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Parents Advisory Group


Guest terrydoo73
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Guest terrydoo73

We have a Management Committee who oversee the work of our Playgroup. They are made up of community representatives and were responsible for me and my staffs employment and ongoing salary costs as well as revenue expenses etc. We meet with a representative from the Committee weekly to discuss any issues outstanding but that is it. I as Playgroup Leader am responsible for the day to day running of the group, administrative issues arising, drafting and writing policies and grant applications etc as well as receiving and receipting the weekly fees.

 

As part of our original Registration with the local Health Board it was suggested we set up a Parents Advisory Group. Not a committee as this would discourage people from attending but rather an informal gathering once a month during term time to discuss issues raised by parents. We have only been opened from January and have decided now is the time to have a meeting - basically because parents are hinting at having printed sweatshirts for the autumn and obviously these will need to be ordered now. Also the parents helped with a recent fundraiser we as staff organised which was very successful and we want the parents to consider whether we should do something similar in the autumn. We are not government funded as yet so our Management Committee is finding things tough with paying out salaries and revenue costs. We are appealing a decision by the local Education Board to not provide funding for 9 of our children from September 2011 which will cover salaries so the revenue costs will have to be met some other way. As such we can determine our own curriculum and we have had suggestions from parents as to how they want things done so the Group will give them an opportunity to air these opinions and we can go away and think about them more.

 

Does anyone out there run something similar? As this is the first meeting this week I am a bit scared about how to run it exactly so would love some help!

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Guest Spiral

Wow, sounds like you certainly have some good thoughts there. Many years ago I had a division within the pre-school's committee - some wanted the responsibility and to be involved in the whole caboodle and oters wanted to help at the fairs etc.

 

So we made two committee's; a fundraising one and a management one. It worked well and as log as you have a parent/parents who has a good understanding of their role and is happy to take it further by making things actually happen it can all work.

 

 

On the side of running without finance coming in from your LEA, I would however be contacting the PLA and any other body to try and ensure your setting is supported and does everything with knowledge and forethought.

 

Please do let us know how you are doing, I am certainly interested,

Spiral

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I know some private nurseries locally to me do have something similar to this. I think the original thinking was to ensure the parents had a voice in the running of the nursery and felt they were listened to. I could be wrong but I think so long as you don't want them to be a charitable status group (like school PTA groups sometimes are) then you can set it up anyway you like. Exactly how it works will probably be dependent on your particular parents and what works for them - and this may change a bit year on year.

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we have a parent fundraising group, these do amzingly well have raised loads and have created a social circle for those parents who otherwise may feel a bit lonely. But it can be a clicky group and sometimes i feel that i have to remind myself that i am in charge. So my only advise would be that you are the manager and the professional if you have a group do not let it become run by them aas although parents like to feel they know whats they dont always have the overall view

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Guest terrydoo73

Well we had our meeting tonight - 6 parents turned up, 3 for children starting in September and 3 of the current parents. It was very stilted in that I did a lot of talking and thankfully had a list prepared of items to discuss. My deputy managed to break the ice towards the end of the meeting and it ended on a good note. I tried to get some ideas of fundraisers but to no avail so I think it will be left to us to decide things in this respect! The parents do want to go down the route of sweatshirts with our name on them so I will have to do some research get samples and prices before we meet again in June. I want these ordered before we break for the summer holidays. We will probably meet as and when required ie if we are doing a fundraiser and need help or if we do plan an outing.

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