Trustees. Annual Report for the period
Period start d*e
Peri(NJ end date
2￿20
2Q21
From
To
Section A
Reference and administration details
Charity name
Gotham Pr&School Playgroup
other names charity is known by
Registered charity number (If any)
1035503
Charity's principal address
Clo Gotham Primary School
Kegworth Road
Gotham
Postcode
NG11 OJS
Names of th8 charity trustees who manage the charity
Dates acted rf not fort*l)o
T￿￿te9 name
Office Irf any)
Name of Per￿Tr lor body) entitled
toa
int trustee
ifan
Committee
Jen Walker
Chair
28111119 onwards
Nicola Harrison
Treasurer
2219117 onwards
Committee
Rex Walker
Member
2916118 onwards
Committee
iTkr
Jen Howard
Member
28111119 onwards
Committee
Committee
David Kilgour
Neil Thorley
Roxy Nicholls
Member
28111119 to 26111120
26111120 onwards
Secretary
Member
Committee
2814121 onwards
Committee
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Names of the trustsos for the charity, rf any. {for example, any custodian trustees)
Name
Dates acted rf not for whole ear
Nov 2027

Names and addresses of adviseT5 (Optional information)
of adviser
Name
Address
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional infomlation)
Section B
Structure,
overnance and mana
ement
Description of the charity's trusts
Constrtution adopted in 1985 & updated in 2006 & 2018
Type of goveming document
How the charity is constituted
A voluntary management commÉttee is elected annually from the
attendees at the AGM. parents & current Gommrttee. The committee
em
lo & mana
id staff to run the
re-school.
All elected committee members are appointed as trustees whilst they
serve on the commrttee.
Trustee selection methods
Additional governance issues {Optional inforniation)
You may choose to include
The pre-school is a member of the Early Years Alliance {EYA}, a national
additional infomiation. where
organisation which provides support to all Eally Years settings. The pre-
relevant, aboul".
school has regular contact and upjates electronically frorn the EYA who
offer support & training opportuntties to all staff & commrttee members as
needed. As a memter of the EYA, the pr6Lschool uses the templates
written by the Allian￿ as a basis to our policies & procedures. These
basic templates. covering all aspects laid down by legislation and
Govemment direction, are then adapted lo reflect our individual situation.
These polioes are reviewed annually at the AGM, or sooner, to include
changes to legislats'on or Govemment guidance.
policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees-
the charity's organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the charity
Committee members are elected. re-eleGted or stand down at the Annual
General Meets"ng, this year held on 26 November 2020 via Zoom. New
committee members are generally parents, grandparents or carers of
children currently attending the pre-sGhool, although the committee would
welcome applications from the IoGal community wishing io offer their
support. All prospective members are informed of their responsibilities,
both as a committee member and a trustee. All major decisions
concerning thÉ management of the setting, including wages. capital
spending. staff changes and fundraising activities are made during the
regular committee meetings and recorded within the minutes which are
subsequendy distributed to all members and staff. These meetings are
open to all parents should they wish to attend, although Confidential items
would not be discussed at these meetings. Should confidential items
require discussion the chair would call an addrtional meeting.
relationship with any related
parties.,
trustees, consideration of
major risks and the system
and procedures to manage
them.
thilst the pre-school is set within the IoGal primary school, it is a
completely separate entty, renting the available space from the school as
agreed within a contract with the school's Goveming body. School gave us
a discount on rent as were not able to open due to Covid-19. The setting
recerves a lot of su
rt from the school. Govemors and teachin
staff,
KT
Nov 2021

