Claires Court Schools - A Unique Education

Claires Court & Ridgeway Society Constitution

  1. The name of the Association shall be the "Claires Court & Ridgeway Society".
  2. The object of the Association is to advance the education of the pupils in the school. In furtherance of this object the Association may:
    1. Develop more extended relationships between the staff, parents and others associated with the school
    2. Engage in activities which support the school and advance the education of the pupils attending it
    3. Provide and assist in the provision of facilities for the education at the school (not normally provided by the Principals)
    4. Promote and assist a past pupils’ network.
  3. The Association shall be non-party political and non-sectarian.
  4. The Association shall take out Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance to cover its meetings, activities, Officers and Committee.
  5. The Association may appoint a President.
  6. The names of the Vice Presidents shall be submitted at the Annual General Meeting. (These are usually people the Association wishes to honour).
    1. Members may consist of all parents and/or guardians of pupils attending the school, all teachers and past pupils of the School.
    2. Any person willing to support the objectives of the Association may if the Committee so decides be admitted to membership.
    3. Subscriptions. The subscription payable by members shall be such sum as the Committee shall from time to time decide; provided that only one subscription be payable jointly by the parents of a pupil of the school. Members' first subscriptions shall be payable on joining the Association. Members may elect to pay subscriptions by Deed of Covenant.
  8. The management of the Association shall be vested in a Committee consisting of the following Officers: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon Secretary, Hon Assistant Secretary, Hon Treasurer, Hon Assistant Treasurer together with six other elected members of the Association. In addition, one of the Principals and the Head Teachers of the schools shall sit on the Committee.
  9. The Officers and Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall serve until the commencement of the next Annual General Meeting.
  10. Five elected members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
  11. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members to include a teacher representative from either school. Co-opted members have full voting rights.
  12. The Committee may appoint sub-committees, as it deems necessary and shall prescribe their function provided that all acts and proceedings of any such sub-committee shall be reported to the Committee as soon as possible and provided further that no such sub-committee shall expend funds of the Association otherwise than in accordance with a budget agreed by the Committee.
  13. Committee meetings shall be held at least once each term.
  14. The Annual General Meeting shall be in the autumn term. At the Annual General Meeting the chair shall be taken by the President, Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Committee.
  15. Nominations shall be proposed and seconded by members and should have the consent of the nominee. Nominations may be made at any time prior to the commencement of the Annual General Meeting.
  16. The Committee may fill casual vacancies by co-option until the next Annual General Meeting.
  17. One Auditor who is not a member of the committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting to audit the accounts and books of the Association.
  18. Special General Meetings may be called at the written request of a minimum of 10 members.
  19. Fourteen days notice shall be given of any Special General Meeting to all members of the Association.
  20. The Honorary Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping account of all Income and Expenditure and shall present a financial report to all Committee meetings, and shall present the accounts duly audited for approval by the members at the Annual General Meeting.
  21. Bank Accounts shall be operated in the name of the Association and withdrawals shall be made on the signature of any two of the Officers of the Association.
  22. The financial year shall commence on 1 September of the academic year for which the Committee is due to serve.
  23. Any matter not provided for in the Constitution and concerned the organisation and activities of the Association shall be dealt with by the Committee whose decision shall be final.
  24. No alteration to this Constitution may be made except at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for this purpose. No amendments or alterations shall be made without the prior written permission of The Charity Commission to Clauses 2, 24 and 25 and no alteration shall be made which could cause the Association to cease to be a charity in law. Alterations to the Constitution shall receive the assent of two thirds of the members present and voting at an AGM or Special General Meeting.
  25. The Association may be dissolved by a resolution presented at a Special General Meeting called for this purpose. The resolution must have the assent of two thirds of those present and voting. Such resolution may given instructions for the disposal of any assets remaining after satisfying any outstanding debts and liabilities. These assets shall not be distributed among the members of the Association but will be given to the school for the benefit of the children of the school, or in the event of a school closure to the school to which the majority of the children of the closing school will go, in any manner which is exclusively charitable in law. If effect cannot be given to this provision then the assets can be given to some other charitable purpose.
  26. Any notice required to be given in pursuance of these Rules shall be deemed to have been properly served upon any Member if sent by pre-paid post to the address of that Member as recorded by the Hon. Secretary, such notice being given in 14 days.

July 2006