All parents automatically become a member of the PTFA when their child starts school. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and wider family members and the local community are also very welcome to join. All are welcome to attend the PTFA committee meetings that are held once a term.  Everyone can make a valuable contribution by helping on an ad-hoc basis with the various fundraising events held throughout the year. 

We are always looking for new ideas for fundraising events so if you have any ideas please let one of the committee members or staff reps know.

Throughout the year we hold raffles and serve refreshments to raise money, so are always looking for kind donations of prizes or unwanted gifts and help in the form of cake donations, catering and so on.  We are also part of the Your School Lottery scheme which you can join for as little as £1 a week.   As well as benefiting the school you will have the chance of winning a guaranteed weekly prize for someone within your school community.  Or you can support us through Easy Fund Raising and Amazon Smile which turns your everyday online shopping into free donations for our school.

You can also join the parents WhatsApp group for all this information, just ask another parent who will add you to the group.

PTFA AGM 2024 CHAIRS REPORT – Helen Everatt Reflecting on 2023, one word springs to mind, “consolidation”. It has been an enormous privilege and responsibility for me as Chair and for the amazing PTFA Committee, to be the custodians of such a large amount of money raised by the sterling efforts of so many individuals.

Alby will talk us through the finances shortly, but I can say, that since our last AGM in 2023, £XX has been raised. WOW!

We have spent a considerable amount of time reflecting, researching and refocusing our efforts to ensure that we are spending wisely the money that is so generously raised.

Through discussions as a committee, with the wider school family, our local community and valuable input from staff, areas of need were grouped into three categories last year and 3 sub-committees were launched to oversee:

1) Rainbow Fund: – ‘Be a rainbow in someone’s cloud’ – We have created a discreet pot of funds managed by the school office, a rainbow fund, providing financial support to school families for educational trips and school activities where needed.

2) Supporting the Schools Eco Strategy- making our school as ecological as possible, including initiatives such as recycling school uniform, recycling textiles through Bag2School, hosting toy, book and bric-a-brac tabletop sales at community events, researching solar panel opportunities and so much more besides!

3) Mental Health Initiative – supporting the schools ongoing mental health strategy and focusing our efforts on providing activities to bridge the gap between primary school and secondary school, starting with a ball skills club and later on in the year, our very own climbing club run by the charity Climb at Hope Valley College.

This is all so very exciting! And it is only possible due to the formidable efforts of those who give up their time to plan events, sell tickets, buy tickets, attend events, rally around and offer their support, time and time again. Speaking both as a parent of children in the school and a member of this lovely, vibrant community, we are truly grateful, thank you. “It takes a village to raise a child”.

A special thank you to the bonfire committee and all the marvellous volunteers and supporters for that event and their unending efforts to creating what really is the event of the year in Eyam!

We have also had great success with our Christmas Hamper and Barrow of Booze Raffle raising £456, Christmas cards this year raised £203, Christmas Wreath making workshop made £160 as well as school discos, Eyam Market, an impromptu sausage sizzler… no matter your contribution, we are grateful and you are appreciated. We are always on the lookout for new ways to raise funds for the school and more supporters of these initiatives, we have hopes of a gardening programme, more social events and are always in need of volunteers to help with Easter Activities, flipping pancakes and school discos!

These events and fundraisers have given us the pleasure of part funding trips to Lea Green, coaches to sports events, school visitors for Greek Day and the Viking visitors, new school laptops, royal rulers for the coronation…

So enormous thank you for being here this evening, supporting our lovely school and in turn, enhancing the school experience our children have at these most important, formative years of their lives. Investing in them, is investing in our futures.

A unique bonfire experience for those who come to attend Eyam Bonfire and quite a spectacle for all to see.  In remembrance of the devastating effects that the Plague had in 1665 in our village taking the lives of 260 residents who heroically isolated to contain the outbreak which was carried to Eyam by rats, a giant wicker and paper mache rat is made and burned each bonfire night. This is the largest fundraiser for the school and following an amazing £16,500 profit was raised for the school this year.