and has always felt welcome within the school. The playgroup staff work
closely wrth the recepb'on class teaching staff throughout the year which
result5 in smooth transttions from the pre-school to the reception class and
benefits the child. the school and the playgroup There is regular
communication with the Head Teacher and the pre-school are invited to
join in with whole school activities including World Book Day, Art Week,
Sports Week. Children in Need and Pink (Breast Can￿r Awareness} Day.
The pre-school continues to be involved with the local SCOLrt group and the
annual village bonfire which was, unfortunately, unable to run this year
due to Covid-19 but li is usually run jointly by t)oth groups, is increasingly
well attended and a profitable event for both gfOUPS- this, therefore, has
meant qLAite a drop in OL5r fundraising. Many cu￿ent members of the scout
groups were p￿ViouS pre-school mernbers and the same can be said of
the committee membersl The playgroup regularty visits the local library
and takes regular walks to encourage the children to explore and notice
their environment_
The setting is registered with Otsted and following an inspection in
November 2018. retained the Good grading wtth a number of areas
assessed as outstandin
Section C
Ob"ectives and activities
The Charity aims to provide high quality, affordable and flexible sessional
childcare and education for pre-school children frorn the local area. It
does this by employing appropriately qualtfied staff in a wami, welcoming
and stimulating environment.
Summary of the objects of the
charity set out in its
governing document
KT
Nov 2021

The trustees have had regard to the guidan￿ issued by the Charity
Commission on public benefft and continue to work closely with the staff
to maintain high standards of care and education for the children within
the local communty who access the setting.
The staff are employed by the trustees to run Gothatn Pre-SGhool
Playgroup by planning activrties for the children based around
govemment guidan(* as laKI out in the Early Years Foundation Stage
(EYFS).
The focus of the staff, and the committee who make up the trustees, is to
provide afftirdable. qualty childcare and education for all pre-school aged
children within the local communrty, whilst maintaining high training
standards for all staff.
Income raised by the charrty is used to provide a safe & stimulating
space with qualty resources for all children, parents. carers, staff and
volunteets to play, work and leam together. The pr&school encourages
visits from parents and carers as well as trustees in any of its sessions
and wdcomes feedback and ideas generated by these visits. Regular
open weeks are held and parents are encouraged to visit the setting to
look at their child's work and di5CUSS their development in relation to
govemment issued objectives. They are also encouraged to spend time
in the setting to see how their child interaGts wtlh other children and join
in wtth many of the activities on offer that day.
The Ghildren have a daily range of activities, covering all areas of the
EYFS, both inside and outside, having free-flow throughoul the session
promoting independen￿, decision making, iesponsibility, shanng,
exercise and friendships_ A main topic for the teTh will provide a basis for
the majority of activities, and where possible smaller activities are linked
into topics covered by the school", for example the annual book day in
March.
Summary of the main
activities undertaken for the
public benefit in relation to
these obje¢ts (include wtthin
this section the statutory
declaration that trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit)
The chiklren are also encouraged and supported in taking part in
awareness days such as Breast Can￿r Awareness, Comic Relief, Sports
Relief arKI Children in Need, through activities and fijnd raising.
The Pre-school Playgroup is available and accessible to all pre-school
children from the local communty.11 has systems in place to manage
special educational. dÉetary and medical needs, with ex￿lIent support
from the EYA, Nothnghamshire County Council and Gotham Primary
Scho￿. All staff are able to aC￿sS specialised training as it is needed.
Although based in a small village. a number of children aeeess the setting
from ftjrther away. ensuring that sessions ale as well attended as
possible in the cu￿ent dimate.
Nov 2021

Addltional detsils of obiecttves and activities (Optional infomiation)
Whilst the focus of the Pre-school is to provide education and childcare it
is not immune to fijndraising efforts of other organisation5 and is happy to
ontribute to fundraising for outside organisations, e.g. Red Nose Day
and Breast Cancer Awareness, encouraging the children to think of other
people tess fortunale than them.
During the year. the twstees and committee organise and run several
fundraising events for the chaftty. The money raised from these events is
used to re4nvest in the setting by updating equipment. providing
reSoUr￿S and treating the children to new experien￿$ such as Chinese
New Year & Diwali.
You may choose to include
furiher statements. where
relevant, ab)ul.
policy on grantmaking"
policy programme related
nvestment"
All the trustees are volunteers who provide their time freely when they
are able. The setting is also very grateful for the support of parents and
carers who volunteer their time to help dunng sessions. Having additional
people in the setting 15 also very popular among the children who always
have a lot of quesb.ons to ask of the "new- people.
conlribution made by
volunteer5.
The committee organise & run all Ihe fundraising activities which provide
the charÉty wrth addiÈional funds to assist with actNities.
Nov 2021

