Trustees. Annual Report for the perlod From 1 st September 2024 To 31st August 2025 CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Charlty name: Harp8don Pre School Playgroup Charity reglstration number: 1029269 Objectives and Actlvities Summary of the purposes of the charity as sel Olrt in goveming document P8rn 1. 17 The aims of the pre-sch1 are lo enhanc* the development and educalion of children primarily under statutory school age by encouraging parents lo understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups and by.. {A} offering appropriate play, educatson and care facilities, family leaming and extended hours groups. together with the right of parents lo take responsibilty for i and to becom8 invdved in the activities of such groups. ensuring that such groups offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, cullure, religion, means or ability- IB) encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognrf(ion of such needs in the local areas,. ICI instigating and adhering to and fvrthering the aims and obje¢ts of the Pre-school L8aming Alliance. Summary of the main activities in relation to those wrposes for the public b8nefft. in particular, the activities, projects or service8 Identified in the accounts. I Pwa 1.17 The pre-school provides supeNised sessions for prtrschool i and1.19 children five days a week, mOrFrI. There are also Forest School sessions which run on Tuesdays wrth our Forest School Leader and are available to any children in their last year before primary school. We additionally provide wwdland sessions for all childn induding our younger children every day. The pre-h0o1 plans and provides activrties 8nd play opportunities to develop the children's emotional, Physi1. social, and intellectual capabilities. in line with the Govemmenvs EYFS framework. Appropriate faolities arKI equipment are provlded lo achieve this. Additionally, the Pre-school provides holiday club care for hildren aged which is open to all eligible children in the local a8. Due to the success of the Summer 2024 Holid8y Club, we now offer both Easter and Summer holiday dubs. ststement confirming whether Para 1.18 The Tnjstees continue to have regard to the guidance issued the trustees have had gard by the Charty Commission on wblic benefll. to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on publlc benefit Addhlonal Inforniatlon {optlonal) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about.. Policy on granl makiThJ Parn 1.38 The Committee is r8sponsible for fundraising on behalf of . the pre-school. This is done in accordan with the policy on -, grant making. Fundraising adNities include seasonal events such as wreath making and Easter events. holiday clubs.
iAA.4 grant applications, and community fundraising through onlin8 platfonns Such as e8syfundr8ising. Pdicy on social investment induding program relatsd investment ' Para 1.38 nla Contribution rnle by volunteer5 Para 1.38 ' The rnMittee is run by volunteers aThl there are no volunteers working direclly with the children. Other Achl6v•ments and Perfonnance Summary of the main achievements of the chaiity. Ident[.g the difference the chanvs Wofk has made to the circumstances of rts beneficiaries and any wider benefrts to s(lety as a whole. P8Tr 1.20 The pre-school continues to provide high quality care and education to all the children attending. We continue to operate with more teachers per session than the govemment guidelines recommend, which enables the pre-school to run smoothly but also ensures there are plenty of stsff on hand to meet the children's needs and adapt throughout the day as a true fre*flow setting. The Pre-school prides itself on being an indusive setting and therefore we seek to accommodate children from all SOCIeConOMiC backgrounds and do our best to provide the necessary leaming and social environment for children with additional needs. We continue lo provide a very special woodland and Forest School setting which we are using increasingly and the daity access to the wood18nd setting has been enjoyed by the chIldn and offers a facility that is particulatly attractive to enquiring parents or guardians. The pr8-school now operates a full five days per week, and has introduced wraparound care provision available days per week. extending our offering to working parents. Our SEN provision continues to be a defining feature of the setting. Over one third of the cohort holds a fomial SEN Support Plan. We 8ngage aclively wtth EHCPS. CAMHS referrals, TAF processes and EYPP interventions. We seek to accommodate all children whatever their race. (yjlture. religion, means or ability. %) Perfonnance of fundraising aCtive$ against objectives Pora 1.41 Our annual Christmas Wreath Making event and raffle continues lo be highly popular- an event open to the general public which expands our fundraising audionce beyond just the parents and families of the pre-school. We I also held Easter and other fundraising events for parents to enjoy wrth Ihe children. We were delighted to receive a Tesco grant of £1,000 lo fund improvements to our woodland session provision. Holiday Clubs conb'nue to serve as a fundraising opportunity since these are non-temi-lime sessions not funded by govemment. Before staff costs, holiday clubs raised funds in the region of £6.600 for the pre-school. Holiday dubs are open to local families not nomially registered wth the Pre- School. enabling u8 to respond to the earty y8ar8 holiday care rded in the local communlty.
