Montrose Pre-school (Registered charity, number 1037511) Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
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| 2 - 5 | nnual report Trustees’ a |
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| 6 | Independent e xaminer’s |
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| 7 | Receipts & payments account | ||
| 8 | Statement of assets & liabilities | ||
| 9 | Notes to the accounts |
Montrose Pre-school annual report for the year ended 31 August 2025
Full name Montrose Pre-school
Registered charity number 1037511
Principal address
Montrose Pre-School, The Methodist Church, Locket Road, Wealdstone, HA3 7ND
Trustees
Aelwyn Taylor, Chair Susan Aldridge Elizabeth Allner, until 13/01/25 Christine Buttle, from 04/05/25 Joy Drummond David Foinette David Nixon Rebecca Ryan, from 26/03/25 Sailesh Shah Aghileh Djafari Marbini
Independent examiner
Eva Stevens, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL
Governance and management
The charity is operated under the rules of its constitution adopted 20 April 1994 and most recently amended 27 March 2010.
Trustees have been recruited from the parents of children attending the Pre-School; from among the members of Wealdstone Methodist Church, in whose premises the Pre-School operates; and others in the local community with relevant skills.
All Trustees and staff are subject to enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and expected to enrol on the DBS Update service.
Objectives and activities
To enhance the development and education of children under statutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups.
Public benefit statement
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
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Montrose Pre-school
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit
The Trustees believe that they are meeting their obligation to assist the wider community by the Pre-School promoting and fostering working partnerships with children's parents or carers; ensuring equal opportunities for all; and including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, or having special educational needs.
Summary of the main achievements during the period
Autumn Term began on a busy note with a number of children staying on and new ones starting. By half term our numbers were over thirty on the register covering both the morning and afternoon sessions. This gave boost to the team and helped to improve our financial situation. We had a number of children on our SEN register. These children had many difficulties with language development but there were a few with more complex needs. The team rallied together and put plans in place for these children. This included working in partnership with other agencies and with their families. Support plans were put in place to help improve outcomes for these children.
The term began with a full staff team which added to the well-being of the team. As there were so many children the staff did have a heavy workload which included being a key person to at least eight children. This involved lots of written work, including observations, report writing and planning. Unfortunately, one member of staff struggled with this and gave in her notice. She left at the beginning of December which left the team depleted again. Fortunately, we were able to recruit a volunteer assistant, and this helped greatly with the daily supervision of the children.
Early in the autumn term, a member of staff announced that she was expecting a baby. Her baby was due at the end of February, so she was due to go on maternity leave at the beginning of that month. We had to advertise quickly to have someone in post by then. A decision was made by the committee and staff that along with employing someone for maternity cover, we would also employ our volunteer on a contract with a view to her completing her Level 2 Early Years qualification.
A new member staff employed to cover maternity leave, and began in January. Our volunteer staff member was successful at her interview and began working three days a week. She has now registered with a training agency and is about to commence her training for Level 2. The team is once again in a secure position with both the new staff having settled in nicely and are great assets to the team.
The Pre-school also received a generous contribution of money from the church. This was used to extend the size of the existing cover in the garden to form shade and rain protection. This work was completed in the autumn term and to a very high standard leaving us with double protection in all weathers. The children have enjoyed playing outdoors in the winter, and also in the summer months being shielded from the heat. We are extremely thankful to the church for thinking of us and for the generous donation.
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Montrose Pre-school
Financial review
The trustees are pleased to report that in the year just ended, a substantial cash balance was available at the end of the year. This was largely due to an increase in the levels of local authority grants and the fact that almost all the Pre-School places were filled all year. In addition, some of the pupils were identified as having special educational needs, which raised additional grant income but also generated an increased workload. Many children also qualified for the pupil premium which supports disadvantaged youngsters. Both the staff and the committee held successful fundraising events during the year. After some difficult years, it is pleasing to state that it has been possible to pay the bills, increase staff pay and to increase the cash resources that the Pre-School needs for its long term future.
The charity
To achieve a reserve balance at any given time, equal to six months running expenses, plus the amount equal to the staff entitlement to Statutory Redundancy, plus an estimate of the costs of the removal of the equipment outdoors, which is kept in the open passage behind the church hall, and which we are bound under our agreement to remove in the event of the Pre-School ceasing to use the premises.
Risks
The Trustees recognise six areas of risk to their operation.
Firstly, there is the financial risk. As most of the children attending the Pre-School are on funded places, the charity is almost completely dependent upon grants from the local authority for its operation. If the rate per student were to be reduced, or the rates not raised in line with inflation, the charity would face a crisis. Also changes made to the cost of employing staff, such as the increases in the minimum wage or National Insurance contributions could pose a challenge to the Pre-School. It is unlikely that a sufficient number of parents paying the full cost per child could be found, and even if the number were found, this would conflict with the objective to meet special and social needs in the local community.
Second, the Pre-School has competition for pupils from other pre-schools in the area, and also schools with nursery classes. If the full complement of morning and afternoon places were not to be filled, the viability of the Pre-School would be seriously affected.
Third, the Pre-School occupies the premises under an annual licence from Wealdstone Methodist Church. It would be possible, if the Church required the premises for other uses, for it to give three to end the licence. In view of the links between the Church and the Pre-School, the Trustees feel that this eventuality is unlikely.
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Fourth, the risk to governance as it is increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers from the parent group, the community or the church to become Trustees of the charity, especially those with expertise such as that required by a Treasurer.
Fifth, the need to ensure that staffing ratios are maintained at all times. Montrose PreSchool is very fortunate in having a loyal, hardworking team of staff, but the difficulty of recruiting appropriately qualified practitioners is a continuing problem.
Sixth, if the curriculum standards expected by Ofsted were not met at inspection that could lead to special measures being implemented, cause reputational damage and might ultimately lead to closure. (In November 2023 the Ofsted inspection rated the Montrose Pre-School as Good).
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
AelwynSigned Taylor,*¢- A=Trustee=a; end
Date 2/11 /202Sme
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Independent e xaminer’s report to the trustees of Montrose Pre-school for the year ended 31 August 2025
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Montrose Pre-school (the charity) for the year ended 31 August 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’) ~~.~~ I r eport in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
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 _______ Zl, LA€i~©O 27/11/2025 tee Eva Stevens BSc, CPFA Employee of Community Accounting Plus
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Montrose Pre-school Receipts & payments account for the year ended 31 August 2025
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Montrose Pre-school
Statement of assets and liabilities
at 31 August 2025
2024 2025
£ Cash assets Note £
93299 Bank accounts 127406
251 Cash in hand 454
93550 127860
Other monetary assets
- Prepayment- Insurance 480
—— 480
Assets retained for the charity’s own use
General equipment.
Liabilities
(946) Creditors 3 (1250)
(946) (1250)
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These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
AelwynSigned Taylor,KANTrustee— On \en Date 26 i/U/2RO2S
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Montrose Pre-school Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025
1. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
2. Grants & donations
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3. Creditors
4.
Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.
5. Related party transactions
There were no related party transactions during the period.
6. Glossary of terms
Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.
Prepayments: These are services that the charity has paid for in advance, but not used during the accounting period.
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