Section D
Achievements and performance
Entering the Playgroup's 56 continuous year in operation the charity has
continued to grow stronger. Covid-19 saw the setting down in numbers
and staff working less days but still on 100% pay. The Trustees agreed
to pay 100°/o wages throughout the closure to ensure that our
experienced staff were on hand to restart when we were able. Covid-19
also had a huge impact on the trustee's abilty to fundraise and efforts
were turned to future sustainabilty. Wrth no further help from the
Govemment in the fom of support schemes. grants or loans available for
our setting during these times. all considerations on future sustainabilrty
were explored. Dunng times of increased costs, the trustees continue to
strtve to ensure that increases in oosts are balanced with the need to
ensure that the setb'ng is still affordable to parents. whist still offering a
stimulating and safe environment for all children_ The decision was taken
to make a staff redundancy and a volunteer was found.
Summary of the main
achievements of the charity
during the year
Fundraising continued throughout the year although to a lesser degree.
Our yearfy lottery 50150 fvndraiser was run as nonnal creating £306.50
funds while the other half of the money raised was paid back out in prize
money. In February we ran an online Valentine's quiz- this raised
£269.34. This year the staff continued previous year's Christmas
ftjndraising by producing Christmas cards, mugs and other items with the
children's own designs raising a further £80 for the setting, with no initial
cash outlay. The staff & committee also raised a further £140 in the
Grand Christrnas Raffle. We also ran 2 other hamper raffles, raising a
total of £268 with no initial outlay as they were donated by Morrisons.
All the money raised during the fundraising and donations is Llsed wtihin
the setting to enhan￿ the experien￿ of all the children. This included
the purchase of new outdoor resources and equipment and money was
also used to buy or repla￿ reSoUr￿S within the setting and enhance our
offering.
The play9roup continues to enjoy an eX￿lIent relationship with the
school support from the Head Teacher, Governors, teaching and
support staff. The usual regular visits to the re￿PtiOn class to prepare
the older children for starting school in September could nol happen this
year due to Covid-19 but the children met the teacher in our setting which
meant the transition to the r￿￿"On dass was smooth.
KT
Nov 2021

Section E
Financial review
The charrty is maintsining rts ability to set aside fvnds for reseNes. We
now have a dedicated nng-fenced account with funds set aside for
emergency situations.
Brief statement of the
charity's policy on reserves
Details of any funds materially
in deficit
Further financial review details (Optional inforniation)
The principle source of funding is the Nursery Education Grant (NEG)
which allows all 3 & 4year-old children to access up to 30 hours per
week of childcare. Many children access additional hours within the
setting which is paid for separately. Funding for 2 year olds as well as
Special Educational Needs funding can also be accessed based on the
individual child's needs. The Trustees decided to raise the hourty fee rate
to £5.50 per hour from June 2021 (an increase of 50p per hour).
You may choose to include
additional infomiation. where
relevant about".
the charity's prtncipal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)-
how expenditure has
supported the key objectives
of the charity-
investment policy and
objectives indudin9 any
ethical investment policy
adopted.
biggest expense is our motivated and highly qualffied staff all of
whom are completely dedicated to providing the best care thal they can
for the children. The staff have regular planning sessions and meet each
moming to discuss the (x)ming day and any issues that may need lo be
addressed, depending on the children attending that day. They work very
well together, encouraging and supporting each other in their roles.
The Trustees aim to cover the cost of the staff and premises and basic
resources trom the income received in the fomi of fees and the Nursery
Education Giant. This year, numbers have been lower Covid-19 has had
a detnmental effect meaning profft has been hit hard. To try and negate
the full financial impact, staff have reduced their hours. The overall effect
on the bottom line has sb"Il been quite substantial with no Government
help in the form of support schemes or grantslloans thal we have been
allowed to apply for. This led to the decision to make a redundanGy,
which cost the setting but will save money in the long run. Fundraising
continues to be extremely important as this money is used to repla￿ or
renew equipment and addrtional resources to compliment topics and
speGial occasions.
The commrtlee continue to meet regularly to plan fundraising events, deal
wrth any staff requirements. look into addrtional fvnding sources as well
as discuss changes to Govemment guidelines_ Comprehensive minutes
are kept of the meetings and issued to all trustees and staff. Regular
rsewsletters are issued to parents with extra information as required.
The staff & commrttee strive to consider best value in all purchases
throughout the year, utilising their own expenences, time. contacts and
reSoUr￿S to ensure the playgroup continues to offer all thal it can to the
children cU￿entlY attending, as well as those on our waiting list for future
places, whilst upholding the charÈtable aims of the pre-school --To offer
excellent affordable thildcare to all children wishing to access tt-.
Nov 2021

