2025-08-31-accounts - Ashurstwood Community Pre-School

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- Ashurst Wood Community Pre School Committee Meeting

10[th] November 2025 at 8.15pm in Preschool

AGENDA

Time	Item	Notes/comments
8.15pm	Apologies & introduction	In person: Charlotte Tester (Chair), Carlie Francois (Secretary), Cressy Imber (Committee), Georgie Bushell (Treasurer), Ellie Bizios, Holly Loveday, Lily Lamprell, Joanne Funnell, Lauryn Page, Claire Shuttleworth, Online: Hels Buck (Committee), Caroline Scott, Lisa Hobby, Emma Knight Apologies: Agnes Rogers, Natasha Flicker
8.16pm	Declaration of an interest	Requirement for the committee to declare an interest in any item on the agenda
8.18pm	Minutes previous meeting	Minutes from the AGM 2024 true reflection – Proposed Charlotte Tester, Seconded Georgie Bushell
8.20pm	Chair report	See below – Lauryn updated that we have had a lady from another setting visit us this morning with a child of similar need as one of our 1:1 children. They found it really helpful and the plan is for Kate to make a visit to their setting.
8.25pm	Managers report	See below–no questions raised
8.30pm	Treasurers/Finance report	See below – no questions raised
8.35pm	Members	Vote in look /ask for new. Members voted in, Constitution adopted and the Reserves policy adopted. Emma Knight confirmed as a new member she will be added to Charity Commission and will actiongettingEY2andDBS completed.
8.40pm	Fundraising	Bonfire night update £350, curry night, fashion show, Sponsored Springfind
8.46pm	Next meeting date	TBC

Chair’s Report - AGM November 2025

Future admissions were good when we returned, and spaces continued fill during the year to maximum capacity. We employed Scarlet in the Summer Term initially as bank staff but is now doing a fixed term contract with us for two years. Finances were managed as usual by Claire and approved by Georgie.

The committee trustees remained the same as the previous year with the addition of a few new parent committee members. The committee and staff regularly meet each term (via Zoom) to help run and fundraise for our lovely Preschool. We are always on the lookout for committee members, so if you are interested in joining, please get in touch. As a non-profit making charity setting, we try to keep our fees as low as possible to be accessible to all in the community however this means we rely on fundraising to ensure we remain sustainable. We did have to have a small increase to our hourly rate to keep us inline with other settings and ever raising costs which took effect from April 2025.

I must thank the staff for their continuous commitment to the setting by taking time out of their personal lives to prepare and run various successful fundraising events and to all the parents/carers who donate to stalls and consumables.

As a committee, we remain confident in the abilities of Lauryn (Manager), Kate (Deputy Manager) and Claire (Business Officer) and the pre-school continues to run to a very high standard, offering the children a variety of experiences such as Mini notes, reptile visits and visits to the local community. We are lucky to have such a highly qualified and experienced team who all bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the setting. Lauryn is constantly researching and reading up on changes to legislation and requirements and ensures any changes are implemented swiftly and seamlessly and Claire for managing the funding.

The staff continue to enhance their knowledge through regular training courses which Lauryn oversees and books in line with requirements and the need of the children or setting.

The senior team have also worked extremely hard with external agencies in preparation for a new child with high needs to start. During a recent visit from West Sussex the SEND and Inclusion advisor complimented the setting on their robust risk assessments, planning and adaptions to allow this child to access our setting. West Sussex advisors have also asked to use our setting as a network point and have recommended us to other settings to visit, which is huge compliment to us.

I continue to have regular catch ups with Lauryn and Claire regarding the ongoings in the setting, finances and supporting the staff and feel the Pre-school is managed well and the staff are happy and enjoy working at Ashurst Wood Pre-school. Regular supervisions and appraisals with the staff are carried out to ensure staff have opportunities to express interest in further training and suggestion to better our offer.

