Minutes of Findon Village Woodland Preschool AGM for the 2024 to 2025 Academic and Financial Year
7pm on February 10[th] 2026
Held at Findon Village Woodland Preschool
Agenda :
1) Registration and Introductions 2) Chairs Report 3) Treasurer's Report 4) Managers Report 5) Q&A session 6) Any Other Business
Attendees :
Governors Yvonne Wilson – Chair of Governors Steve Smith – Treasurer Rosemary Hill Anthony Hill Sarah Mills
Sta$ Emily Petitt – Manager Lizzie Doidge – Deputy Manager Denise Lambourne Linzi Mann Ellie Minter Harvey Simpson Avia Jay John Wilson – Findon Parish Council
Each attendee in turn introduced themselves.
Yvonne Wilson then read her Chairs report to the attendees, a copy of which is attached to these minutes. The preschool had performed well, met the challenges it had faced well with the whole team working hard and the outlook for the following year was very promising.
We welcome Lizzie Doidge to the team, as of 5[th] February 2026 in the role of Deputy Manager, replacing Evie Beaumont who has left to pursue a career as a home based Child Minder. Lizzie was by far the strongest candidate and brings a wealth pf preschool management to the team.
There were no questions arising from the report.
Steve Smith September 2024 to August 2025 which had resulted in a significant accounting profit for the year. However; this contains 70% of Free Entitlement WSCC funding and some parent funding items as advance payments for the 2025-2026 financial year. Our cost of operation has increased significantly and has grown our capital reserve allocation to £39,000 representing 3 months of ongoing costs in 2025-2026.
His full Treasurers report is attached to these minutes.
Emily Petitt then read out her Manager’s report , a copy of which is attached to these minutes. Attendance for the year has been high and there have been a number of enquiries for additional places during the 2026 and 2027 academic years giving a positive outlook for the immediate future which will drive an increase in future sta$ing requirements.
Q&A
There were a number of questions regarding our ability to invest in more children’s equipment for both Forest School other activities. Steve Smith responded to highlight the current Fund Raising unspent monies were a little over £1,000 and would approve appropriate purchases within that and from any 2025-2026 fund raising income generated. As the deposit account generated around £500 in interest income, albeit o$set somewhat by bank charges, those money can also be considered to be allocated for equipment purchases.
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Other items addressed were :
Having completed the external refurbishment of the outside of the preschool building over the summer school holiday, Findon Parish Council (FPC), who are our landlord ,are looking to more formalise the arrangements between themselves and the Preschool Trustees. An initial meeting has been held and FPC and will draw up a lease type agreement for the entire site (e.g. buildings, playground, woodland, access drive) to agree responsibilities for the ongoing maintenance of all such areas and where costs are to be apportioned.
The internal changes to our baby change area with the are completed and with the addition of an extra sink and more than su$icient child space within the building we are now looking as o$icially increasing our child occupancy from 26 to 30, which will
require Ofsted approval. A detailed measurement of our child and non-child available floor space was taken during our consideration for replacing the building which demonstrates we have more than enough space per child for 30 attendees.
There is an ongoing issue with waste outlet from the toilets area which will be addressed to remove any future flow issues.
School area. This area is public land, owned by FPC and we will need permission/support from them in approving such an installation.
providers with a 10 to 15 hours per month level of background support to the Treasurer. This covers support for parent invoicing and chasing, paying invoices received as required, submitting payroll input to the payroll company and supporting the production of YTD accounts on a month by month basis. They are undertaking this support on a Contractor basis. The Treasurer retains all financial oversight responsibilities and capital expenditure authorisation and provides direction and support as required to the admin assistant.
The current outlook for leavers for school in July 2026 is more than double that of 2025 but the interest in places for Autumn Term 2026 gives us confidence we will continue to have more than adequate levels of child attendance.
Chair of Governors’ Annual Report 2024-2-25
Findon Village Woodland Preschool
Introduction
On behalf of the Governing Body, it is my pleasure to present my Annual Report for Findon Village Woodland Preschool for the year 2024-2025. This has been a year of significant physical transformation, strategic growth, and deepened community engagement. Our focus has remained steadfast: providing a nurturing, high-quality early years environment that celebrates our unique woodland setting while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the preschool.
Navigating Sector Challenges
The early years sector continues to face unprecedented pressures, including funding complexities and recruitment hurdles. However, under the exceptionally skilled management of our Manager, Emily, the preschool has not only navigated these challenges but thrived.
Emily’s leadership has been instrumental in maintaining our high standards of care and education. Her ability to balance the operational demands of the setting with a deep commitment to the well-being of both children and sta$ has ensured that Findon Village Woodland Preschool remains a beacon of excellence in the local community.
