2024-07-31-accounts

CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

YEAR TO 31 JULY 2024

Chartered Accountants

CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

CONTENTS

	Page
Committee	1
Annual Report	2
Treasurer's Report	3
Independent Examiner’s Report	4
Receipts and Payments Account	5
Reconciliation	6

CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

YEAR TO 31 JULY 2024

COMMITTEE

Chair : Rachel Wenham Treasurer : Peter Begley Secretary : Julie Gallichan Management Committee Members : Jacqui Tyne Hayley Crawford Charlotte Collins Pippa MacDonald Charlotte Gooding Lucy Morrison Simon Morrison

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CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 1 AUGUST 2022 TO 31 JULY 2024

Registered Charity Number 1028303

Operating Address Strangways Hall, Abbotsbury, Dorset

Trustees:

Chair Rachel Wenham Treasurer Peter Begley Secretary Julie Gallichan

Chesil Bank Pre-School

Chesil Bank Pre-School’s governing document is our constitution, as approved February 2009.

The Charity is constituted as an unincorporated organisation but aims to transfer to a C.I.O.

Trustees (Committee Members) are selected by appointment and voted in at the AGM.

Our policies and procedures are available on our website, at the setting or from the Charity’s Secretary.

Organisational structure: Trustees supported by a parent-led Management Committee

Summary of objects

To provide a welcoming, inclusive, safe and stimulating environment for families in Chesil Bank and West Dorset to access provision of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum as well as community child care/play sessions. We provide this in an independent context that supports involvement of parents/carers in the day to day activities as well as placing emphasis on and taking every opportunity to follow a learning outside the classroom approach.

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CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

TREASURER’S REPORT FOR YEAR TO 31 JULY 2024

The financial year has seen an improvement in terms of increased income from Dorset Council and an additional grant to support the financial sustainability of the Pre School, but the average number of children attending the Pre-School sessions over the financial year still meant that we were below capacity for the staff ratios, with the obvious implications to revenue and cash-flow throughout the year. The Toddler Group session on the Friday morning is still running as a ‘loss-leader’, but this is seen as acceptable to Trustees as a community asset, and also as a potential ’feeder’ to the Pre-School.

To address the cash flow issues, we continued to utilise reserves, undertook some cost saving measures, for example, a renegotiated broadband service reduced charges by nearly half.

We also increased effort and expenditure on marketing and promotion of the school and its unique benefits for the children and the community, including an offer of extended opening hours to attract more working parents to bring their children to the school. Unfortunately, this did not generate any additional children attending school, and perhaps indicates that the Pre-School offer could be out of line with modern parenting requirements of ‘wrap-around’ care, although there could be other factors involved in our inability to increase our numbers for the school to reach future sustainability.

Staff costs remain a major cost area and in response to declining numbers of children, one member of staff left and was not replaced. The hall rental charges are also one of the major outgoings, but the grant from Dorset Council avoided the need to try and negotiate a much reduced rent for the use of Strangways Hall.

In terms of financial planning, with two current qualified staff we would look to have up to four two-year-olds and up to eight three- to four-year-olds in terms of ratios and overall numbers at any one session. They could be supported by up to two classroom assistants on an ‘as required basis’.

In terms of operating costs, the hourly rate averages around £40 per hour, and current charges are £5 per hour, which was not increased in line with inflation to reflect general national cost of living increases potentially influencing parents choosing to attend sessions over the term-times, but this rate is competitive with other local schools, which is something to be mindful of in terms of recruitment of new parents.

This maximum number of twelve at every session is seen as desirable, but a more practical target is seen to be eight, which would still bring financial stability and was probably more achievable given current demographics and past experiences.

on recruiting children to the school. To achieve eight, it would probably mean a school roll of perhaps 12 or ideally more could be required as parents make the choice at the start of each term as to which sessions their children would attend.

The end of term has seen the natural transition of a relatively large number children to local Primary Schools this year and the recruitment drive has not produced new children to attend school, and at the end of the Summer term, only four children are registered for the new term and not all attend each session over the week, although these numbers may rise following a further round of marketing and promotion.

There is a real likelihood for a significant shortfall in additional new children that are expected to be attending Pre-School over the new financial year and the start of the Autumn Term to bring the planned numbers up to a daily average of eight per session over the full financial year.

This shortfall gives real grounds for concern as to the future of the school, and this has been raised by the current Trustees with the Parent & Management Committee and a number of measures to improve financial viability in 2024-2025 are being evaluated, including increasing charges, more fund-raising initiatives and expanding the use of social media to attract a wider potential audience in terms of parents and children etc.

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CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE OF CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

I report to the trustees on my examination of the Accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 July 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the Charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the 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 which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

1. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act, or

2. the Accounts do not accord with the accounting records; or

3. 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.

Signed Kate Hobbs FCA Chartered Accountant

Unity Chambers 34 High East Street Dorchester Dorset DT1 1HA

Date 14 October 2024

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CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS YEAR TO 31 JULY 2024

	Year to 31	July 2024	Year to 31 July 2023	Year to 31 July 2023
	£	£	£	£
Receipts
DCC Early Years Grant		4,700		-
DCC Funding		37,509		28,903
Donations and Fundraising		942		1,434
Interest		36		30
Session Fees (including year-end adjustment)		2,990		5,247
Toddler Group		343		320
Uniform Sales		66		129
		––––––––		––––––––
		46,586		36,063
		══════		══════
Payments
Training	156		166
Staff Expenses and General Expenses	2,362		1,626
Insurance - PLA Fee	532		497
Learning Expenses (incl laptop)	540		762
Wages/PAYE/Pension	36,639		35,748
Refreshments	352		440
Rent Paid	1,560		1,896
Electric	450		448
Phone, Internet etc and Website	763		913
Uniforms	151		210
	––––––––	43,505	––––––––	(42,706)
		══════		══════
		––––––––		––––––––
Receipts less Expenses for reconciliation Page	6	3,081		(6,643)
		══════		══════

Approved by the Trustees on 11 October 2024

Signed Rachel Wenham (Chair)

Signed Peter Begley (Treasurer)

Signed Julie Gallichan (Secretary)

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CHESIL BANK PRE-SCHOOL

RECONCILIATION FOR YEAR TO 31 JULY 2024

	Year to	31 July 2024		Year to 31 July 2033	Year to 31 July 2033
		£	£	£	£
Current Account 31 July 2023	776			7,816.79
Reserve Account 31 July 2023	6,034			5,980.68
Cash 31 July 2023	648			303.99
	––––––––	7,458		––––––––	14,101.46
Excess Receipts over Payments for the year		3081			(6,643.33)
		––––––––			––––––––
		10,539			7,458.13
		══════			══════
Current Account 31 July 2024		10,278			775.97
Reserve Account 31 July 2024					6,034.10
Cash 31 July 2024		261			648.06
		––––––––			––––––––
		10,539			7,458.13
		══════			══════

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