2023-08-31-accounts - All Cannings Preschool

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ALL CANNINGS PRE SCHOOL TRUSTEES’ REPORT

1 September 2022 – 31 August 2023

1.0 Reference and Administration Details:

Charity Name: All Cannings Pre School Charity No.: 1022946 Address: The Village Hall, The Street, All Cannings, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 3PA

2.0 Names of Trustees who manage the charity and how they are recruited:

2.1 Period 01.09.22 – 21.11.22

COMMITTEE ROLE	NAME
Chair	Robbie Daw^
Vice Chair	vacant
Secretary	Alison Bull
Treasurer/Administrator	David Conroy
Preschool Manager**	Nicola Cowdry
Registrations Officer	Gemma Richardson
Fundraising/Friends Coordinator	Effie Oram** ^(staff from Sept 2021)
Staff Members(Co-opted)	Lucy Jenkins, Peach Shakesby**^(staff from June 2020)
Committee Safeguarding Member	Harriett Webb*

*Current parents during this period 10%). ^ex parent to July 2022 (30%)

2.1 Period 21.11.22 – 31.08.23

COMMITTEE ROLE	NAME
Chair	Robbie Daw^
Vice Chair	Alison Bull
Secretary	Alison Bull
Meetings Secretary	Philippa Bohan^
Treasurer/Administrator	David Conroy
Registrations Officer	Vacant, role subsumed into Secretary role
Pre School Manager**	Nicola Cowdry
Staff Members(Co-opted)**	LucyJenkins,Peach Shakesby^ Effie Oram^
Committee Safeguarding Member	Harriet Webb*

*Current parents during this period (10%) ^ex parent to July 2022 (30%)

(**The Pre School Alliance Constitution 2011 enables staff to be members of the Committee provided they are not paid for Committee activities, and are excluded from votes on subjects where they have conflicts of interest). Trustees are recruited by advertising locally by word of mouth, in the local social media groups and communications in person, on paper/posters, and Pre School parent social media groups specifically. The aim is to achieve 60% Committee membership of existing Pre School parents, but with mothers pursuing careers and often seeking wrap around childcare, numbers available to help with Committee work appear to be dwindling. This is a phenomenon post pandemic that seems to be affecting other local charities (ons.gov.uk)). Nominations are received at the Preschool AGM and voted in by majority vote.)

Skills and experience in Committee members: The Committee membership has remained stable over the past two years an, despite the challenging context with more parents returning to the paid workplace. This is exemplified by the cases of the ex Vice Chair, who left after obtaining a TA role at the village primary school. The new Meetings Secretary took up a partial volunteer role as she had been re recruited to her previous job as FE lecturer. The other key Committee role holders remain unchanged but have embraced the benefits of ex parents as staff being co-opted to the Committee. Also key officers possess professional business, admin and HR backgrounds.

3.0 Structure, Governance and Management 2022 - 2023

The Committee operates following the Pre-School (now Early Years) Alliance Constitution 2011. Other advice and guidance is obtained from the Early Years Alliance and Wiltshire County Council Early Years Department.

All Cannings Pre School opened in 1974 and is run in the Village Hall, All Cannings, which includes a large playground and a secure grassy garden. It is registered to provide early years education to a maximum of 17 children per session aged 2 – 5 years. Operating hours were Monday to Thursday 0845 – 1500 and Friday 0845 – 1245, term time only. During this period, it employed three, rising to five, part-time staff members, due to the fact that a large cohort of 3 – 4 year olds (13 from 17 children) were in place most of the year until July 2023 when they ‘graduated’ Staff continue to be paid rates based on the National Living Wage, reviewed annually in April, in line with NLW changes. In April 2023, this put pressure on our finances as the Government raised NLW by 9.5%

The Preschool is valued by parents and children as a small village rural setting, with excellent staffing ratios, and a pipeline to All Cannings CE Junior School in the village. It has a ‘good’ OFSTED rating, due to be reviewed by May 2024.