Investing in Our People
A setting is only as strong as its team. This year, we have continued to invest in and build our sta$ cohort. We were delighted to recruit a new Deputy Manager, a move that has further strengthened our leadership structure and provided additional support for the day-to-day excellence our parents expect.
Recognising the central importance of our outdoor curriculum, we also invested in a dedicated member of sta$ for Forest School. This specialist role ensures that our woodland sessions are consistently rich, safe, and pedagogically sound.
Capital Projects and Site Enhancements
2024-2025 has been a landmark year for our physical infrastructure. We have invested significantly in our building and facilities to ensure they serve the children for years to come:
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Building Preservation: The main building was professionally clad this year. This vital investment protects the structure against the elements, significantly prolonging its life and improving its thermal e$iciency.
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Capacity and Compliance: We successfully completed the installation of a new nappy changing room. Furthermore, the addition of a new sink was a strategic upgrade; this improvement meets the necessary health and safety requirements to allow us to increase our capacity by four additional places, helping us meet the high demand from local families.
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Internal Refurbishment: Beyond structural work, we have continued to enhance the interior environment, creating a calm, resource-rich space that supports the Curiosity Approach and independent learning.
The Joy of Learning: Forest School and the Orchard
While the bricks and mortar are essential, the heart of our preschool lies in the experiences of the children. It has been a year of immense joy watching our cohorts explore the Forest School and the Community Orchard.
navigate the woodland. Whether they are discovering the seasonal changes in the orchard or learning to care for our local environment, the "Woodland" in our name has never felt more vibrant. These outdoor experiences are not just "play"—they are the foundation of our children’s physical health, mental well-being, and environmental stewardship.
Financial and Charitable Position
The investments made this year in cladding (by the buildings owner, Findon Parish Council) and internal facilities were carefully planned to ensure the charity’s reserves are used e$ectively to secure our future. By increasing our capacity by four places, we have improved our long-term financial stability, allowing us to continue reinvesting in high-quality resources and sta$ development.
Closing Remarks
I would like to thank our Manager, Emily, her dedicated sta$ team, and my fellow governors and treasurer for their tireless work throughout 2024-2025. Most importantly, I thank our parents and the Findon community for their continued trust and support. We
Yvonne Wilson
Chair of Governors Findon Village Woodland Preschool
Findon Village Woodland Preschool Treasurers Report
For the period 01/09/2024 to 31/08/2025
Summary
The September 2024 to August 2025 preschool year was one where the Trustees continued the approach to investment in sta$ and facilities to take the preschool forward from the investments made in the previous year.
For the school year 2024 to 2025 we continued to achieve high levels of enrolment and attendance achieving our stated goal of having a waiting list and some parents prebooking for the 2026-2027 year. As a result were in a sound financial position and as a result our financial performance remained positive. We had 36 children on roll by the end of summer term. Our year end children attending FTE position remained at 22.1.
but saw a reduction in 3-4 funding. Parent funding for extra hours beyond their free entitlement reduced as the year progressed reflecting the changes in eligibility for Free Entitlement. We retained out extended opening hours of 08:30 to 16:30 of which between 3 and 5 children partook.
Committee Education covering the cost of installing a specialised baby change area within the building which will also enable an application to increase our capacity modestly. , raised over £1,000 in fund raising events and Findon Parish Council (FPC) funded the cladding of the preschool building (which they are the owners of), including rood insulation. A tendering process was run by representatives of preschool and FPC and the work was completed over the August 2025 school holiday.
especially to sta$ing and maintenance of our building and facilities. We continued to invest in our Forest School (FS) and hired a qualified FS teacher who set up the area, drove the purchasing of extra equipment funded by donations and runs specific FS education sessions daily, supported by other sta$ members. We continued to run marketing campaigns which remain a significant part in attracting new parents to look at the preschool for their children and the sta$ engagement encouraged them to join us and stay with us for the year, increasing the hours their children spent with us over the course of the year.
monies on deposit in our bank accounts.
