2025-08-31-accounts

Annual Accounts and Annual Report 2024/25

Charity Registration Number: 1037668

CHARITY COMMISSIO FOR ENGLAND AND WALE Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examine￿5 Report Report to the trusteesl members of SteppiThJ Sto￿$ ￿ S(thool On accounts for the year ended 314 August 2025 hartrty no Irf any) 1037668 Set out on pages 1-4 (Receipts payments SLmmary) I rerK)rt to the trustees ¢)n rny examinati¢m of the rnnts of the above charity (Yhe Trusfi fLY yeai en¢Jed Responsibilities and As the chanty I￿￿t￿ of the Trust, you are res[￿sible for the preparation of basis of report the accO￿ts in 8CrnTd￿ %bilh Ihe r￿uTernents of the Charities Act 2011 I'the A(0. I report in res￿1 of my e￿inall￿ of the Trusvs accwnts carried out under seth.on 145 of 2011 Act ar¥J in carryirrfJ out my examination, I have followed the ap[dica￿e CA"recbons given by the Chanty Commission under section 1495llbl ol the Act. Independent I have comrAeted my examinati￿. l (x)nfirm that no rnateri￿ m8tters have examinerfs statement comè to my att￿tion (other than that (fisdosed Ll¢M J in connèction thè examinatiw which gives me cause to believe that in. any material resped.. aCcou￿ng reclxds were not kept in accordance V￿th s￿tK)n 130 of thè Act the acco¢Jts th) Th)t accord wth the accounts'ng records I have no c￿cernS and have come aTOSS Th) other matters In Conne(￿ v￿th the examination to wh.ch attents.on should be in ordw to enable a proper understaThJing of the ￿mjnts to be reached. ' Ilease delete the wonts in tts bwkets iftheydo Th*apply. Oate: 2710212026 Signed: Name: Joshua Unsworth Relevant professional qualificationlsl or body Irf any1= CPFA Address: 38 St Petu's Grove Canterbury CT12DJ IER October 2018

Section 8 Disclosuie ¢(xnplete I the examiner neets lo huhlighl matters of cor￿eM (see CC32, Independent examinat•)n of charity a￿(￿nIS.. direct￿nS and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. )ne IER October 2018

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Stepping Stones Pre Schwl 1037668 Recei tsand ments accounts CC16a Ftsrthe period To 01ft)W2024 31ffjK2025 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted fund$ Restricted nds EndowTnent funds Total fund5 Last year twrgst£ A1 R•e0l ts Enryal T￿rton lees IKCCI 71725 72.720 8,151 64.132 12,568 1.318 430 495 Snacksnnps Gian Dona￿￿5 ¢￿￿b¢r811 4413 5A13 7.J11 1,780 B,8B9 6.372 1.7WJ AR) 89J3S 7.173 97,100 92,857 s$et an see tsble . In¥e$ ent sa es. 7.173 97,10B 91697 A3Pa ments StaYW8ges 71.435 &62J 71,167 B,382 12OB 1,62J 1,5 Casual Sta Equipmenl TryslEvèM5 Other PhDne Insurance Tr¥intyg e￿be￿hip subsrrykns Athi nistyaii Gffis 1,645 l.J48 895 453 SIB 6•2 8fy2 2,085 1.19J 136 1.710 1.193 1269 Sub total 91945 91,919 A4 Assèt and invesknntnt SI￿ tot* Tolalpaymwits 95,945 &Y3 91,919 Net 0free￿p1￿(paPl￿e￿tsj . A5 Trdnsfer5 bel￿fi funds A6 Cash fund$ last ￿aT end Cash funds this year end 4.010 -2380 33.026 29,016 33.026 30,$46 11 xcounts IS81 1710312026

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the ￿rIOd Unrestrictwl funds Restrict furNIs End0￿￿￿ent funds B1 Cash funds h￿￿ Cash ac¢wrts) %•2Y Cath& llccourt¥i 705 Toial Cash fvnds .016 Unr88tii¢t fuThJ8 R68tridwJ fuThJ8 End0¥w￿ent fund8 Details trneaTh￿tt D>tsiSB B3 In4Estment assets Cwrent¥aw• Details 84 Assets retained forthe charty's own use wh￿ du Details B5 Liabilrties behaf IhelDJ5tees &gnatyre Print N￿e teof rov Bi2thth M¢Bh 12 accrAJrts ISS)

Trustees’ Annual Report 2024/ 25

From 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025

Charity name: Stepping Stones Pre-School Canterbury

Charity registration number: 1037668

Objectives and Activities

Objectives and Activities
	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The aims of the Pre-School 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: (a) 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 (b) 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 (c) instigating and adhering to and furthering the aims and objects of the Early Years Alliance
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	We provided a charity pre-school, totally focussed on our children, families and community, where children built on their learning through creative play. We ran pre-school sessions for 2-5 year olds every week day during term time. Children's wellbeing was absolutely paramount and was nurtured by a skilled and experienced team and a welcoming and inclusive learning environment.

