Kellett School's Parents' Committee was formed in 1978 to act as an important link between the school and the parents and to help to co-ordinate the various parent activities which take place in the school.

Meetings of the Parents' Committee take place monthly to bi-monthly on Mondays throughout term times. The Committee membership comprises the various Co-ordinators and Class Mother representatives. These positions are open to all parents for nomination in June every year, with the exception of the positions of Secretary and Chairman which are elected every two years. The position of Chairman is elected from the body of the Committee.

Please note that the Parents' Committee remit does not extend to matters relating to Educational Policy. These should be referred initially to the Principal or may be referred to the Kellett Board of Governors. Matters relating to individual pupils should initially be referred to the class teacher.

Chairman - Co-ordinates the Committee meetings, liaises closely with the Principal regarding matters brought to the attention of the Committee and advises the Parents' Committee of any issues raised by the Principal for discussion.

Secretary - Takes the minutes of the meetings and ensures distribution to the members of the Committee. Prepares the contribution of the Committee to the School Newsletter. Undertakes any further secretarial or administrative tasks as required by the Committee.

Treasurer - Works in conjunction with the School's Business Manager to ensure an accurate account is kept of funds raised through the Parents' Committee and of the disbursement of such funds. Ensures, through the Secretary, that parents are kept informed of the manner in which funds are being used.

Bookshop Co-ordinator - Responsible for the general running of the bookshop, including organising the roster for parent volunteers. Liaises with the teacher responsible for the ordering of stack, informing her of areas where stock is low and any new suggestions. Processing new book orders which includes pricing and entering information onto computer systems. General maintenance of the computerised stock file. Conducting an annual stock take.

Cooking Room Co-ordinator - Checks the Cooking Room, ensures that all equipment and supplies required regularly are available and purchases these when required. Liaises with the School cleaner on laundry requirement. Works with the Design and Technology subject leader to review the recipes used in class.

Hospitality Co-ordinator - Responsible for organising refreshments at all school events which involve children, parents or visitors outside normal school hours. Orders all stock required. Organises a roster for helpers when required.

Kellett Cares Co-ordinator - Convenes and co-ordinates a committee of parent volunteers to run the Kellett Cares Initiative and sets the direction of the program for the year.

Social Events Co-ordinator - Responsible for organising major fund-raising events such as the Spring Fair and social events for both parents and children.

Sports Day Co-ordinator - Responsible for organisation of Sports Day, in conjunction with the PE teacher. Organises the games, timetable and rosters for the day, and awards for the children.

Uniform/Parents Room Co-ordinator - Responsible for organising the Uniform Shop every Friday and organising a roster at the beginning of term for Parents' Room helpers. Ordering uniform from suppliers and liaising with the school office on School Uniform issues. Organises stock takes at the end of each term.

Yearbook Co-ordinator - Organises a team, arranges meetings and oversees the planning to produce the Kellett School Yearbook, and the school calendar.

Class Mothers - Class Mothers have a vital role to play within the school. Not only are they the liaison between the class teacher and the class parents, they are also active in promoting a sense of community amongst the parents. Perhaps most important of all is the link class mothers provide between new parents and the rest of the school community.

Role of Class Parent
The role of Class Parent is integral to the smooth running of Kellett and the time and effort involved in this role is greatly appreciated by the children, teachers and other parents.

The “job description” for Class Parent is in the school handbook. The most important tasks are:

• To act as liaison between the class teacher and the parents.
• To encourage a sense of “school” community amongst the parents. Children in classes with a strong sense of community, bond better and work more cohesively as a class.
• To provide a link between new parents and the rest of the school community.

Many of the tasks required of Class Parents, occur in the first week of term.

• Setting up a list of telephone, fax and mobile numbers and email addresses.
  Putting in place a class telephone tree, which is used for emergencies such as the closure of school for a typhoon.
• Notifying the parents about the Year Group meetings at school.
• Arranging a time where parents can meet informally. Such meetings are usually coffee mornings held at one’s home and are a social occasion which provides a forum for communication. Some classes like to get together more than others and that is obviously up to individual classes and parents. One formula that works well is for a coffee morning to be held after a new parent joins a class so they can get to know some other parents.

Parent’s Committee: All Class Parents are automatically members of the Parents Committee. Often only one Class Parent from each year group attends the meeting in any one term providing feed back to other Class Parents in that year group. As a member of the Parents Committee, Class Parents provide a conduit for parents to raise issues and should also feed back to the classes any matters of interest or importance from the Committee.

Volunteers; In consultation with the class teacher and the co-ordinators, Class Parents are requested by teachers to organise parent volunteers for class activities and outings during the year. A meeting of all Class Parents and Co-ordinators is held early in the term so that co-ordinators can explain what is required of the class parents. At the year group meetings, there are volunteer lists available for all the activities such as library, wardrobe, hospitality etc. Everyone should be encouraged to get involved in something.

At the end of term, some people like to give teachers a present. Some classes prefer to give a group present and this is usually co-ordinated by the Class Parent. There is no obligation for presents to be given and there is no stipulation for an amount of money.

The role of Class Parent does not extend to issues relating to teaching or issues with individual students. Parents should talk to teachers individually regarding their own child. If there is an issue with a teacher, which is unable to be resolved, the parent should then raise the matter with the Headmistress.