We are also regislored with ea8yfundrai8ing, enablin9 ongoing communty fundraing Ihrough everyday onlln8 shopping. Investm8nl perfoTmance against objectives Para 1.41 NIA Addltlonal Infomiatlon loptlonal) You may choose to include further statements Wh relevant about: Achievements against PaTr 1.41 objectives set Financlal Revlew Review of the charty's financial position at the end of th8 period P8rd 1.21 The 2024125 Academic Year was ? year of continued financial prc*Jres5 whilst also presenting various challenges along the way. Crucially. there was a further c. 4% increase in Ihe National Minimum Wage INMW) in April 2025 which, for a childcare setting and the salary bands associated with this sector. ntinues to present a slgnificant increase to our biggast cost centre. The number of chIldn on roll reached 34 during the year. reflecting the positive growth and attraction of this unique seth'ng. Support from OCC was m8inlained throughout the year while the pre-school was open. The OCC universal funding I rate was £5.53 per hour al the end of the financial year. j Working parent funding for two-year-olds was maintained. as well as extended working parent funding, meaning more children were in receipt of government funding. H(M&ver. the , 3 and 4-yearwold fundir¢g rate remained significantly below . wnning costs of the p-schC)l and as we are in Oxfordshire. we are in receipt of one of the lowest percentage tOP-UPS to the national base rates in the county. . de$pits som8 of the htghest stsff living costs. Our biggest cost centre remains staff salaries. As a smaller setting, we cannot further reduce staff numbers without compromising on slaff.'child ratio and child safety. As a charity, we ensure that all needs of the children are mel, even rf thi5 means providing 1..1 or much smaller ratios for SEN children over and above the funding availabte from the govemment. We ended tha financial year with a small surplus of £2,330, of which £1.000 repsentS th& Tesco groundworks grant which is as yet unspent. stalemenl explaining the poIY for hdding reservos 6" statsThJ why they are held ,, P8rn 1.22 The policy of the prtrschool continues to be to have a r9serve. which would allow it lo operate for up to six months without income. This would ensure that fixed overhead costs could be honoured. staff could be paid, and staff and children would have sufficient lime to make other arrangemenls should the Pre-schwl need to dose In the short or long tem. Ajrnt of reserves held Para 1.22 1 £45,000 {reviewed upwards in FY 24125) )uilZ
Reasons for holding zero Para 1.22 WA DetaiL8 of fund materially in dofi¢Trt I Parn 1.24 Explanation of any uncertainties about the charty continuing as a going COnM P•rn 1.23 As a pre school. we continue to be affected by a large number of school averS at the end of each academic year but due to our increasing strong reputalion and diversified A offering to the public. we remain stable. Being a pre school wlhout any primary school affiliatron means we have to appeal to parents as an Outdoor-fo$ed, free-fiow setting wrf(h fantastic space and stsffing. Changing our working name to Harpsden Woodland Pre- gchool helps to highlight this. We are now offerirMJ a full 5 days of educ8tion whtch Is serving the need of parents. The intrc*Juction of wraparound C8re extends our offering to w(1ng parents and secures our rture Viabilty. This helps us to h8ve a more securn futurè as pre Sch1. We ntinue to operale on a financially conservative basis and prioritise fundraising rAmpaigns lo boost our financial position at the start of the new academic year and to expand j our ouldoor offering. Addltlonal InfomtIofi loptlonal You may choose to indude further statements where relevant ab)ut: The charitys principal Parn 1.47 We rec8Ne Govemment funding for 2-year-okls eligible sources of funds (including working parent funding as well as children in receipt of Eady any fundraising) Years Pupil PTemium and all 34year-olds linduding the Increased funding