Thank you to…

Carlie, Georgie, Hels, Tash, Agnes and Mrs Hobby for their continued support and joining our meetings regularly.
Staff who as the smiley happy faces at the door each morning and offering the children the most amazing opportunities to their early years of education.
Thank you to you all (Parents) for your continued support by attending and supporting our fundraising events and contributing to our wonderful Pre-School.

Charlotte Tester

Chairperson of Ashurst Wood Community Preschool

Managers’ Report

In September 2024 all staff returned to work on their usual contracted hours. Numbers were good for September and continued to fill throughout the year. Scarlet joined our team in May as Bank staff helping to cover training and support staff with enhanced ratios.

Training

Caroline renewed their paediatric first aid training.

Lauryn and Shannon renewed their West Sussex Designated Safeguarding Leading training. Joanne completed her Level 3 qualification

Kate has attended the termly SENco/Inco network

Lauryn has attended the termly West Sussex Leaders Network

Lauryn, Claire and Scarlet renewed their level 2 food hygiene certificates

Claire has attended Health and Safety training.

Curriculum

Our planning continues to be based on stories, occupations/professions and countries around the world. This gives us opportunities to introduce a variety of food to snack times, music from different countries to the sessions and look into cultural beliefs. Alongside this, we consider and incorporate individual planning based on each child’s interests and development stage and their Key Person activities to extend their learning. We have a large focus on the 3 I’s (Intent, Implement and Impact) and characteristics of effective learning when planning and creating educational activities.

We celebrated festivals and awareness events throughout the year. We entered the village scarecrow festival, acknowledged Remembrance Day and walked up to the memorial tower on Hammerwood Road, celebrated Diwali, Christmas, the Lunar New Year, Storytelling week, Road Safety Week, Valentine’s Day, Joined the Easter Bonnet parade with the Primary school. We invited parents to watch the children sing their Christmas songs and held a successful open morning for new parents and children.

Resources and Premises

We were able to continue to offer our children weekly Mini Notes Music sessions this academic year, to support communication and Language through music. Funding was also used towards a reptile and hedgehog visit and party entertainer for the End of Term Party which was enjoyed by both the children and staff.

We purchased some new resources for our Role Play provision that are thoroughly enjoyed weekly by the children, these consist of back drops, real life resources and dressing up outfits.

We were able to hire the sensory room in the Primary school as part of a support plan through inclusion funding. Children were rota’d to have regular sessions supported by our staff.

We had to arrange an in-depth risk assessment multi-agency meeting with a variety of services as we had a child with significate needs wanting join. Following the meeting we were required to make a few minor adaptions to the environment ready for the child to start in September. These adaptions included handrails in the garden, flat ramps cover on the door slider gaps to avoid trips/falls and creating a sensory den. These works were in completed during the summer holidays.

Following from a Health and Safety assessment that Claire arranged, we had to have a few jobs completed to keep up to date with legislation. We have had a new fire door fitted to our boiler cupboard and metal cabinet fitted around the fuse box.

Fundraising and Contributions

It’s very much noticeable that fundraising is becoming increasingly difficult to do. Parent commitments and work plays a big part in which events aren’t able to go ahead and without their support they just don’t work. Most events are having to be planned and led by staff and time is a big barrier. We have decided to focus on three main events each year (ideally one per term) and have a few regular easy to organise ones to top up.

The staff all worked together to get a selection of goodies made for the bonfire stall from donations from our Pre-school parents. We had a good evening, and the stall and profit made was a success. Georgie our Treasurer (with a very handy artistic hand) created a lovely Sponsored Spotters sheet which we shared with our families over half term and raising another small pot of money.

We also booked our regular photographer for children and graduation photos. The Preschool made a small commission from each photo sale, and we joined with the Primary school again for the Christmas Card fundraiser.

