Friends
Critical and supportive friends | Friends, Parents and Teachers Association (FPTA)
Out current parent council groups are many. They are listed below. Each group serves a different purpose and contributes to our school life in a slightly unique manner.
You can't have a motto like, 'Together we can...' without working closely with a 'friends of school' group. Our Friends, Parents and Teachers Association (FPTA) is a fundamental part of our school work and a direct link to our community.
The FPTA members meet with senior members at least once a term. The reality, however, due to the set-up of our school, is that not a week goes by without meeting to plan and fund future ideas and projects. This helps to keep the parent voice at the centre of school decisions.
The FPTA are currently reviewing their vision and values statements and are busy plotting priorities against:
a) our community wants and needs
b) community talents and interests (plotted against our 5 Waves of Engagement)
c) academy (school) improvement plan.
Our FPTA also focus on raising the profile of curriculum ventures and ensuring everyone gets full access to learning. They work to promote activities that can be categorised against our 5 Waves of Engagement. Large amounts of their time is spent on fundraising, seasonal events and being present in and around school. The FPTA group ensures that all families get regular opportunities to have a say in how Mayflower functions. Their actions are primarily aimed at helping pupils and their parents to develop their talents and interests.
Ensuring that school stays relevant to all
Our Diversity Group is made up of community members who represent the many cultures, beliefs, religions and viewpoints both in school but also beyond. They link with local businesses and support groups and come together each term to collectively create a newsletter that represents what is important to families at Mayflower. They also check in with Senior Leaders about Mayflower's curriculum design to make sure it fully represents the families who attend. The group also looks at how new families can be made to feel welcomed and access support while navigating the world of school, skills development and employment.
We have many community and friends groups that come together to further develop their skills and knowledge of curriculum areas. We invite parents to work with us to develop their talents and interests. Parent Art groups, Maths study groups and even storytelling groups are just a few examples of these.