Trustees report for the period ended 31 August 2024
The Trustees of Chipping Warden Kindergarten present their annual report and accounts for the period ended 31 August 2024 and confirm they comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2022, the trust deed and the Charities SORP.
Structure, governance and management
The overall management and control of the Kindergarten shall vest in the individual members of its management committee who are the charity trustees of the Kindergarten.
The committee members shall be elected for a term of one year at the Annual General Meeting. Committee members are eligible for re-election unless they have already served on the Committee in any capacity for six consecutive years. Prospective new elected members of the Committee shall be those candidates from amongst those having notified their willingness to stand who receive the highest number of votes from the Members up to a maximum of 12.
Objectives and activities
The objects of the kindergarten are to enhance the development and education of children primarily under statutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups and by:
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Offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning and extended hours groups, together with the right of parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of such groups, ensuring that such groups offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability,
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Encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs in the local areas,
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Instigating and adhering to and furthering the aims and objects of the Pre-school Learning Alliance,
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Chipping Warden Kindergarten operates from the grounds of Chipping Warden Primary School in Northamptonshire. The kindergarten serves children from the local community and surrounding villages.
Transition for the kindergarten children to school is smooth, due to the fact that school staff and kindergarten staff are able to liaise with one another easily. The kindergarten and reception children meet regularly and participate in activities together. Having kindergarten children on site adds an extra dimension to the school.
The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Achievements and performance
Kindergarten had its annual Summer spruce up, and we were ready to open our doors to 17 existing children and a further 15 new recruits, in September. Our new families started their Kindy journey with a stay and play in Forest School, followed by their individual settling sessions with their key staff. With our consistent high ratios and highly experienced staff, who as always have gone above and beyond in settling everyone in, now have Kindy days in full flow. We welcome all our new families.
We are thrilled to be at full capacity this term, with our last 6 booked children joining this term and after Christmas as they turn 2. This is a new experience for us and we are seeing a shift in families who want to make the most of the new government funding offer. We’ll embrace this change and encourage any future families to get booked in soon for next September.
We have been very pleased to announce, that after securing a grant from Smarts Charity, who we again would like to say a huge thanks, plus fundraising for the last year, we have now upgraded our previously very 'old' ICT set up. We have a big interactive screen and a portable trolley, which lifts up and down so it can be on child level. We offer 'Technology' challenges as part of the EYFS. Technology is part of the children's exploration of 'Understanding the world'.
Understanding the world in Early years, involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and community. This means they explore natural objects, living creatures, families, changes and differences. We will include meeting and learning about important members of society, for instance a police officer, or firefighter. It means we will offer a broad range of stories, non-fiction, rhymes, and poems and will foster children's understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, it extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children's vocabulary, will support later reading comprehension.
By exploring technology, alongside forest school, gardening, and encouraging British values in our setting’s culture, we will enrich all this learning.
Financial review
The charity is a non profit making organisation. Any excess income over expenditure arising in one period will be used to support times when numbers of children attending are lower or are used for capital expenditure.
The main source of the charities funds comes from the LEAs funding re Early Years Learning. Parent’s fees for the younger children and fundraising and donations make up a significant amount of the rest of the resources. The kindergarten maintains a high staff to child ratio and supports staff in their training.
This was a very successful year with very high numbers of children attending.
Fee income increased by 3% over the year. Staffing expenditure increased by 4% reflecting the increase in numbers of children as well as a consistent approach to keep our staff salaries in line with costs of living increases. Kindergarten provides significant employment within a rural village. Overall running costs, including fixed overheads, increased by 1.5%. Overall the figures were very much in line with the previous year.
Expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity.
The kindergarten continues to go from strength to strength providing a quality setting with experienced staff.