We continue to display our consumable donations lists regularly throughout the year. Parents donated as and when they could/wanted and we have had a continuous stock of dry snack, messy play resources and ingredients for making playdough and experiments. This saved the Pre-school a considerable amount of money meaning our funds could be used for resources or experiences that the children directly benefited from. We will continue to put lists outside of Pre-school for parents to donate to.

Transition

All the staff worked extremely hard to complete thorough assessments, reports and transitions for all of the Owls who moved onto Primary school. We liaised with Ashurst Wood Primary, Forest Row Primary, Estcots Primary, Blackwell Primary and The Meads Primary schools.

During the last half term of the year, the children transitioning on to school were able to have lunch in the Primary school hall once a week. This is a great opportunity for them to prepare for the faster paced environment and meet some of the staff and children.

We held another very successful (and emotional) graduation for leavers who all received a medal, certificate and starting school book.

Thank You’s

I would like to thank the staff for their endless commitment to our high standards, providing a home from home environment for our children and families.

The committee for attending regular meetings and sharing ideas for sustainability.

All parents for their continuing support through donations, gifts, sweet treats and lovely feedback.

Mrs Hobby and the Primary School for supporting us and including us in relevant updates and for the hire of the sensory room and hall for transition lunches.

West Sussex inclusion team for their visits and support during the transition of the new child with significant needs and positive feedback.

Lauryn Page Manager

Financial year report for Ashurst Wood Community Preschool 2024-2025

Charity no: 1033649

The Sanderson Building, School Lane, Ashurst Wood, East Grinstead, RH19 3QW

Trustees: Charlotte Tester (Chair), Carlie Francois (Secretary), Georgina Bushell (Treasurer), Agnes Rogers and Helen Buck. New this year Natasha Flicker and Cressy Imber.

Key staff: Lauryn Page (Manager), Kate Coffey (Deputy manager), Shannon Brailey (Room Lead) and Claire Shuttleworth (Business officer).

Our Pre-school has aims to enhance the development and education of children primarily under statutory school age offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning together with the right of parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities and opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability.

Another busy year within the Preschool. Our opening and closing bank balances were as follows:

follows:
Account	Opening balance	Closing balance
Main	£31471.87	£35546.68
Reserves	£58677.20	£84303.08
Redundancies	£20659.21	£30885.77

To be clear that whilst we are a not for profit making charity the ideal is that we hold a ‘terms worth’ of outgoings as contingency monies and this academic year our Summer term had an outgoings total of £90051.65. As can be seen by the combined total of our reserves and redundancies pot this ‘terms worth’ of outgoings was covered. Our total income over the year was recorded as £188955.68 and the total expenditure was £185474.92. The final account spreadsheet and file will be passed to the accountant in the coming weeks and the full accountant report will be filed on Charity Commission. However in the meantime here is a run through of this years highlights.

We started the year with 31 children on the roll covering a good number of sessions between them, with a Thursday being a quieter day by the time we arrived at the Summer term we had 41 children on the roll and were at capacity on all sessions. It is nice to note that some of the increase in numbers is due to word of mouth from previous parents about their experience of our setting to which we are grateful. It is also reflective of the change in the way the government offer the funded hours. We have seen an increase in the number of under 3’s that have become eligible for 15 hours of childcare through the working families funded entitlement which also means that the hourly rate for this is higher than that of the Preschool’s. Added to the increases with National Living Wage these changes have been well received by us. We have also had a couple of children that have started on turning 2 however because they have had their birthday and are in before headcount day it has meant they are eligible for the 9 month funding as a working family at the higher hourly rate bracket. Our total funding received for these children was £5674.16 which was a total of 3 children, 1 of whom was in the autumn term and 70% of their monies was received in the prior financial year. The total of funded monies received for our 3&4year olds over the course of the year was £97842.06 and the total of funded monies for our 2 year olds was £52940.35. It needs to be noted that we receive 70% of the Autumn terms funding towards the end of August which falls in the financial year prior to however this is usually balanced out year on year as it is the way the funding process works. We were given the opportunity to confirm how we wanted the funding paid to us, either keep it with receiving 70% up front and then after headcount day and actual funding keyed the remaining 30% will be paid or have monthly payments. We opted for keeping to the 70/30 split as it works well. We also received an additional £7583 of EYPP (Early Years Pupil Premium) funding which the setting put towards improving the education we provide to those children claiming the funded entitlement by offering experiences and resources to aid this. One of the main areas off expenditure that this was used for and that the children love is our weekly Mini notes sessions, we also added new role play items and other craft resources. To enhance and assist with the transition to Primary school we also used the school hall for lunches along with their sensory room and

