Friends and Parents

FRIENDS OF ST. ANNE’S

Welcome to the Friends of St Anne’s page. If you are a new parent and finding us for the first time – a BIG warm welcome from the Friends of St Anne’s Committee.

Friends of St Anne’s is a small charity constitution that was started in September 2011 by a few parents of the school in conjunction with Kay O’Neill, Residence Childcare Manager.

The Committee is made up of parents who have children in the school: Amanda Best (Chair); Katy Bristow (Vice Chair and Secretary); Carly Barras ( Treasurer); and Trustees: Hannah Pears, Leanne Hemsworth and Lesley Eccles.

Fundraising

The Committee meet up regularly to discuss and arrange events for parents and friends of the school to raise much needed funds for non-educational equipment and activities for all the children at St Anne’s. We have been very successful in providing funding for residence trips, sporting activities and fun events.

We hold events big and small throughout the year which are well supported by parents, friends, staff and local businesses. Every single penny we raise goes into school for the benefit of our fabulous children.

Apart from our fundraising, Friends of St Anne’s apply for Grants (some successful and some not!) and have also received some very generous private donations which are allocated into school and the School Residence (please visit their page)

Parent Partnership

We have a good relationship with our school and are regularly consulted in an effort to improve parent support and communication.

We have Rosie Driver; Sixth Form teacher appointed as the Parent Partnership Co-Ordinator, and we speak with her on a regular basis to ensure this remains a strong focus of the school.

Parent to Parent Support

As parents we all know our children are special and we feel very lucky and fortunate to have support from the dedicated staff at St Anne’s. We know how hard it is to have a child start school, and we appreciate how very different it is to send your children with extra needs off to school.

At St Anne’s, we do not have the opportunity to meet other parents in the ‘school playground’. Friends of St Anne’s recognised the importance of parent to parent support and the precious need of introducing and bringing parents together. In 2014 we successfully launched the SMSC (Special Mums/Dads/Carers Social Club) and St Anne’s parent/carers school gates.

We meet up regularly for lunch, coffee, walking etc when the children are in school, giving ourselves a few precious hours off from our responsibilities. (We do NOT arrange activities for the children – there are so many other fabulous groups who do that – but groups of parents and children often meet up outside of school hours and during school holidays).

There is absolutely no commitment necessary to either groups, we all drop in and out as and when we can.

Our events and activities are advertised on our CLOSED Facebook page – find us by searching for SMSC/St Anne’s parent/carers school gates. or contact one of the Committee direct.

We also send out details of events and activities closer to their happening dates – either on the school Newsletter (also published on this website) or by separate letter/advert in your child’s book bag – so don’t forget to check inside those diaries and bags!

We would love to meet you, and if you have any ideas for fundraising and/or want to get involved, please don’t be shy, just let us know – we are always open to new suggestions.

We look forward to seeing you.

Amanda Best

(Chairperson)