			We provided excellent opportunities for learning and development, giving children the freedom to develop at their own pace and reach their full potential within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children became resilient and independent learners who are willing to take risks and to challenge themselves as they learn through play. Our children's wellbeing was high and those that left us at the end of the summer term were well prepared for their transition to primary school. The charity continued to embed excellence and best practice in its work. Our knowledgeable, professional, caring and experienced staff team continued to be really valued by children and families. Very strong partnerships with parents and carers supported children’s learning and development. We welcomed children from a wide range of backgrounds, including those living in areas of deprivation, children with English as an additional language, those with special educational and health needs and families working with Children's Services. Children enjoyed events and fundraising activities at Christmas, Easter and summer and a transition celebration for those children that left pre-school in July to start school in September. Staff and volunteers took the children on outings around the local community, including to: Wincheap Park, Kearsney Abbey, the Library, and Canterbury Cathedral as well as a visit to a local Café with families. Starting from September 2025, eligible working parents will be able to receive up to 30 hours of free childcare per week. In response to this change in legislation, Stepping Stones reached out to our current families to find out how much interest there was in increasing our hours. Early feedback from families has been very positive, indicating that our families would welcome longer, more flexible hours.	We provided excellent opportunities for learning and development, giving children the freedom to develop at their own pace and reach their full potential within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children became resilient and independent learners who are willing to take risks and to challenge themselves as they learn through play. Our children's wellbeing was high and those that left us at the end of the summer term were well prepared for their transition to primary school. The charity continued to embed excellence and best practice in its work. Our knowledgeable, professional, caring and experienced staff team continued to be really valued by children and families. Very strong partnerships with parents and carers supported children’s learning and development. We welcomed children from a wide range of backgrounds, including those living in areas of deprivation, children with English as an additional language, those with special educational and health needs and families working with Children's Services. Children enjoyed events and fundraising activities at Christmas, Easter and summer and a transition celebration for those children that left pre-school in July to start school in September. Staff and volunteers took the children on outings around the local community, including to: Wincheap Park, Kearsney Abbey, the Library, and Canterbury Cathedral as well as a visit to a local Café with families. Starting from September 2025, eligible working parents will be able to receive up to 30 hours of free childcare per week. In response to this change in legislation, Stepping Stones reached out to our current families to find out how much interest there was in increasing our hours. Early feedback from families has been very positive, indicating that our families would welcome longer, more flexible hours.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18		Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when planning the charity’s activities
Contribution made by volunteers		Para 1.38		The charity is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, with a wide range of skills and experience across charity,business,education

and family support. All trustees either currently have children at the pre-school, or previously had children with us and they have a real commitment to the charity and the wellbeing and learning of the children in our care. Our constitution involves all parents and carers as family members of the charity and they take on active roles as volunteers within the setting and at community events.

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	The charity supported 36 children to develop within the Early Years Foundation Stage during the year. 17 children had English as an additional language, alongside Spanish, French, Hungarian, Bengali, Nepali, Yoruba, Dari, Malalayam, Russian, Romanian, Marathi and Slovak. 4 children received Free for Two funding for all or part of the year; 7 children received Early Years Pupil Premium funding. The charity continued to support children and families to work with partner agencies, including: 1 child accessing the Specialist Teaching Service or Speech and Language Therapy; 2 children accessing Kent Children’s Services. At the end of the year, children left the pre-school to start school in 9 different primary schools across Canterbury and surrounding areas. The charity received positive feedback from the schools on the learning and development of the children. The charity received very positive feedback throughout the year from the parents and carers of children including the following comments: ●_The team are“always approachable and_ helpful”, ●“The staff take time to understand each child’s personality, strengths and areas for growth”,

