Benson C of EPrimary School
FOBS
Welcome to the FoBS section of our website
How does FoBS support the school community?
Friends of Benson School (FoBS), is our school parent teacher association (PTA). FoBS is an integral part of the school and wider village community and this strong support network has enabled us to raise thousands of pounds that are spent on school facilities, equipment and resources to enhance our children’s experiences at school.
But FoBS is about much more than simply fundraising. We exist to provide closer links between home and school, and it is an excellent way to bring staff, parents and friends together socially in support of the school, working towards a common goal.
We have a core committee that has to be voted in at our annual AGM meeting:
Chair – Rachel Tennant
Secretary – Suzie Royston-Airey
Finance – Steven Hiscock
Second Hand uniform – Kylie Hester McGuinness
Bags2School donations – Emily Chubb
Disco – Tiffany O’Brien
All families are automatically members of FoBS when their child joins the school. No family is required to be involved in the organisation of events; we simply encourage parents and members of the school community to become involved in whatever capacity suits. We understand how busy family life can be, so we aim to make any involvement an enjoyable experience. FoBS is extremely conscious of the ethos and diversity of our school, and we try very hard when organising and planning events to respect this. Many of our fundraisers are run with the aim of giving the children a good time, and as a way of thanking families for their continued support.
What does FoBS do?
In the 2024-2025 school year FoBS raised nearly £20,000 for the school, through a mixture of grants and fundraising. We made donations and committed to spend approx. £10k on resources and fun activities for the school, including external workshops, the Year 5 ukulele lessons, £200 per class fund, school trip transport and the life education bus.
We were also delighted to be able to offer fun events throughout the year. At Christmas time we had the Christmas Shop, Santa Sleigh (in conjunction with Wallingford 1155), Christmas cards / mugs; as well as the raffle and decorated the hall for the Christmas lunch which the children loved. Throughout the school year the children loved choosing a treat at our half termly cake sales. The Summer Fair was also a great success, with bouncy castles, fantastic class stalls, firefighters, as well as some wonderful local businesses. We also raised much needed funds via the second hand uniform sales, Bags2school donations and recycling old printer cartridges.
All this could not have happened without so many fantastic parents getting involved and helping out. So, whether you helped to organise an activity, helped with an event, or showed your support, we are extremely grateful.
How Can You Get Involved?
Our school is getting bigger and with this, the funding requests from the school are growing. We always need more members with new ideas and energy to join the team. Please do consider giving up a little bit of your time to help us help the children and the school.
Join our two Facebook groups, ‘Friends of Benson School’ and ‘FoBS Committee’.
Have a look at what we do and have a think about how you can help.
You can also donate directly to FoBS on School Money.
We have lots of exciting events coming up this year and we hope to enjoy these moments with as many of you as possible!
Contact:
Rachel Tennant: 07988826628