hours via the Govemmenl 30-hour working parent programff where applicable for H-year- olds), fee income for 2-3-year-olds as well as fee income for children attending more than their funded hours115-30 hours accordingly). Our fundraising activities have in¢rea9ed this year with a very successful wreath making night. Easter event 8T iwo raffles. Holiday Clubs are a new and growing source of income and fundraising. Investment policy and objectives including any social investment wlicy I Pa 1.46 A description of the principal risks facing the charity P8rn 1.46 The houdy rate for govemment lunding continues to be significanlly lower than the running costs of the pre-s¢hool. We have reviewed the tIrS we offer at our setting to meet the needs of our parents and prosp8ctive parents. In line with the latest government legislation around accepting EY funding, the pre-school stopped accepkn'ng i invoiced parents, contributlon$ as of Summer Term 2025. Other J8 ')-. JIYI&:".8 StruGturn, Govemance and Management
Descfbption of charlvs trusts.. Type of goveming document Itnjst deed, royal charter) P8ra 1.25 Constitution How is the charty constituted? (e.g unincoTForat8d asswation. Para 1.25 Unlncorpor8ted Assoaalion cio) Trustee selection methods induding details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to PQSt or name of any person or body entitled to appoint ong or mre trustees Para 1.25 Trustees are nominated and seconded at the AGM in September, in accI)rdan with the charity's Constitution (adopted 5 March 1991. as amended, most recendy by Scheme dated l March 2017). Additional Infonnatlon {optlonal) You may choose to include further ststements where levant about: Poliaes and procedures Para 1.51 Trusl8es aTr provided with a 'new member irrfomation adopted for the induction and document, on joining the Committee for induction purposes. training of tte8$ They are required to read and sign a.. A self nominabon and dlaratiOn form for election as a Trustee b.. A Tnjstee code of wnducl and c.. A dedaration of self interest forn. The th8riVs organisational structur9 and any wider network wilh which the Ghaiity Para 1.51 A Committee which meets Six-weekly duriNJ temi time to discuss the bigger items of the njnning of the pre-school and support the management in the implementalion of positive improvements lo the pre school. The committee is also responsible for organising and leading the various lundr8ising events and hosting families at regular events ) such as the nativlty. sports day, elc. The staff are managed by our Pre-school Manager and supported by the Deputy Teaching Manager. The Forest hool is lead by our fully qualified Forest School Leader with previous management responsibiliti.es. Relationship wtth any related P8r8 1.51 partiès The pre-s¢hool c4)ntinues lo have strong links with Haden Hall lJohn Hodges. Trust) management. The Committee and Stsff continue to cary out regular Health and Safety Risk assessments to ensure the safety of the children is maintained at all times. Reference and Admlnlstratlve details Charlty namo Harpsden Pre School Playgroup Other nam• tho ¢haTIty usos Harpsden Woodland Pre Schcd Regl$torod charfty numb8r 1029269 CharliS prfnclpal address Harpsden Village Hall. Harpsden, Henley-on-Thames. Oxfordshir6, RG9 4HH Name¥ of th• charlty trustoos who manage tho charlty (Illl¢• (ff any) N•rno ol r$all lor body) entsutyd to appolnt tft*t•• {If anyl
