Parent-teacher association constitution and rules

About this document

Use this template to create a constitution - a set of terms and conditions - for your association. It covers all aspects of a modern PTA, and has been made in a way that is easy for you to edit and customize. The use of plain English ensures that everyone has the same understanding of the constitution, and there is no room for confusion.

Ideally, a constitution should be put in place when you form the association or are planning to do so. You can also use this template if the association already exists and you either want to make some changes, make it more formal, or replace it altogether.

Is this template suitable for your association?

This document is suitable for PTAs at any school level, and of any size. You can easily make the required changes to the document and adapt it to suit your needs. For example, your association may:

• promote fairs, fetes, raffles and other social or charitable events
• organise educational activities for the children
• supervise extra-curricular activities
• assist with transport to and from the school

The law relating to associations

Whilst having a constitution is not a legal requirement; it does have benefits. A parent teacher association requires a certain level of care, accountability and responsibility, and the actions of the PTA can have a direct influence on a child’s education.

PTAs naturally have many different people in them, each with their own interests: parents, teachers, the school, the children themselves. A strong constitution will give your association structure, and define it as a separate entity from the school administration, with its own goals and agenda.

One of the common functions of a PTA is to organise events, such as festivals and sports competitions. This requires members to work with other businesses, generate funds, and hire organisers. You will find that a well defined constitution will make it easier for you to operate like a business, as opposed to a group of individuals.

Being a member of a PTA can have legal implications. Most associations are formed as unincorporated associations. Being “unincorporated”, simply means that it has not been registered as a company. This has advantages, in that it is easy to set-up and to administer, and disadvantages, in that it has no legal identity of its own beyond the identity of the individual members. The implication is that the members are personally responsible for any debts or obligations that arise.

Controlling the personal liability of members is, therefore, one of the strongest reasons to have a formal constitution. If you, as a member, are liable for decisions made by another member, you’ll want to make sure that decisions are made in your interest and the interest of the association.

You may wish to read more about the structure of unincorporated associations.

Alternative documents

We offer a standard set of rules for a club of any kind.

Or, you may want to browse our full range of constitutions for different types of association and club.