Friends of Woodville - Constitution

The Friends of Woodville School

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION - CONSTITUTION

1. The name of the Association shall be The Friends of Woodville School.

2. The object of the Friends is to advance the education of the pupils in the school. In furtherance of this object, the Friends may: -
a) Develop more extended relationships between the staff, parents and other 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 such facilities or items for education at the school (not provided by statutory funds) as the committee in consultation with the Governing Body shall from time to time determine.

3. The Friends shall be non-party political and non-sectarian.

4. The Friends shall take out Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance to cover its meetings, activities, Officers and Committee. (Note 1)

5. The Friends may appoint a President.

6. The names of the Vice Presidents shall be submitted to the AGM (These are usually people the Friends wish to honour).

7. Membership shall consist of all parents and/or guardians of pupils attending the school and all teachers. (Note 2)

8. The management of the Friends shall be vested in a Committee consisting of the following Officers: -

Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, together with at least five other members. (Note 3)

9. The Officers and Committee shall be elected at the AGM and shall serve until the commencement of the next AGM.

10. Four members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. (Note 4)

11. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt a maximum of 2. (Note 5)

12. The Committee may appoint sub-committees, as it deems necessary and shall prescribe their function provided that all acts and proceedings of any such subcommittee shall be reported to the Committee as soon as possible, and provided further that no such subcommittee shall expend funds of the Friends otherwise than in accordance with a budget agreed by the Committee.

13. Committee meetings shall be held at least once a term.

14. The AGM will be held in the Autumn Term. (Note 6) At the AGM the chair shall be taken by the Chairman or in his/her absence the Vice Chairman of the Committee.

15. Nominations shall be proposed and seconded by members and should have the consent of the nominee. Nominations may be made at any time prior to the commencement of the AGM.

16. The Committee may fill casual vacancies by co-option until the next AGM.

17. Special General Meetings may be called at the written request of a minimum of 10 members.

18. 30days notice shall be given of any Special General Meeting to all members of the Friends.

19. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping account of all Income and Expenditure and shall present a Financial Report to all Committee meetings, and shall present the accounts for approval by the members at the AGM. The accounts should be audited in line with the Charities Act 1993. (Accounts under £10,000 are not required to be independently audited, although we will audit to a minimum frequency of once every five years, or at a change of Honorary Treasurer).

20. Bank Accounts shall be operated in the name of the Friends and withdrawals shall be made on the signature of any two of the Officers of the Friends.

21. The financial year shall commence on 1st September. (Note 7)

22. Any matter not provided for in the Constitution and concerning the organization and activities of the Friends shall be dealt with by the Committee whose decision shall be final.

23. No alteration to this Constitution may be made except at the AGM or a SGM called for this purpose. No amendments or alterations shall be made without the prior written permission of The Charity Commission to Clauses 2, 23 and 24, and no alteration shall be made which could cause the Friends 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 SGM.

24. The Friends may be dissolved by a resolution presented at a SGM called for this purpose. The resolution must have the assent of two-thirds of those present and voting. Such 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 embers of the Friends, but will be given to the school for the benefit of the children of the school, or in the event of a 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 can be given to some other charitable purpose.

NOTES
1) Membership of the National Confederation of Parent-Teacher Associations automatically provides this.
2) Membership can also include past parents, Grandparents, Friends of the School, Ancillary Staff and Governors.
3) The size of the Committee should depend upon the number of children on the roll. A small school might have a Committee of five, plus Officers. A large committee of 12 plus Officers. The head teacher may be a member of the Committee.
4) A quorum would depend on the size of the whole Committee; it must be a third of the members. Minimum three.
5) Co-opted Members. The number would depend on the size of the Committee; usually two co-opted would be sufficient. They could have voting rights.
6) The AGM should preferably take place during the Autumn Term to enable new parents to be involved from the start of the new school year.
7) The financial year will be for twelve months.

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