Chipping Warden School Kindergarten
1031732
Receipts and payments accounts For the period 01-Sep-23 31-Aug-24 To from
Section A Receipts and payments
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
to the nearest £ | Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment | Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funding income 127,340 - - Parental fees 28,605 - - Grants - - - Fundraising 3,414 - - Donations and recharges 2,490 - Interest 819 - - - - - Sub total(Gross income for AR) 162,667 - - A2 Asset and investment sales === |
- - - - - - - - |
- - - - - - - - |
127,340 103,322 28,605 47,906 - - 3,414 3,037 2,490 10,015 819 3 - - 162,667 164,283 == |
|||||||||||
| - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total receipts 162,667 - - 162,667 164,283 A3 Payments ———~~——~~ |
||||||||||||||
| Wages | 126,953 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 126,953 | 125,188 | |||||
| Employers national insurance | 2,454 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2,454 | 2,138 | |||||
| Employers Pension contributions | 2,228 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2,228 | 2,079 | |||||
| Staff training | 1,754 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,754 | (249) | |||||
| Costs of After School Club | 2,193 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2,193 | 1,336 | |||||
| Telephone | 776 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 776 | 424 | |||||
| Property costs | 325 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 325 | 3,252 | |||||
| Utilities | 3,847 | 3,847 | 2,437 | |||||||||||
| Educational supplies | 1,507 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,507 | 2,507 | |||||
| Uniform | 547 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 547 | 228 | |||||
| Food purchases | 409 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 409 | 262 | |||||
| Office expenses | 223 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 223 | 462 | |||||
| Computer software and maintenance | 799 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 799 | 230 | |||||
| Cleaning and consumables | 1,890 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,890 | 1,493 | |||||
| Fundraising costs | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | 551 | |||||
| Donations, gifts, staff entertainment | 1,508 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,508 | 1,643 | |||||
| Advertising | 594 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 594 | 1,031 | |||||
| Insurance | 679 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 679 | 447 | |||||
| Licences, memberships, DBS | 174 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 174 | 1,062 | |||||
| Professional and legal fees | 1,610 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,610 | 1,781 | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 150,475 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 150,475 | 148,302 |
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
Purchase of fixed assets 2,284 - 2,284 3,438 - - - - Sub total [ 2,284 ] - - 2,284 3,438 ——————— Total payments 152,760 - - 152,760 151,740 Net of receipts/(payments) 9,908 - - 9,908 12,543 A5 Transfers between funds - - - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 79,730 - - 79,730 67,187 Cash funds this year end === 89,637 - - 89,637 >= 79,730
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
Forest school sign - 2024 Flooring - 2024 (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Current account Premium account Details Petty cash Details Total cash funds Debtors due Details Details IPADS - 2017 Computer - 2019 Shed - 2019 Artificial Grass - 2019 Furniture - 2019 Carpets - 2020 Water heater - 2020 IPADS - 2022 Play Equipment - 2022 Furniture - 2022 Vacuum - 2022 Forest school extension - 2023 Room divider - 2024 Shed - 2021 Laptop - 2022 Bookshelves - 2023 Sensory equipment - 2023 Room divider - 2023 |
Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 26,269 54,056 674 80,999 Agreement Error Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 3,549 - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted Unrestricted |
Restricted funds to nearest £ 8,638 - - 8,638 Agreement Error Restricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) 857 498 1,893 2,446 460 380 2,319 350 1,019 5,000 2,349 234 680 1,900 20 1,362 155 109 60 240 |
Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | ||||
| OK Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period continued
Fund to which Amount Due Date Due Details liability relates B5 Liabilities Pension payments due Unrestricted 456 05 September 2024 Utilities due Unrestricted 1,154 18 September 2023 PAYE due Unrestricted 1,055 19 September 2024 SS Signed by trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of approval Lucy Cullen 06 November 2024 Elizabeth Isherwood 06 November 2024 —ee
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Chipping Warden Kindergarten
I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2024, which are set out on pages 1 - 3.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
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to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
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to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
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to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
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to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act, have not been met.
DKL.0.
Mrs Delyth Bending Chartered Accountant ICAEW FCA
Delyth Bending Accountancy Ltd
4 The Paddock, Lower Boddington, Northants, NN11 6YF
6 November 2024