● “My child feels supported [and] encouraged, [and] that helps build their confidence and love for learning”. The charity’s staff continued to develop their professional practice during the year, attending training and learning events in a range of areas, including: Statutory Safeguarding and Prevent Training, FGM, Makaton, Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Paedriatric First Aid, English as an Additional Language, Food Hygiene, Inclusive play in early years. Trustees completed training in governance and safeguarding. The recently promoted Manager and deputy Manager had a good first year. The staffing team have all settled into their new roles.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41	Across the year, the trustees implemented an annual plan with actions in five key priority areas: Children, Families and Safeguarding; Staff, Volunteers and Health and Safety; Fundraising; Communications; and Governance and Finance. Trustees regularly monitored progress against the plan and ensured that objectives were met. Trustees completed an annual review of the charity’s work.
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	The trustees set the following fundraising objectives for the year: ●To raise income from individual giving and community events to meet the shortfall in statutory funding for childcare places ●To raise income from grants, statutory funding and corporate funding to provide additional services for children and families ●To further diversify the charity’s income streams The trustees set realistic goals. The charity’s fundraising group performed well in identifying and securing funding and monitored the charity’s fundraising plan across the year. The charity secured some additional funding as detailed in the accounts but trustees were mindful of the ever-present gap between funding and costs and the attendant threat to

its reserves and are aware that they will need to monitor this extremely closely going forward Details of the funding secured are shown in the charity’s Annual Accounts and within this Annual Report.

Financial Review

Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	The charity is ending this financial year with our payments exceeding our receipts by approximately £2,380.
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	Following a review we recalculated our reserves in relation to our current staffing. We currently require reserves of £10,000 to cover the costs of charity wind up and dissolution. This covers 3 months approximate running costs and all staff redundancies. This pre-allocated reserve fund is restricted to emergency use only and can only be accessed in the event of the charity’s dissolution. We currently hold total reserves of £25,280.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£25,280
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	n/a
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	n/a
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	n/a

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	The charity’s main source of income continues to be government funding for childcare provision, through Kent County Council. Secondary to this is the income from fees for children who are not in receipt of government-funded childcare. As in previous years, the income from these sources does not cover the charity’s costs and this year the charity has continued to focus on finding other sources of income, including: charitable grants, statutory grants, voluntary contributions from parents and carers and communityfundraising. The majorityofgrants

		received this year were used for specific projects such as “Little Kickers”, “Sign n Rhyme” and outdoor learning provision.
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41	n/a
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	n/a
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	The main risk facing the charity is the disparity between its main funding avenues and its outgoings. The fundraising team will continue to focus on obtaining additional funding to cover the difference. Financial analysis is being carried out to help us determine the viability of extending our hours to align with increased funding entitlements (and to identify any risks in doing so).
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Constitution
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Unincorporated association
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Elected by members or co-opted by trustees

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51	The charity has a clear process for the recruitment and induction of trustees, which is overseen by the Governance and Finance Group. The Chair of Trustees and Manager support new trustees with their induction to the charity. Duringtheir induction,trustees

		meet staff, volunteers, children and families and complete training and reading in governance, safeguarding and areas relevant to their specific role.
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51	The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees, who meet on a termly basis to review the charity’s progress against its annual plan and budget. Sub-committees of the Board report into trustee meetings on work in the following priority areas: Children, Families and Safeguarding; Staff, Volunteers and Health and Safety; Fundraising; Communications; and Governance and Finance. Each sub-committee has a Lead Trustee who oversees the charity’s work in that area. The pre-school is run day-to-day by a small staff team. All staff are highly qualified and are led by a Manager and deputy Manager with QTS. Staff performance is monitored through a supervision and appraisal system. The Manager and the Chair of Trustees work together well and fortnightly staff meetings, which the Chair of Trustees attends on a termly basis, ensure good communication across the charity. The pre-school is regulated by Ofsted and the charity is a member of the Early Years Alliance, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and a collaboration of local pre-schools.
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51	n/a

Reference and Administrative details

Charityname	SteppingStones Pre-School Canterbury
Other name the charity uses	n/a
Registered charity number	1037668
Charity’s principal address	Kendall Hall, Nunnery Fields, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3JN

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any)
TiffanyCarter	Chair		n/a
Elizabeth McElhinney	Treasurer	From 29/04/2025
Vicky Hough	Manager
Alice Parry		From 17/07/2025
Sally Heath
Brianne Hamilton	Treasurer	To 29/04/2025
Debbie Cavero	Secretary
Abigail Stavroulakis-McMahon
Rosetta Lancaster		To 29/04/2025

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Vicky Hough, Manager

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signed on behalf of the	charity’s trustees
Signature(s)	Tiffany Carter	Elizabeth McElhinney
Full name(s)	Tiffany Carter	Elizabeth McElhinney
Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)	Chair	Treasurer
Date	01/04/2026	01/04/2026