2025-07-31-accounts - Cotebrook Pre-School

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Trustees Annual Report for the Period – 1 Sept 2024 to 31 August 2025

Charity Name – Cotebrook Pre-School (Now Trading as ‘Litle Bumbles’ - LB)

Charity Registraton Number - 1026845

Principal Address –

Cotebrook Pre-School T/A Little Bumbles - LB Lower Lane Eaton Nr Tarporley Cheshire CW6 9AL

Charity Trustees –

Serving Within the Year:

Mrs T Chorlton (Chair) – Resigned as Chair Mr A Pritchard (Chair) - In year appointment Mrs T Boyle (Secretary) – Resigned as Secretary Mrs K Barsby (Secretary) – In year appointment Professor W Boyle (Treasurer) – Resigned Mr O Willianson (Treasurer – In year appointment

Trustees – No appointed role – Mrs T Boyle, Mrs A Hebblewhite, Mrs T Chorlton

Parent Committee Serving Within the Year:

Mrs S Shaw Mrs S Haseler Miss A Hibbert Mrs L Miller Mrs C Cheesman

The Parent Committee ‘Whatsapp’ Group for fundraising and Website continues to operate successfully.

Manager – Mrs S Edge

The Charity Trusts Consttuton Details -

Governing Document – Pre-School Learning Alliance Constitution (as modified to suit PreSchool operations and Trustee / parent commitments)

Charity Constitution – 3 Trustees ( Maximum) with 2 Trustees having to be present at meetings to be Quorate. Parent Committee Maximum 12.

Trustees Nomination / Selection Process – Existing Trustees to Confirm Nominations.

Additonal Governance Issues -

The Childcare Act 2006, DfE EYFS Guidance 2014, CWAC Local Safeguarding Board Guidance.

Summary Objectves of the Charity –

To provide high quality Childcare & Early Learning to the local community at a subcommercial cost within the confines of the DfE EYFS Guidance.

Summary of the Main Actvites Undertaken for Public Beneft -

In planning the Charities’ activities for the year’ the Trustees were mindful of the Charity Commission’s requirement to deliver public benefit and as such:

LB seeks to always offer a quality setting environment (Ofsted ‘Good’) that is priced sublocal commercial Nursery / Pre-School operators, enabling access to parents and children of ‘low income’ families.

Additionally, LB Pre-School actively foster engagement with the local Cotebrook / Eaton community and through prudent financial management can offer several outings and activities (eg; Zoo visits / Dance classes / ‘end of year’ party) to children each year, thus providing ‘wider world’ experiences that are potentially unaffordable to relevant parents.

Summary of the Main Achievements and Actvites of the Charity Within the Year –

Occupancy continues to recover slowly, (Easter 2025 term saw a 76% average occupancy level) and operational achievements continue to be gained within the year. Fees were held to prior year rates of £16.00 (for a three-hour session) which remains lower than other commercial childcare establishments in the local area. There has been a more significant difference in age during the year’s cohort (winer born / summer born children). However, LB enabled a noticeable ‘closing of the gap’ re age / ability related milestones, ensuring that each child was prepared for the transfer into school reception class (15 children in July 2025).

LB Pre-School is continuing to develop strong links with the linked Eaton Primary School (the Pre-school is based on its site and the school invited LB to participate at their February exhibition – dinosaur theme [including fossils]), with the rising school children visiting regularly for activities to gain confidence in the new environment. This provides a smoother transition when they start reception.

Other activities / community involvement has included –

Stall at Tarporley festival / Christmas Hamper Raffle
Child and Parent breakfasts
Mothers-Day / Fathers-Day events
Winter Fun Day (inc Snow Play)
Celebration of World Book Day
All staff continued with ongoing Safeguarding Training
Visits from NHS Practitioners / Bandage / Plaster Cast Demonstrations

Staff increasing Qualification Levels

Stay and Play sessions for Parent’s
Leavers Picnic in the Park

OFSTED – Continued GOOD Rating

All the Operating Policies and Procedures continue to be updated on a regular basis in line with PSLA Guidance.

The average number of children attending per session over the year was 19.5.

Statement on the Charites Policy on Reserves -

Within the Financial Statements a figure of £36.9k is presented as Total Funds, of which £20.0k is Designated Funds – Reserves.