4.0 Objectives and Activities – Academic Year 01.09.22 – 31.08.23

Continue effective client recruitment to maximize number, although anticipating the ‘Covid blip’ of reduced childbirths in 2020/2021 might have an impact from September 2023
Ensure fundraising is sustainable and contributes well as a marketing and financial mechanism (but is not the primary focus of the committee)
Maintain up to 30 hours opening, in consultation with the village hall committee and users.
Update HR policies and practices and enhance staff and Committee appraisal and CPD in particular mandatory training (especially safeguarding).
Complete continuing policy and practice uprating to conform to legal and funding provider standards.
Ensure we aim to retain ‘good’ OFSTED status but work on areas to support a future ‘outstanding’ outcome by working to OFSTED outstanding assessment criteria, in particular training of staff and Committee members.
To continue to work with the hall and village community to maximum mutual benefit, including improving hall/preschool shared outdoor space.

5.0 Key Achievements, Performance and Public Benefit – Academic Year 01.09.22 – 31.08.23

We continued to recruit effectively still attracting local parents, so numbers remained heathy in this period.
We are one of the largest employers in our village, through offering flexible part time working to our female staff. We are also developing our offering for volunteering/training opportunities for both governance and in the setting (with the aim of minimizing operating costs)..
Fundraising reverted to traditional activities such as Easter Egg Hunt and we ran our local Bonfire Night without local competition, raising a healthy £5,000 for funds. We ensured professional operation, including paid first aider, and firework setting professional training for the five team members.
Opening hours : these were reduced from November 2022 as new post pandemic ‘working week’ of Mon – Thursday affected demand on a Friday, and returning parents sought wrap around care at local nurseries as they returned to work. Hours – Mon – Thurs 0900 – 1500 only. This despite other Friday Hall users agreeing to adjust their afternoon start to accommodate a whole preschool day if required.
Emphasis on CPD continued, with all staff, including zero hours, making good use of continuing online training provided by our funders (Wiltshire Council) and others. In addition, Committee members engaged with short online training and reading and quiz CPD in relation to safeguarding, safer recruitment and other useful CPD sessions to maintain current practice.
We have made good progress in reviewing policy and practice uprating with reference to EYFS updates to conform to legal and funding provider standards.
We are developing, with our landlords the village hall, a plan for our outdoor space including planning to renew storage sheds, develop gardening in new trugs and messy play equipment. However, we have had to engage with the changing governance of the village hall, as its ownership has, throughout this period, been transitioning from the extant Mary Watney Trust to a new All Cannings Community Trust due to come into being at the end of 2023. In this context, we have met the landlords to consider rental costs but, due to pay pressures, and reduced operating hours, have argued that the rent, if anything, should be reduced. For several years, the preschool has been providing 90% village hall income. However, they continue to be supportive in relating to the outdoor space. The soft play surface has indeed been mended due to neither party being able to afford, nor secure funding for, a full replacement of this surface in the short term.

6.0 Financial Review

All Cannings Pre School is a small rural charity, operating only in the UK. Its funds derive from parent fees, early years funding from Wiltshire County Council, and local fundraising (not involving professional fundraisers or contracts). Its trustees are still only volunteers who receive no remuneration, although valid expenses may be reimbursed.

6.1 Financial Statement

Appendix 1 provides the financial statement, which has been reviewed by our accountants Charlton Baker. These show that, bolstered by historic income from higher than usual child numbers and some good fundraising, there are still no significant issues with operating funds. Also, the organisation has continued to be sustainably popular with local (village) parents and those from elsewhere who wish their children to graduate to the All Cannings Primary School.

6.2 Debts, Reserves Policy

During this period, the contingency reserves have been maintained at above the policy minimum of £3,000 thanks to prudent cost management and support (discussed in 6.1 above). (Reserves are important to even out costs when funding income fluctuates and to meet legal obligations in the event of e.g., reduced activity.). We have invested in outdoor space and storage, to enhance the USP of the village hall garden.

