St Matthews Pre-School Group
Annual Trustees Report 2024-2025
Introduction
St Matthews Pre-School Group, a registered charity (No. 1019336), is dedicated to transparency and accountability. As part of our legal obligations, we hold an AGM and present this Trustees' Annual Report, which includes a comprehensive financial overview for the year. This document is subsequently submitted to the Charities Commission and made available on their website for public viewing.
We operate in accordance with the 2011 Early Years Alliance Constitution, and our committee, composed of service users (parents/caregivers), oversees the pre-school’s operations. The committee must include a Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, and at least two additional members to form a quorum for decision-making.
Overview of the Year 2024/25
A great start to the pre-school year with pretty much full sessions right from the beginning. All staff were in place, and we had no staff vacancies to fill for this year.
Friday sessions were introduced from January, which were a lot of fun for the children they called them fun Fridays. Unfortunately, these sessions never had a high uptake but have continued to run.
Our fundraising efforts continued successfully, with events such as the sponsored Autumn Toddle and raffles held during the Christmas Nativity and Sports Day. Additional funds were raised through an Easter party, and a donut sale at the school’s summer fair. These efforts helped fund essential resources, including new sports resources for pre-school.
We had several exciting visitors this year, including Vicar Alan, a fire engine and police car. We enjoyed regular weekly visits from Beth from Les Petit Pois, who provided Fun French lessons for the children and Gilly from robot reg phonics ran sessions weekly. Both sessions were a great hit with the children.
This year leavers enjoyed a lovely trip to the airport runway park and had a fantastic leavers ceremony to finish their time at pre-school. They’ve all had a great start in school this year.
At the close of the 2024-2025 school year, we bid farewell to our longserving deputy manager Beth Lockie. Her position of deputy was advertised internally, and we are pleased that Emma Nicholl was offered the position.
Committee
The 2024/25 committee members were as follows:
Chair – Victoria Lockwood
Secretary – Hannah Wood
Treasurer – Rebecca Webster
Member – Victoria Howarth
Member – Rachel Young
Louise Moye serves as the nominated person for Ofsted, and Rebecca King is our point of contact for the Charities Commission. The payroll signatories are Rebecca King and Victoria Lockwood.
Thank You
We would like to extend our gratitude to all the staff for their hard work and dedication to the pre school. The nurturing environment they provide fosters confidence and independence, qualities that are greatly appreciated by parents and carers.
We also wish to thank the committee for their support over the past year —their fundraising efforts, ideas, and ongoing encouragement have been invaluable.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to the parents, relatives, and friends whose generous donations and continued support sustain the operation of our pre-school.
Finally, we have said goodbye to our chair this year as her daughter left for school which leaves us with a chair vacancy for 2025/26.
Financial Overview of St Matthews Pre-School Group Accounts (1st August 2024 - 31st July 2025)
Registered Charity No: 1019336
Overview
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis, covering the period from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025. Total income for the year amounted to £127,328 , with the main sources being fees and grants ( £114,099 ) and parental contributions for hot lunches, snacks, and consumables ( £7,530 ).
Total expenditure for the year was £107,752 , representing an increase of £27,640 compared to the previous year, in line with the growth in income. Despite this increase, the year ended with a £19,576 surplus , which will be reinvested into pre-school improvements and to continue regenerating the business reserve, which had been utilised in previous years.
At the year end, the closing balance on the current account was £2,679 , and the reserve account balance was £45,143 .
Key Areas to Note
Fees & Grants
Income from parental fees and grants provided by Warrington Borough Council amounted to £114,099 , compared to £89,721 in the previous year. This increase reflects both higher government funding rates for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds and an increase in opening hours from January 2025 to include a full day on Fridays, when the setting was previously closed.
Snack / Consumables Fees
The pre-school received £3,722 in voluntary parental contributions towards snacks and consumables. These funds supported the provision of healthy snacks, cleanliness of the premises and equipment, and arts and crafts materials.
Fundraising
Fundraising activities during 2024/25 raised £966 , with no associated fundraising expenditure. The Autumn Toddle and Nativity fundraising events were the most successful. A detailed breakdown is provided in Annex 2.