EIE8bath Eldridge Chair 4th March 2025- Present | 2 EliThy w118m$ Treasur8r 17th September 2024- 2nd March 202S Elizabeth Chambers Socretary 5th December 2022- 30th September 2025 Deborah Bruwer General {Chair 4th October 2022- 4th until 041031251 March 2025 Bngitta 8ano General 29th April 2025- 4th l November 2025 Suzanne Rundle General 4th Cthb8r 2022- 30th I September 2025 Lucy Brewster Treasurer ' 23rd April 2024- Present ,' Gemma Elizabeth Vigor General 10th June 2025- Present Il&n Caiilyn Wake General 30th September 2025- Present 10 . G&xgina Seager General 30th September 2025- Present 11 Lynn Mitthell General 28th April 2026- Present Funds hèld as custodlan trustees on bohalf of others DeptIon of the assets held in this capacity Narne and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the stcKlian charitys objects Detsils of arrangements for safe ¢ustody and segregation of su(* assets from the charitls own assets Addltlonal Infomiatlon (optlonal) Narnos and addresses of advlsers (Optlonal Inforniatlon) Type of Name Address advlser Indepgndent Patricia Meer5tadt Examiner 1 146 Cloudesety Road, London N1 OEA n'i¥dX) N•m• of ¢hl•f •x•cutlv• or n•m•• of •enlor •tsff momb•rn Ioptlonal Inforfftatlon) Dee Lamd8n- Pr8-Schwl M8nager | Rulh Plorcy- 8uslntss Man8ger
thi$ ¢8pacty NaTr and obFcts ofthe charity on whose behamthe assets are and th falls within the custodian chartys objeds Oeloils of arT8ngements lor sale oust(KIy and segregatn of 5u¢h 8888t8 from tho eharW6 888ei8 AddFtl•n•l Irrfowrnatl¢>n IW+)Mll m•5 Ind dI•S5•s of adv15•ryJ IQpW•nl InfOrni•tlj Trp• of Nam• Addr•ss •dvls•r Independent Examiner Patrfd8 Meerstadt 146 Cloude¢ty Road. LoThJon N1 OEA Nam• d 4hhf•x•vuUv• or stRff M•mb•rn (Qpgon•l Inform•} Dee Lamden- Prsched Manager l Ruth Piorty- Busirw Mènèqer Ex•rnptions from dlsclosur• Oth•r optl•n41 Inforniation D•clarati•ns Th• trust••s dKlar• th•tth•y hv• pprov•d th• tntytw. r•port ab•. Slqrwd on b•h•W of th• eharlty's trust••s $wJn8ture 1 Full nam& 1 El&abeth Anr Eridge Pots.0 Chair 16 1 061202S Date Snaturn 2 Full naft* 2 POS Date 6 10 14w zo£6
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Harpsden Pre-school Playgroup Charlty Reglstration Number 1029269 YE 2025 YE 2024 Fixed assets Tan8lble assets: Equipment (toys, fixture5 and fittings, computers) £22,308.00 £21.541.00 Current assets Bank account- cash at bank £55.011.53 £52,681.20 CREDIT Amounts fallln8 due wlthln l year HMRC PAYEINIC Pensions £41.30 -£140.18 4240.10 .£27.60 Signed by one or two trustee5 on behalf of the trustees Slgnature I PRINT NAME &4 zM6Y8 I O• Date ofapproval i£/0 61 £0 2< sIgnare 2 PRINT NAME LWGY 8 R6k<theL
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ETrKJlATrK) ANO WALES Independent examlnevs report on the accounts Section A Indepeiidenl Examiner s Report On a¢count8 for th• y•ar •ndod 31" uSt 2025 Charlty no Ilf any) 18nd2 I r•p)rt lo tho trust888 my Oxamination crf aci¥)unts of th& ab charity (Ihg Trusf) for thè yèar endèd 31108 12025. RponSIbIlItIa• and As the (aiity's trustgos. you are resportsiblè for thtr pr@parati of tho accounts in a¢xordanco requirernonts of the Charitw Act 2011 llha Acri. I re[ in Te8pecl of my èxaminati of Ihg Tnf8 arx))unts csrri6d cxrt under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I havo folkYed all the aPF4i¢ablg Directions givon by th8 Charity Commission under secon 145151{bl of th8 Act. Indopondènl .1 havg cr)mpted my examination. I nfiryn that no materfal matters hav examlnorfs statsment come to my attention in th)nnlIon with the examination (other than that disdosed bglcw") which grves m• ouse to bgligve that in, any matarial fgSP8¢t.' tha accounting records wore not kgtrt in accordance with sectiM 130 of thè Charibes A(a; or the 8co)unts did not 8eA>)rd wÈlh th& )J)untir#J r•cord$'. or the accounts did not comply with th8 applirAble requirements coneemiThJ the form and c¢)nlenl of acownts sel ¢wt Charities {Accounts and Reports} Rgjuktions 2008 oth8r than any requirement that the accounts give a and faie view whh 18 a matbr n$idgr8d as part of an ir¥Jependent exaffjination. I have no concems and have cx)me across rK* other matters In conntKIn with thè examination lo which attention shouFd bo dra in this report in order lo enable a propgr un¢J9rstandwy of th9 a¢c¥Xfftts to bo reg¢W. ' Pleas& deletst the words in the brackets rflhey do not apply. 4th Jun8 2026 Patritia Me6rstadt Finance for rN)n accountsry manays, MBA {City UrHI quallfiuuonls) or body {IF any): 146 ClcthJJ6sèly Road, London N1 OEA IER
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