Friends of Brockhurst Primary School

Friends of Brockhurst is currently headed up by Katie Whitehead and Claire Parsons, both have a child in year two and both have children who have now left primary school. Katie and Claire have been involved with Friends of Brockhurst for a number of years and have organised many events throughout that time.

We meet up periodically throughout the school year but due to work and family commitments this is often done on an ad-hoc basis, a lot of our communication is done virtually.

FOB events:

• Fireworks night – Fireworks display, sale of glow items from a small FOB pop up shop, sale of some refreshments such as hot and cold drinks, outside venders attending with rides and further refreshments.
• Christmas Shop – Annual event where small, wrapped gifts are available for children to purchase. All gifts are £1 each, children are able to purchase up to five gifts for family or friends. Gift tags are sent home prior to the event to allow parents to help the children decide who to buy gifts for. Children attend the shop one class at a time with adult support to chose gifts from various sections such as men, women, younger children and even pets. The shop is also opened at the end of the school day (stock allowing) for adults, children and staff to purchase additional gifts.
• Christmas Fair – annual event with various stalls such as a tombola, bottle hoopla, and a raffle. Often a Santa’s grotto is set up for the children and outside craft stalls usually attend for a fee. Refreshments and cakes usually sold by school.
• Summer Fair – annual event with rides and bouncy castles as well as various school stalls, such as a raffle, beat the goalie and soak the teacher. Also open to outside stalls who attend for a fee and shows/performances from local groups or clubs. Refreshments and cakes usually sold by the school.
• School Discos – Disco or party for the children with a DJ and party games for the younger children, Drinks are served throughout and at times refreshments, a tuck shop and a photobooth have been set up for the children.
• Bunny Bounce – Annual sponsored event, a bouncy castle is hired and set up on the field. Children are brought out in class or year groups and given the opportunity to see how many times they can jump/bounce on the bouncy castle within a set time. Teachers also take part and healthy competition is encouraged. All children receive a certificate and the bounciest children in each age group also receive a prize.
• Movie Night – A film shown via the projector in the school hall, children invited to wear their PJ’s and bring in blankets, cushions and teddies. Hot chocolate with marshmallows and biscuits served during the film.
• Year Six leavers party – Annual event for the children who are ending their time at Brockhurst Primary, a party with a DJ and a chippy tea provided as well as drinks served throughout. Awards given by teachers for various achievements and often a leaving gift or party favour is provided for the children, the class of 2021 party was provided with a photobooth.
• Used uniform sales – Donated, new and used uniform in good condition is sold for a small fee to raised funds as well as enable parents to pick up good quality uniform for a bargain price.
• Ice lolly sales – Ice lollies bought and sold for a small profit, weather dependant, often sold at other events such as sports day or new starters picnics.
• Easter Chick sales (Chocolate)- Small knitted chicks with a Cadbury’s Cream Egg inside, made by volunteers and sold at the school as well as at other sites.
• Raffles – Prizes sourced from local companies, shops and services as well as donated by parents in exchange for non uniform days or similar. Raffle tickets sold at the school prior to and at various events.
• Cake sales – Home made or shop bought, and donated cakes and treats sold at the school, either ad-hoc or during planned events.
• Refreshment Sales at school events and open days, including hot and cold drinks.
• Coffee Mornings – Coffee mornings and stay and play events at the school for parents, guardians, and grandparents etc.
• Trail the Sale – A trail of stalls set up within properties within a designated area, stall locations added to a trail map for a small fee, maps sold at the school for buyers to follow the trail of stalls.

What have we paid for:

• Additional supplies and resources for the classrooms – Teachers and support staff were asked through a survey if there was anything they needed for their classes or year groups. Additional items bought as requested for many classrooms and outside learning areas. This included “Sail” style shades for some of the outdoor areas.
• Bean bags for Nurture group room – large beanbags for children to sit on during their sessions.
• Cups, plates and travel mugs for children – Requested by Mrs Cook for her work with the children throughout the school.
• Playground equipment – Various outdoor toys, games and sports style equipment as requested by lunchtime supervisors.
• Playground painting/markings – Contribution to the repainting of the markings on the south campus playgrounds.
• Additional PE equipment – Sports equipment as requested by staff to provide additional items and more supplies.
• Toys and games for wet playtimes – board games, jigsaw puzzles and card games to keep the children entertained at playtime when it is too wet to go outside.
• Living chicks (eggs and incubator) – Paid for annually by FOB for children on both campuses to watch hatch.
• Year Six leavers’ party and gifts (either whole gift or part subsidised by FOB) – Hoodies bought for the class of 2020 as they did not have a leaving party due to lockdown. FOB fund small gifts or party favours for the leaving children. The party is also partly or fully subsidised by FOB.
• Contributions to school/class parties and Christmas parties – Various small gifts for the children and contributions to children’s parties, ie Christmas crackers etc.
• Ice poles for all children for sports day – Gifted to all children on sports day as parents unable to attend due to local restrictions.
• Football team goals, kits and drink bottles.
• Virtual Panto for whole school during local lockdowns – Paid for fully by FOB as all the children had missed out on so much throughout the pandemic.