Income Summary
| WSCC Funding | |
|---|---|
| WSCC Addi,onal Funding | |
| **Transfers in from other se8ngs ** | |
| Parent Payments | |
| Grants | |
| Fund Raising | |
| Dona,ons | |
| Bank Interest | |
| Misc | |
| Total |
Costs Summary
| Payroll | |
|---|---|
| Equipment | |
| U,li,es | |
| Uniforms | |
| Refunds | |
| Transfers out | |
| Consumables | |
| Expenses | |
| Servicess | |
| Training & Educa,on | |
| Council Tax | |
| Total |
Bank Accounts and Cash
| Bank Accounts and | Cash | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Balances | ||
| Natwest Current | £31,194.84 | |
| Santander Current | £1,440.46 | |
| **Natwest Savings ** | £34,704.40 | |
| **Santander Savings ** | £0.05 | |
| Cash | £148.32 | |
| Total | £67,488.07 |
| Closing Balances | ||
|---|---|---|
| Natwest Current | £43,212.36 | |
| Santander Current | £1,130.62 | |
| **Natwest Savings ** | £55,168.82 | |
| **Santander Savings ** | £0.05 | |
| Cash | £100.36 | |
| Total | £99,612.21 | |
| **Change ** | £32,124.14 | |
P&L Summary |
||
| Bank & Cash Delta | £32,124.14 | |
| Income - Costs | £32,124.14 |
| Note: | £33,480 | Income in Natwest Current has 70% advance payment from WSCC for Autumn term 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| £39,000 | Reserved capital to meet 3 months of operaOng costs is now required in the event of closure |
|
| £52,000 | Average income per term is required to cover basic overhead costs for the 2025-2026 fnancialyear |
to be understood that it includes a sum of £33,340.80, which is the 70% advance payment from WSCC funding for the 2025-2026 Autumn term and £479.50 of parent funding paid in advance for the same term.
Our collective bank balances amounted to £99,612.20, of which £39,000 is needed to be kept in reserve representing 3 months of operational expense (an increase over the average of just over £30k at the beginning of the 2024 to 2025 school year) and a minimum of £52,000 is required to cover the day to day costs of running the preschool and around a further £3,000 to cover maintenance costs scheduled for the beginning of the next financial year. Therefore, all but £5,762.20 is required for operating just the Autumn term of the 2025-2026 financial year. We would expect further income in the Autumn 2025-2026 school year representing circa £15,000 but as Spring and Summer terms are just 85% of the income of Autumn term and our expense level is actually higher (Sta$ wages increases and inflation), the Autumn term surplus will be used to cover the operational cost shortfall of those two terms.
Financial outlook for school year 2025-2026
Our current outlook for the full year for income is circa £165k, an increase of £12k on over the 2024-2025 results which assumes we can increase demand for Autumn 2026 to match the children leaving to attend schools. There will be a sizeable increase in expense of circa £160k, most of which is a significant increase in sta$ing costs and general inflation running above 3% on all other expenditure.
We have applied modest increases unfunded hours rates charged to parents to cover our increased operational costs. WSCC will be raising free entitlement rates by circa 2.4% and 2.9% for 2 and 3-4 year olds respectively typically from Summer Term 2026. Historically these increases are below the prevailing rate of inflation we experience in our operational costs, which presents a year on year challenge to blalnce our books.
As is our policy, fund raising e$orts will have all proceeds deposited in our savings account and used to invest in facilities and equipment for the children attending preschool.
We have the potential to increase our capacity from the current 26 to 30 based on the dimensions of our child available space with the preschool building which we will be addressing during the Spring term. This would impact both income and costs but could improve our profitability if demand matches an increase in capacity.
always a concern as it our ability to recruit suitably qualified sta$ for ensure ratios are maintained over time.
Our overall bank balance remains strong with funds over and above our capital reserves continuing to run, albeit it slightly, above our expenditure rate and cash flow is not an immediate concern. We will continue to drive fund raising opportunities to be able to supply additional services and equipment for the children in our care.
Steve Smith Treasurer
Findon Village Woodland Preschool Manager’s Report for the Academic Year 2024-2025
The academic year 2024-2025 saw our occupancy increase and families putting their trust back into our preschool. In Summer Term 2025 we introduced our Forest School sessions which has brought much interest from perspective parents and has given the children who attend a broader experience. This has also allowed us to charge additionally for children attending these sessions. Children are learning about the natural world, taking part in risk taking activities and challenging their physical skills too. The Community Orchard has been an asset to the Forest School experience. The children have also been exploring beyond the orchard, into the field which has been wonderful for their understanding of their village and community.
indoor environment. The building has been reclad and reroofed which has made a huge impact on retaining heat and keeping wildlife out. Indoors we have created a Changing Room for intimate care, with thanks to the Sheep Fayre Committee who gave the funding for this. We also have new tables, coat pegs and resources purchased with fundraising money.
Denise, Linzi and Harvey continue to be assets to our team. We now have a full sta$ team and a Bank Sta$ Team which will see us through busy and challenging days. Each member of sta$ brings di$erent skills and enthusiasms, and we value all of them. With only 5 school leavers in September 2025, Autumn Term was set to be well attended with occupancy high and increasing.