6.3 Technical and Legal Developments

The involvement of parents with good social media skills has enabled communication with a wider catchment through Facebook, Instagram, and the updating of our website. We also secured an additional free laptop from Hexagon Ltd. which has proved useful for in setting activities and administration. Legally, we have kept up to date with aspects of employment law such zero hours holiday pay entitlement. Although staff earnings have not required autoenrollment for pensions, we are preparing (2023/24) to implement this given above inflation increases in pay and legal changes making it most likely that our staff will meet the minimum threshold (£10,000 pa).

6.4 Fundraising Activities

See above. A simple menu returning to popular events such as the Easter Egg Hunt and Bonfire Night meant a good return to funds. In addition, small activities such as easyfundraising also contribute, though Amazon Smile has been withdrawn.

7.0 Priorities for 2023/24

The key priority is to ensure OFSTED compliance in the event of an inspection, on the back of which we are promoting and supporting relevant mandatory and voluntary CPD. We are also seeking to embed good SEND practice in respect of at least one SEND child this year, and one potential SEND child in 23/24. Although this increases workload it is also a useful income stream and good for all children in the group. We are also exploring developing a closer relationship with the primary school, as currently we are a very good pipeline for children whose parents wish them to attend our village primary school, and this approach is becoming increasingly adopted by small settings due to the pressures of governance and operating costs. Pack away volunteer led settings are particularly vulnerable, although the professionalism of our staff means we punch above our weight in preparing children for school. We aim to celebrate our 50 years as playgroup and preschool with ‘five events for 50 years’ in the next academic year, involving village residents young and old who have been involved over the years.

DECLARATION

I DECLARE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS TRUE, COMPLETE AND CORRECT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CHARITY COMMISSION AS SET OUT IN THE TRUSTEE ELIGIBILITY DECLARATION FORM.

A J Bull

Secretary (from 18.11.19) All Cannings Pre School allcanningspssecretary@gmail.com 07766312280 01380 860940 2, Greenhouse Road, All Cannings, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 3NS

ON BEHALF OF THE CURRENT ALL CANNINGS PRE SCHOOL COMMITTEE

ALL CANNINGS PRE-SCHOOL – CHARITY NUMBER 1022946 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

All Cannings Pre-school – Charity Number 1022946 Accountants' Report For The Year Ended 31 August 2023

As described on page you have approved the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2023 set out on pages 2 to 5. In accordance with your instructions we have compiled these unaudited accounts from the accounting records and information and explanations supplied to us.

Prepared and Approved By:

Charlton Baker 7-7c Snuff Street Devizes Wiltshire SN10 1DU

Page 1

All Cannings Pre-school – Charity Number 1022946 Statement of Financial Position As At 31 August 2023

Fixed assets Current assets Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES NET ASSETS RESERVES	2023 £ 2,160 26,326 (256 )	2022 £ 255 23,556 (1 )
	26,070	23,555
	28,230	23,810
	28,230	23,810
	28,230	23,810

Page 2

All Cannings Pre-school – Charity Number 1022946 Income Statement For The Year Ended 31 August 2023

2023 £ £ 8,820 38,768 10,056 - 57,644 57,644 36,923 310 7,280 415 543 882 838 1,967 25 2,537 591 80 382 - 518 (53,291) 4,353 133 133 66 (66) 4,420	2023 £ £ 8,820 38,768 10,056 - 57,644 57,644 36,923 310 7,280 415 543 882 838 1,967 25 2,537 591 80 382 - 518 (53,291) 4,353 133 133 66 (66) 4,420	2022 £ £ 24,705 26,053 7,607 531 58,896 58,896 36,424 - 5,200 385 - - 910 735 25 1,131 321 18 44 5 4,695 (49,893) 9,003 5 5 - - 9,008	2022 £ £ 24,705 26,053 7,607 531 58,896 58,896 36,424 - 5,200 385 - - 910 735 25 1,131 321 18 44 5 4,695 (49,893) 9,003 5 5 - - 9,008
	57,644 57,644 (53,291)		58,896 58,896 (49,893)
133		5
	4,353 133 (66)		9,003 5 -
66		-

	4,420		9,008

Page 3