Section G
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees. report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees
Signature(s)
Full namels
Position leg Secretary, Chair,
etcl
Jen Walker
Chair
Date
KT
Nov 2020

## **- Gotham Pre school Playgroup** 

## Annual Accounts 2020/2021 (1/9/20 to 31/8/21) 

|**INCOME**|**2020/21**|**2019/2020**|
|---|---|---|
|Grants & Donations|£0.00|£0.00|
|Fees|£18,681.50|£8,813.35|
|Funding|£29,820.15|£56,679.50|
|Fundraising|£1,055.34|£3,070.63|
|50/50 Membership|£613.00|£760.00|
|Miscellaneous|£551.78|£45.44|
|Clothing/Book bags|£120.00|£105.00|
|PettyCash In|£0.00|£1.95|
|Savings Account interest|£1.51|£0.00|
|**TOTAL**|£50,843.28|£69,475.87|
|**EXPENDITURE**|**2020/21**|**2019/20**|
|Wages,PAYE and Pensions|£46,489.35|£51,132.05|
|Rent|£5,816.60|£5,364.20|
|Capital Expenditure|£399.99|£0.00|
|Clothing|£266.10|£143.50|
|Groceries|£245.05|£404.82|
|Consumables|£404.78|£541.40|
|Resources|£799.79|£881.91|
|Insurance|£725.61|£0.00|
|Subscriptions|£411.99|£189.96|
|Miscellaneous|£6,356.30|£937.93|
|Fundraising|£268.70|£1,082.34|
|Sundries|£0.00|£0.00|
|Professional Fees|£707.10|£311.20|
|Telephone,Post etc|£462.19|£539.19|
|Course expenses|£122.00|£182.00|
|50/50prize draw|£395.00|£100.00|
|Transfer to new accounts|£0.00|£0.00|
|**TOTAL**|£63,870.55|£61,810.50|
|**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**<br>**TOTAL INCOME**|**£63,870.55**<br>**£50,843.28**|**£61,810.50**<br>**£69,475.87**|
|**NETT INCOME**|**-£13,027.27**|**£7,665.37**|
|Current Account B/F<br>Petty Cash B/F<br>Savings Account B/F<br>**TOTAL FUNDS**<br>Bank Balances C/F<br>Petty Cash Balance C/F<br>Savings Account Balance C/F<br>**TOTAL FUNDS**|||
|||£36,202.54|
|||£0.00|
|||£15,054.68|
|||**£51,257.22**|
||||
||£23,173.76||
||£0.00||
||£15,056.19||
||**£38,229.95**||





CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGL4ND AND WALES
Independent examinerfs report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examinerfs Report
Report to the trusteesl
members of
Gotham Pre•school Playgroup
On accounts for the year
end8d
31 August 2021
Charity no
(rfany)
1035503
Set out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examinatton of the accounts of the above
chanty (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended 31 August 2021.
Responsibilities and
basis of report
As the charity's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accordance viith the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
nhe Act.).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's a¢counts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying 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 ststement
I have completed my examination. I confimi 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:
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with sertion 130
of Ihe Charities Ad" or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records" or
the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements
concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities
(Acrnunts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement
that the accounts give a and fairf 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:
Date:
1*110121
Name:
pe1M￿L4
Relevant professional
qualification(s) or body
(if any):
Address:
oE)P
IER
Oct 2018

Section B
Disclosure
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.
IER
Oct 2018