation Party. Year 6 also arranged their Leaver’s Party as well as a fun-filled afternoon on their last day of term. We also hold regular second-hand uniform sales with a minimum of one per term.

We also ran activities to raise money for charity- multiple clothing collections for the Wood Street Mission’s Smart Start School project and the cake sale for The Turkey and Syria Appeal, raising £750. School engaged in a number of charitable activities as in previous years- the food collection at Christmas, the raffle at Easter for the local cancer charity, “Friends of Rosie,” and the annual sponsored walk to provide holidays for deprived children.

We have lots of exciting events coming up this year, but if you have any ideas for school fundraising or charitable events that you’d like to put forward/organise, please get in touch with your class rep or a member of the PTA. We will soon be installing a PTA post box in school to return PTA event forms or any comments you’d like to make anonymously or non-anonymously!  The school is in the process of creating a PTA page in the parents' password-protected part of the school website, where you’ll be able to find PTA related documents and information.

We understand how busy life can be and really appreciate any amount of help, big or small! As a private, independent school, we do not receive government/ local authority funding, so with the help and support of parents through the PTA, we are able to give the children loads of opportunities to make fantastic memories on top of the amazing education/ experiences they receive through school.

If you don’t have much time to commit on a regular basis but are happy to volunteer at events or in the run-up to events, this is greatly welcomed. We hold a PTA meeting in the school hall once a term (usually on a Thursday at 7.30 pm), which everyone is welcome to. Details on dates will be sent out nearer the time by your class rep/s.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy school year ahead.

Best wishes,
The PTA Team"