have contributed towards the School’s new library of which we will be using in the new academic year. We also created our own sensory area and have made some adaptions ahead of a new starter following recommendations from professionals linked to the child and our West Sussex adviser.

Following consultation between committee and senior management we looked at implementing a fee increase. Fees have remained the same for 2 years, yet on carrying out comprehensive checks on settings within the area fees had gone up and inline with funding increases so the decision was unanimously agreed to implement from April 2025 when the funding rates themselves change.

Our wages as always was the biggest expenditure £103097.00 along with costs to HMRC of £9455.64 and we received a total monies from funding of £156456.57. The income received from invoiced sessions was £12565.55.

£25000.00 was put into the reserves/redundancies pot to add an increase due to the majority of staff having added a year to the length of time they have been employed with us and we were also aware that we would be having a few children joining us that would need one to one support so monies were added to the reserves pot to ensure we had staffing options covered along with as previously mentioned the need to have a terms outgoings should it be required.

Thank you to those parents/carers that have made donations to the consumables list this has helped to keep our snack costs at a minimum level and has meant our costs to the Loco have been reduced. Thank you to the Loco as well for continuing to have us as their local charity with our money pot as roughly every quarter this pot is emptied and of set against our account with them. We were also nominated for a pot of money through their MADL (Making A Difference Locally) scheme of £272.45 this was used towards the cost of the tree cutting in both the front and back gardens to enhance the children’s outdoor experiences as these were hindering this slightly. We also had a donation from a local trust that helps families of the village should we approach them and they feel they are able to help, which they did in this instance assist with which was much appreciated.

All licences and subscriptions have been paid including Early Years Alliance, PPL music, Microsoft, Website, Churches for the door entry, Twinkl, ICO, Tapestry and Ofsted. All staff have had their DBS update service paid or new DBS carried out and the 2 new staff’s were completed ahead of them joining. All the usual maintenance checks have been completed emergency lighting, boiler service, finger guards, pat testing, along with other areas of need including renewal of fencing in the back garden, fire alarm checks resulting in the need for a whole new fire panel and sounder as the existing one was out dated and faulty, new patio door lock and new fire door on the cylinder cupboard in the kitchen and a fire rated cabinet on the fuse box in the office. We continue to use BT for our landline and broadband, additionally thank you to Debbie the Primary School bursar for working with us and working out the utilities split which we pay annually.

Many training courses have been booked and paid for some in advance to ensure spaces are taken when the existing ones expire particularly the paediatric first aid and West Sussex safeguarding.

We had a visit from Helen Perry who is the directional force behind the Lakehouse Charitable Foundation from whom we receive a lasting legacy of £3500 each year, she loved the setting and is hoping to visit us again soon. This has been extremely gratefully received as this academic year the fundraising has been at a low so this has helped bridge the gap on this. We did have a profit from the Bonfire night stall of £210, along with £35 from the

Christmas proofs that parents/carers bought items from, a few bag 2 school collections that made £22 that we received this academic year another collection didn’t get transferred to us until September. We also made £65.00 from the sales that Kelly made with her photoshoot and a further £20 from the sales of Easter bonnet hat packs. After the expenses of £41.00 fundraising has made £321.

