Welcome!

We are members of the Hexham Middle School PTA. We volunteer our time, along with various parent and staff helpers, to help raise money to benefit all children at HMS. As a parent/guardian of a child at HMS, you are automatically a member of the PTA – the committee are here to represent you.

Click here for the 2022-2023 PTA Annual Report.

What is the PTA?

The PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is an open community of parent volunteers working alongside the school and teachers to benefit the school and ensure the best educational experience for all its pupils.

Current committee roles

Co-Chair: Sheryl Coe (Year 6 & 8 parent)
Treasurer: Suzanne Cadge  (Year 5 parent)
HMS Lottery Secretary: Kate Robson (Year 7 parent)
Other committee members: Becky Elton and Lorna Beech

Six reasons why your PTA matters

  1. It sets a great example for your child – Being active in the PTA not only improves your child’s school but also makes you an excellent role model. Research has confirmed what we already knew: When children see us involved in their school and learning, it encourages them to do their best.
  2. It builds trust – It’s a great way to get to know other parents and teachers whilst gaining an insight into the workings of the school. With parents and teachers striving towards the same goals, the parent group is instrumental in making a real difference in the school life of all children. It’s also a fantastic way to familiarise younger siblings with their future school and teachers.
  3. It raises welcome funds – Whether it’s creating an outdoor learning space, subsidising transport for a theatre trip or arranging a visit from a top author, the funds raised from your
    activities impact massively on the opportunities and experiences of all the children at school.
  4. It gives you a voice – Many PTAs already act as a consultative group for the school leaders and governors. So whether it’s deciding on where PTA funds are spent or getting parent views on school activities, you can make sure parents have a voice in how your school operates.
  5. It forges connections beyond the school gates – PTAs are brilliant for building relationships with the local community, from events to sponsorships from local businesses and mentions in local press.
  6. It’s good for you – Every parent has plenty to offer a PTA and whether it’s being on the committee or helping out, your talents will be put to good use. As well as being enjoyable and satisfying, you can build your confidence and learn new skills too.

Our Events

The PTA aims to make sure children have fun whilst raising money for our school. We try to make events affordable and enjoyable for everyone. Over the last year we have held discos, movie nights, fairs, pop-up gift shops, uniform sales and second hand clothing collections as well as providing refreshments at other school-organised events. 

How you can help

There are a lot of PTA activities to help with – from offering new ideas, coming along to our fun, informal meetings to help plan and organise events, fundraising, social media posts, baking, serving drinks, manning stalls to blagging prizes from local organisations and helping to set up equipment. Perhaps you have a flair for graphic design, events management, photography, or you’re good at selling raffle tickets and promoting events. There are all sorts of skills we need!

As many of us are working parents, we appreciate the pressures of family and work and we value any amount of time parents can spare us. We hope to strike a happy balance between home, work and PTA life – but with more volunteers on board it definitely helps to share the load!

Support for our events is just as important – so please come along to them whenever you can.

HMS PTA Lottery

Another easy way to support the PTA is to join the HMS PTA Lottery for a chance to win cash prizes each month. To sign up, please click here. For more information please email: hmsprizedraw@gmail.com

Do I need to be DBS checked?

If you want to be able to help at in-school events where you will be in contact with the children then you will need to have a check carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure the safety of the children. You may already have a valid DBS certificate but, if not, it’s a very simple procedure, so please don’t let this put you off! Some activities, the summer fair, for example, where the children are under parental supervision, don’t require a DBS check. You don’t need a DBS to attend meetings and help with planning events either.

Join us!

Why not come along to our next meeting? We always need new members and would love to meet you. Informal meetings are usually held once a month on a weekday evening and will be advertised via Schoolcomms.