Logo designed by Elijah D (Year 8 - 2023)
Ark Blake Academy PTA Introduction
Who are we?
We are a group of enthusiastic Ark Blake Academy parents and carers who are passionate about our children’s education and wish to support the Academy by raising funds for the school and building a strong community around the school.
Ark Blake Academy’s PTA was established in Spring 2023 and is run entirely by volunteer parents and carers.
ABA PTA Leadership Team:
Chair: Monika Michalikova
Vice-Chair: Vacant
Treasurer: Claire Herbert
Secretary: Andrea Jordan
Comms Officer: Sam Terrell
Committee Members: Jennifer Wheeler, Kim Ludgate, Natasha Dinsey, Paula Hawkins, Qi Cao & Uma Dias
What we do?
Our main aims are:
- To support the Academy in building a strong Ark Blake school community
- To support the Academy with activities, facilities, equipment and fundraising
- To support the Academy’s Leadership and staff in working towards becoming the best secondary school in Croydon
Fundraising and Community building
PTAs are best known for their fundraising work as well as being an integral social connection between parents and carers. Ark Blake Academy PTA is no exception.
Through our already well-established fundraising events such as bake sales, book sales and second hand uniform sales which all run alongside Parents’ Evenings and school productions, we are providing an opportunity for parents, staff and also students to come together in a little less formal setting.
With ABA PTA still being very young, our programme of events and activities is continuously growing. We are currently exploring possibilities of organising Coffee Mornings, Movie Nights, Discos, Quiz Nights and a lot more.
We are also planning to enhance our fundraising by participating in various cashback schemes and through sponsorships.
All the money raised by the PTA goes back into the school and we try to ensure that the money is used for the benefit of all children at the school.
Second Hand Uniforms
The PTA is organising a second hand uniform collection to support our school community, and we need your help. If you have gently used uniforms that your child has outgrown or no longer needs, please consider donating them to the PTA. Your contributions will directly benefit families in need and help us to build a stock of affordable uniform options for all. It's also a wonderful way to recycle and reduce waste, all while supporting our students.
Simply place any clean, good quality uniform items in a bag marked ‘PTA’ and drop it into Reception.
Thank you for your generosity and continued support!
How is the PTA organised?
The ABA PTA Committee meet twice a month online. During the meetings we plan fundraising events as well as discussing any logistical matters relating to running of the Committee.
We held our first 'open to all' Annual General Meeting on Monday 15th July 2024 during which we shared our activities during the year as well as our plans for the coming year. We presented our current financial position (monies raised and spent) to all attendees and we voted in our Committee for academic year 2024/25.
If you would like more information about what was discussed at our AGM, please contact us via arkblakeacademypta@gmail.com.
Would you like to get involved?
We know how busy life with children can be and we know how limited everyone’s time is which is why we have two levels of ‘getting involved’ on offer:
- Joining the PTA Committee
- Volunteering your time for events/activities
If you wish to be at the very heart of organising, planning and delivering our fundraising and community building activities and can commit to twice-monthly meetings, then becoming a member of the PTA Committee is just for you.
If your time is limited and you would prefer instead to offer a helping hand or your skills at an upcoming event, then ‘Volunteering your time for events/activities’ is the route to take. We will keep your name on our list and will contact you closer to your chosen event/activity taking place.
To get involved, or to find out more please e-mail us via arkblakeacademypta@gmail.com or reach out to any of our PTA committee members via our WhatsApp groups. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Contact us at: arkblakeacademypta@gmail.com