We have also had £400.00 received from those who have opted into the voluntary contribution has also helped with the lack of fundraising and ensured that visits such as the reptiles have taken place.

ASHURST WOOD COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES ON THE ACCOUNTS OF ASHURST WOOD COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL We repjrt on the a(UnIS ol the company for the year ended 31 August 2025, which are sel out on page 2 Respeellve responsibilitie$ of Iruslees and examiner The chaiily'5 Iruslees are responsible lor the preparalion ol the accounts and consider that an audit Is not required for this year undei Section 43121 of the Charits"es Act 1993 and that an Independent examinalK)n is needed. Having sats'sfied ourselves that Ihe Charity is eligibie lor independent examination Ills our reswnsibility lo.. al examine the accounts under Section 43 01 the 1993 Act". bl lo follow the predureS laid down in the general d1c.0S given by the Charity CommissDn undei Seth'on 43171 of the 1993 Act,. and cl lo stsle whether particular matters have (xme lo my attents"on. Basi$ of independent examinerfs report Our examinab.on was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission An examination includes a review ol the awunb'ng records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records.11 also Includes (nSIderatIon ol any unusual items or clisclosures in the accounts, and seeking exklanalions from you as Iruslees conceming any such mallers. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the ewdence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as lo whether the accounts present a true and lair view and the report Is limited lo those m8tter5 Sel out in our slalernenl below. Independent examinerfs sl*ement In connectK)n wlh our examinab'on, no Tnatter has come lo our attention.. 11 which gives us reasonable cause lo believe that in any malerial respect the requirements. al lo keep countIng records in accordance with Section 4101 the 13 Act." and bl lo prepare accounts whh accord with the accounting records and comply with the aCuntIng requirements of the 1993 Act have not been mel. or 21 to whith, in our ow'nion, attentn shrAJld be drawn in order to enable a proFer understanding olthe accounts lo be 8Cld. Robert Agates & Assoeiates Certiliwl A¢¢ounlants Dated.. .25th June 2026........ Senlosa Soulhview Road Crowborough East Sussex TN61HG

ASHURST WOOD COMMUNITY PRE-SCHOOL INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025 INCOME EXPENSES WSCC funding Fees Enduring legacy Grants received Fundraising and donations Bank Interest received 158.805 12 15.498.00 3,500.00 506.45 1,124.99 852.44 Staff wages Staff pension contributions Rent and rates Electricity, gas and water Refuse ¢olleclion Insurance Snack bar Slalionery and reSOurS EYPP, DAF and Inclusion expenses Childrens, entertainment and gifts Training costs DBS checks Fundraising expenses Website hosting and updates Telephone and inlernel Repairs and maintenance PPE and first aid products Staff clothing Subscriptions and lieences Staff entertaining 117.705 16 1.920.03 1,448.00 1,547.71 180.00 2,942.20 408 08 1.852.22 6,426 23 486 85 622.30 266 90 405.29 8140 975.35 5.945.71 1079.63 345.42 948 64 415.00 Nel surplus for the year 34.284 88 180,287.00 180,287.00 RECONCILIATION OF CHARITY RESERVES OPENING BALANCES CLOSING BALANCES Cash at bank. Currenl account IGeneral Fundl Deposit account (Contingency Fund) Redundancy provision account Pelly cash in hand Stock In hand T-shirts WSCC funding reTrived in acsvance Creditor- PAYE & National Insurance Cash al bank. Current account (General Fund) Deposit account IConlingen¢y Fund) Redundancy provision account Petty cash in hand Stock in hand - T-shirts WSCC funding received in advance Creditor- PAYE & National Insurance 31,471 87 58.677.20 20,659 21 47.25 300.00 126,114.941 11,238 101 35.546.68 84,303 08 30,885.77 64.76 275.00 131,283 371 11,704.551 83,802.49 118,087.37 Nel surplus for the year 34,284 88 118,087 37 118,087.37