2025-08-31-accounts

- Stalbridge Pre School Annual General Meeting Wednesday 8[th] October 2025 7.30pm - Minutes

1. Committee Present – Vikki Trowbridge (Chairperson), Mary Simpson (Secretary), Gemma Hampton (Treasurer), Debbie Chant (DC) (staff), Rachael Trim (committee), Charlotte Coughlin (committee), Lily Meads (Parent), Grace Hounsell (parent), Gemma Hicks (committee), Joanne Chandler (parent), Michelle Westell (committee), Anastasia Quick (parent)

2. Staff Present - Debbie Chant, Emma Castle, Megan Chase, Pippa House and Natalie Eastgate

• 3. Apologies Jade Coley, Sophie Miles, Kayleigh Prill, Grace Doney, Charlotte Roots, and Hannah Ridgeway

4. Minutes from previous AGM - Minutes agreed as a true and accurate account. They were proposed by Vikki Trowbridge and seconded by Gemma Hampton.

5. Matters Arising – None.

6. Chairperson’s Report – Vikki reported it had been a challenging year with staff and numbers. We had a successful bingo which we held at the pub, summer raffle and sports day worked well for both the children and parents. Vikki thanked all the staff and for Megan stepping up as deputy maternity cover.

7. Treasurer’s Report – Gemma Hampton gave her treasurers report – please see attached accounts Income is up because of the school year that has just gone up to school being a high cohort. Fundraising is only half as previous year; interest is up a little bit. We received £600 from the Community shop, a thank you card was sent from the children.

Grants – no furlough grants etc

Wages – are up, higher need of children from the last cohort, deputy on long term illness, NLW and from which was up by £8000 for just 6 staff.

Summer holidays – had a skip and materials bought for decking revamp

Equipment – Not as much purchased over the last year, mainly replaced smaller toys but we did purchase a spinney chair.

Consumables – parents have been asked for a consumable fee as current funding doesn’t meet it. Monies are used to purchase for example sun cream / waterproofs / soap / paper towels for the children. Debbie thanked parents for all agreeing to paying the voluntary consumables fee, all have signed up to it. Insurance and utilities – have both gone up

£500 received from Somerset County for inclusion funding, we did receive payment of this twice by them, so we did have to repay that error amount back.

We have made a profit this year because of the high cohort moved onto school. Therefore, fundraising will need to take place this year to meet the footfall because this year’s cohort is lower in numbers.

8. Manager’s Report – Report from Debbie

• Thanks to all attendees & a welcome to parents/new parents.

• CURRENT POSITION : We currently have 24 children on register, 10 children down compared to this time last year, this is mainly due to the large school group that have just transitioned to school, but also more funded 2-year-olds who require a higher level of staff to child ratio.We ended the school year with a family sports morning, parents could be involved with their children having a go at different sporting activities, the feedback from parents and staff was positive.

Our school leavers finished their time with us on a trip to Longleat, it was a large group and thanks go to any committee members or parents who made it possible by coming along to help.

• STAFFING: My Thanks to staff for their commitment to the Pre-School, their continued hard work and the support they give the children.

• Many of you will know that Hannah joined us as deputy last September but sadly has been absent since April, Hannah is expecting twins in December, and we wish her all the very best.

• Meg has stepped into the role of acting Deputy and is doing a great job, growing into the role.

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• Lucy left us after completing one year.

• Both Nat and Emma helped us out hugely by covering an extra day a week each as we found ourselves in a difficult staffing position for the Summer Term, having suddenly lost 54 staffing hours a week, I also worked in ratio to make up some of the short fall. Nat continues to cover an extra day a week, Thank you both

• Emma is working well towards her L3 Early Years Educator course.

• We welcomed Pippa to the team this September, Pippa is a Level 3 qualified practitioner with a wealth of experience, she is working 3 days a week, taking on key Person responsibilities for a key group.

• Changes: There has been a number of changes to the EYFS framework to put in place during the summer break ready for September to meet the requirements of the Early Years framework.

• The Safeguarding policy was updated to include any changes, you will all have had the opportunity to read this via the Policies folder on Tapestry, we have introduced a climate sustainability plan and an Attendance Policy, we are working on a new Food Nutrition policy and this will be adopted and shared shortly, information was shared with parents regards healthy lunch boxes and drinks before returning in September, staff now need to update safeguarding training biannually rather than every 3 years, and from April 2026 Ofsted inspections will return to every 4 years for good/outstanding settings, we are currently at the end of 4 years in what was a 6 year cycle as an Outstanding provider, it hasn’t been confirmed if all providers will go back in the hat from April 26 or the reinstated 4 year cycle will start following your current cycle.

• FUNDING: This increased in September for working parent 2-year-olds from 15 hrs to 30 hours. We would like to thank all our families who continue to support us by opting in to our voluntary consumable fee request, this really does support the Pre-School cover costs that aren’t intended to be covered by funding.

• COMMITTEE : Thanks to our Chairperson Vikki, Treasurer Gemma and Secretary Mary along with our other committee members for forming our committee this year, the monies raised from fund raising events help us to buy extra equipment and resources for the children.

• Whilst we haven’t had a need to replace larger equipment this year, we have purchased new technology toys and a spinning seat,

• This year the decking has had a major refurbish over the summer holiday, a sand pit shelter added, and the ramp lifted and relayed to level it all.

• Hand over to committee for election.

9. Election of new committee

All committee stood down, Vikki Trowbridge, Charlotte Coughlin and Jade Coley, resigned.

Gemma Hampton, Mary Simpson, Rachael Trim, Gemma Hicks, Michelle Westell and Debbie Chant stood for re-election and were voted back on.

Chairperson – Michelle Westell (proposed by Mary Simpson seconded by Gemma Hampton)

Vice Chair – Grace Hounsell (proposed by Gemma Hicks seconded by Mary Simpson

Safeguarding – to appoint at next committee meeting

Treasurer – Gemma Hampton (proposed by Mary Simpson and seconded by Michelle Westell)

Secretary – Mary Simpson (proposed by Gemma Hampton and seconded by Michelle Westell)

Committee Members – Gemma Hampton, Mary Simpson, Debbie Chant (staff), Rachael Trim, Gemma Hicks, Grace Hounsell, Laura Jefferies (Even though Laura gave her apologies for the AGM, she has indicated she would like to join the committee), Michelle Westell and Lily Mead ( please note since the AGM Lily has now said she doesn’t want to join the committee but be a friend of the committee)

Friends of the Committee – Charlotte Roots, Hannah Ridgeway, Joanne Chandler, Anastasia Quick and Lily Mead

Vikki thanked everyone for coming this evening, staff and parents and with no other business the meeting closed at 8.06pm

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