Looking at the rest of the current academic year, we can see a huge increase in occupancy. We are considering increasing our registered number of children to 30 due to demand. We have children registered as far in advance as January 2027 and interest in our preschool remains high, with many potential families looking around and travelling from further afield to attend. Our new deputy manager, Lizzie, has made an excellent start to her journey with us, and we have retained all, bar one, other sta$ members.
| Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
Section A Receipts and payments CC16a 1029483 Findon Village Preschool 01/09/2023 31/08/2024 No (if any) Charity Name Receipts andpayments accounts Period start date Period end date To For the period from ~~————-~~ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds | Endowment funds |
Total funds | Total funds | Last year | ||||||
| to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | |||||||
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||||
| WSCC Child Funding | 121,302 | - | 121 | 121,302 | 98,715 | ||||||
| Parent Child Funding | 28,570 | - | - | 28 | 28,570 | 22,429 | |||||
| Donations | 1,729 | - | - | 1 | 1,729 | - | |||||
| Fund Raising | 1,080 | - | - | 1 | 1,080 | 1,847 | |||||
| Bank Interest | 549 | - | - | 549 | 549 | 517 | |||||
| Grants | 150 | - | - | 150 | 150 | 3,000 | |||||
| Other Receipts | 6 | - | - | 6 | 6 | 652 | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | (Gross income for AR) | 153,386 | - | - | 153,386 | 153,386 | 127,160 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total receipts 153,386 - - 153,386 127,160 ~~—————~~ |
|||||||||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||||
| Salaries | 97,651 | - | - | 97 | 97,651 | 101,422 | |||||
| Rent/Coucil Tax | 106 | - | - | 106 | 106 | 76 | |||||
| Other Premises Costs | 13,230 | - | - | 13 | 13,230 | 8,036 | |||||
| FundingTransfers Out | - | - | - | 2,215 | |||||||
| Preschool Uniforms | 787 | - | - | 787 | 787 | 617 | |||||
| Consumables | 3,533 | - | - | 3 | 3,533 | 2,104 | |||||
| Equipment | 3,189 | - | - | 3 | 3,189 | 2,024 | |||||
| Office Costs | 1,745 | - | - | 1 | 1,745 | 1,187 | |||||
| Other Payments | - | - | - | - | - | 1,772 | |||||
| Fees and Subscriptions | 324 | 324 | 324 | 973 | |||||||
| BuildingManintenance | - | - | - | 3,430 | |||||||
| Insurance | 697 | - | - | 697 | 697 | 686 |
| **Sub total ** | 121,262 | - | - | 121,262 | 124,542 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total payments 121,262 - - 121,262 124,542 ~~—————~~ |
|||||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 32,124 | 124 | - | - | - | - | 32,124 | 124 | 2,618 |
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | - | - - | - - | - - | - | |||
| A6 Cash funds last year end | 67,488 | 67,488 | - - | - - | - - | 67,488 | 48,466 | ||
| Cash funds this year end | 99,612 | 99,612 | - | - | - 99,612 | - 99,612 | - 99,612 | 51,084 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
13/03/2026
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted Restricted funds Endowment Categories Details funds funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ B1 Cash funds Current Accounts 44,343 - Depost Accounts 55169 - Cash 100 - - Total cash funds 99,612 - ~~ae~~ (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) OK OK OK Unrestricted Restricted funds Endowment funds funds Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - B2 Other monetary assets - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~—==—~~ Fund to which asset Current value Cost (optional) Details belongs (optional) B3 Investment assets - - - - - - - - - - ~~oe~~ Fund to which asset Current value Cost (optional) Details belongs (optional) B4 Assets retained for the - - charity’s own use - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~~ese~~ Fund to which Amount due When due Details liability relates (optional) (optional) B5 Liabilities - - - - - Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of approval Stephen Smith 09/03/2026 ~~———~~ 2 13/03/2026
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
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PAE ULAR Gets
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r Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner's Report
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Report to the | Findon Village Preschool
trustees/directors/
members of
for the year the year year | 31t August 2025 31t August 2025 2025
ended
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On accounts for the year the year year | 31t August 2025 31t August 2025 2025
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Set out on pages
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1 and 2
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| report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31/ 08/ 2025. Responsibilities and As the charity’s trustees of the Company (who are also the directors of the basis of report company for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, | report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination, | have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act. Independent | have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come tomy attention (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that: e accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; or e the accounts do not accord with such records; or
e the accounts do not comply with relevant accounting requirements under section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 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; or
ethe accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS102).
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IER
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October 2018
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| 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.
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* Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Name: | AX SMAUAH
Relevant professional (7 wl () ;
qualification(s) or body
(if any):
Address: | [LWVYVQeiNoO,] NIL =Soeze,
Kos HU Koga!
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.
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IER
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2 October 2018
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