This is the figure as agreed by the Trustees to be held in Reserve to meet specific Statutory / Contractual costs should LB cease to operate – Staff Redundancy, Premises Rent Notice and other recognised ‘winding-up’ costs.

The Charity is not in deficit after making such a Reserve.

Declaraton –

The Trustees confirm that they have approved this Trustees Report:

Signed on behalf of the Charities Trustees –

Mr A Pritchard

Position - Chair

Date – 15/01/26

	Cotebrook Pre-School Foundation Charity	Cotebrook Pre-School Foundation Charity	Cotebrook Pre-School Foundation Charity	Cotebrook Pre-School Foundation Charity	Charity No
					(if any)		1026845
		Annualaccountsforthe period						CC39a
	Period start date		01/09/2024	To	Period end date		31/08/2025
Section A Statement of financial activities	Section A Statement of financial activities
				Restricted
Descriptions by natural category		Note	Unrestricted funds	Unrestricted income funds	Endowment funds		Total this year	Total last year
			£	£	£		£	£
Incoming resources (Note 3)			F01	F02	F03		F04	F05
Fees for Charitable Services			39,818	-	-		39,818	71,243
Grants for Services			93,080	-	-		93,080	85,044
Fundraising Events			105	-	-		105	343
Donations, legacies and Grants			~~a~~	-	-			66
Interest and dividends			398	-	-		398
Trips			127	-	-		127	154
Transfers from Savings a/c Lunch			180 ~~ee~~	- -	- -		- 180	- -
				-	-		-	-
			- - - - - - - - ~~ee~~ ~~ee~~
*Total incoming resources*		S01	133,708	-	-		133,708	156,850
Resources expended (Notes 4-7)
Wages, Salaries, Pensions, NI etc Rent and Rates Insurance IT / Telephone / Postage / Stationery Legal and Professional Fees Food and Consumables			104,222 - - 104,222 119,668 4,800 - - 4,800 3,200 1,116 - - 1,116 678 2,312 - - 2,312 3,285 3,216 - - 3,216 3,197 5,153 - - 5,153 4,487 ~~ee~~ ~~ee~~ ~~ee~~ ~~aee~~ ~~es~~
Toys and Books / Resourses			4,842	-	-		4,842	3,944
Fixtures and Fittings			111	-	-		111	166
Travel / Training and Sundry Expenses Depreciation			2,114 - - 2,114 1,538 767 - - 767 959 ~~ee~~ ~~es~~
Gov 9M Offer Provision				-	-			7,000
2024 Rent Provision (Reversal)			2,600 -	-	-	-	2,600 -	2,600
				-	-
Transfers to FR *Total resources expended*		S02 126,053 ~~RR~~		- -	- -		126,053	755 151,477
*Net incoming/(outgoing) resources before*
	*transfers*	S03	7,655	-	-		7,655	5,373
*Gross transfers between funds*		S04	-	-	-		-	-
*Net incoming/(outgoing) resources before*
*other recognised gains/(losses)*		S05	7,655	-	-		7,655	5,373
Other recognised gains/(losses)
Gains and losses on revaluation of fixed	Gains and losses on revaluation of fixed
assets for the charity’s own use		S06	-	-	-		-	-
Gains and losses on investment assets	Gains and losses on investment assets	S07	-	-	-		-	-
*Net movement in funds*		S08	7,655	-	-		7,655	5,373
Total funds brought forward		S09	29,554	-	-		29,554	24,181

CC17a (Excel)

06/05/2026

Total funds carried forward S10 37,209 - - 37,209 29,554

CC17a (Excel)

06/05/2026

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Cotebrook Pre-School (T/A Little Bumbles) On accounts for the year 31/08/2025 Charity no 1026845 ended (if any) Set out on pages CC39a I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/08/2025. Responsibilties and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
• the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.

Signed: N Oates Date: 18/01/2026

Name: Mr N Oates

Relevant professional Institute of Chartered Management Accountants qualification(s) or body + Global Corporate Management Accountants (if any): Address: Greenfield Lock Cottage, Christleton, Chester, CH3 5PN

IER

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

N/A

IER