Expenditure
The main areas of expenditure are outlined below:
Staff Costs
As a childcare organisation, staffing is the largest area of expenditure. Total staff costs for the year amounted to £70,261 , compared to £56,870 in 2023/24, with five staff members on the payroll throughout the year.
In April 2025, increases to the National Minimum Wage and changes to employer National Insurance thresholds and rates resulted in higher staffing costs, even where pay rates and core hours remained broadly unchanged. Additional staffing costs were also incurred to cover the new Friday session from January 2025.
Despite these pressures, the pre-school continued to pay practitioner salaries above the National Minimum Wage. Hourly rates at the year end were:
1. Manager: salaried
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Deputy Manager: £13.40 per hour
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Assistants: £12.40 per hour
For reference, the National Minimum Wage from April 2025 was £12.21 per hour . The charity also meets its legal obligations in relation to workplace pension contributions.
Snacks, Lunches & Supplies
Expenditure on snacks and lunches (payable to Warrington Borough Council) totalled £4,256 , with an additional £106 spent on cleaning supplies. Healthy snacks were provided daily, supported by parental contributions.
Rent
Rent payable to St Matthews PCC amounted to £11,509 , compared to £9,300 in the previous year. This reflects both an increase in hourly rates and additional rent for Friday sessions from January 2025.
Toys & Equipment
Expenditure on toys and equipment totalled £4,520 , compared to £1,859 in the previous year. This increase reflects higher income levels and the charity’s obligation to reinvest surplus funds into improving provision. A detailed breakdown is included in Annex 1.
Curriculum, Outings & Events
A total of £4,727 was spent on curriculum enrichment, outings and special events, including extra-curricular activities such as Phonics and Fun French, as well as the school leavers’ trip and seasonal events.
Mobile Phone & Broadband
Expenditure of £330 was incurred for the pre-school’s mobile phone and broadband services.
Staff Training
Investment in staff training continued during the year, with total expenditure of £635 . This included the Noodle Now online training platform and training provided by Warrington Borough Council, covering Ofsted and safeguarding.
Other Costs
Other expenditure totalled £2,895 , covering skip hire, outdoor improvements (including a new gate for enhanced security), shed renovations, staff gift vouchers, and a new banner celebrating the Ofsted Outstanding achievement.
Cash Flow
Cash flow is closely monitored and managed on a term-by-term basis.
St Matthews Pre-School Group maintains a business reserve account to:
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Meet redundancy liabilities.
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Provide general contingency reserves equivalent to one term’s essential expenditure (approximately one-third of annual running costs). This includes salaries (including National Insurance and pensions), subscriptions, telephone, rent, and basic supplies.
Annual essential running costs are approximately £95,600 , equating to around £31,900 per term . At the year end, the reserve account stood at £45,143 , providing a prudent buffer above the minimum requirement. Trustees consider this appropriate given the charity’s high fixed staffing costs and the need to maintain continuity of provision, and note that a proportion of reserves is planned to be invested in improvements to the pre-school during the next financial year.
| Toys & Equipment Expenditure | £ |
|---|---|
| Tables and chairs | £2583.14 |
| Roleplay panel | £585.59 |
Annex 1
| Fridge | £224 |
|---|---|
| Printer | £149.99 |
| Specialist Chair | £124.80 |
| Role play toys | £114.13 |
| Sandbox Lid | £54.81 |
| Mattress Sheets | £44.85 |
| Graduation caps and gowns/other props | £62.86 |
| Storage trunks | £33.99 |
| Easel | £29 |
| Shredder | £27.19 |
| Visual Timetable | £22.79 |
| Shed posters and lighting | £21.96 |
| Gate doorbell | £19.78 |
| Storage boxes | £17.99 |
| Books | £28.98 |
| Board game | £9.50 |
| Garden ivy | £6.98 |
| Sorting buttons and laces | £6.95 |
| Flan dish | £5 |
| Organza bags | £4.99 |
| Temu resources including costumes, aprons and Christmas toys |
£296.28 |
| Waterproof bunting | £17.98 |
| Total Toys & Equipment Expenditure | £4520.31 |
Annex 2
| Event | Income | Expenditure | Net Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Toddle | £429 | £429 | |
| Nativity | £341 | £341 | |
| Sports Day | £103 | £103 | |
| Leavers day | £93 | £93 | |
| Total Fundraising | £966 | £0 | £966 |