OUGHTRINGTON PRE-SCHOOL YEAR END ACCOUNTS AND FINANCIAL SUMMARY 2024-2025
Oughtrington Community Centre Oughtrington Crescent Lymm Cheshire WA13 9JD Registered Charity Number: 1038655
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
Oughtrington Pre-School Financial Summary for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
Overview
During this period, Oughtrington Pre-School experienced a financial loss of £17,270. Despite fee adjustments and funding increases, the overall expenses exceeded this year income. In addition, late fee payment and SEND payment will show £1,997.74 in next years accounts. Settings across the early years sector are facing significant challenges such as the rising costs of essential supplies and services, insufficient funding and significant increases in rent.
Capacity and Enrollment:
Sessions:
Pre-School was open for ten sessions across all terms, but only operated at approximately 40% capacity compared to nearly 60% last year, this is mainly due to the low birth rate in this year’s cohort. Only approximately 20% of children accessed sessions outside of their funded hours.
Enrollment:
Pre-School started the year with 13 children on roll versus 20 last year. Rising to 23 children in the Summer term compared to 26 last year. 2 children left the setting during the year. It is apparent that working parents are looking for settings that provide wrap around care and holiday clubs. The new funded places for younger children may also be impacted on take up of places, where parents keep their children at the same setting. Dual attendance has also fallen this year. Preschool can accommodate 24 children per day. Over the year approximately session uptake was approximately 10 children per day. This year Preschool rolled out their breakfast club where booking have been low- 2 regular booking and ad hoc booking across the year. The majority of children are not accessing their full entitlement hours.
Income
Despite fewer children attending, revenue from core fees was £higher than the previous year. The 2 main reasons for this are:
Pre-School Fees: Increased from £5.50 to £6.50 per hour in January 2025. 2 Yr old placements: More 2 year olds are attending at the higher rate of FEYE Breakfast Club: A Breakfast Club has been introduced for children aged 2-8 years old attending Pre-School and Oughtrington Primary School. It is priced at £6 a day and is open from 07:45, with staff walking the Primary School children to school for 08:50.
This year we have accommodated 4 regular attendees and adhoc bookings taking place in the summer term, this generated £16,613 in income. This is a reduction compared with last year’s figure of £25,542.
Voluntary Enhanced Provision Fee :
Remains at £18.50 per term, 2 year olds are not charged for this provision due to age and the new booking system restricts the use of the hall to roll out such activities.
Voluntary Consumables Fee and snack fee
This has been merged at a cost of £1.95 per session to help cover the rising costs of food and consumables such as nappies, wipes, sun cream, hand wash and hand towels. However, this payment is not mandatory. Funding from Warrington Borough Council was higher this year due to an increase in the funding rate from April and the successful application for SEND funding. The Government's new early years funding initiative means that eligible working parents of 2 year olds are now able to access 15 & 30 hours per week. As a result, Pre-School now has more 2 year olds on role which are then paid at the higher rate of FEYE and that of our fee rate.
Free Early Years Entitlement (FEYE) Rates :
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
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Oughtrington Pre-School Financial Summary for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
Disability Access Funding (DAF) and Inclusion Funding:
Awarded annually to support children with additional needs we had 2 children eligible accruing £1,820 in total.
SEND payments
Totaled £4,890.52 as opposed to last year’s revenue £9,000. This is because changes in funding has changed from a 2 tier system to a 3 tier system, the previous allocation of funding is now split across this additional tier, thus reducing payments at 2 tier stage.
Fundraising :
Despite having no official fundraising team, a profit of over £1,000 was raised in house. A focus on more events, joining community events and local fundraising applications need to be explored going forward. Easy fundraising income was reduced, the link needs to be shared regularly on different platforms to maximize any profits.
Expenditure
Staffing costs :
Wages were higher than the previous year due to the National Living Wage increase of £1.02 per hour and subsequent salary reviews. Increases in tax, although this has been offset marginally by claiming tax relief as a charity. This is the main expenditure for Preschool.
Insurance and subscriptions:
Ofsted registration fee remains the same £50, the accountant fee increased by £60 this year, EYA insurance increased annually by £401. Website subscription was paid for a 2 year period due again in 2026 at a cost of £398.78.
Rent :
Preschool incurred an annual rent increase of £3,090 this year, as the rent increased from £7,410 to £10,500. This is the second significant increase, amounting to £6,510 in the last 2 yrs. Although the terms and conditions of the use of the Preschool rooms are not limited, providing opportunities for business growth, Preschool needs to look at how they can increase revenue by exploring wrap around care and other run other events to ensure these costs are covered.
Utilities :
The upgraded BT package has increase again this year by approximately £100. The contract is due to expire in January 2026, where Preschool may benefit form looking for a new provider, but savings are still being made. The Community Centre has now installed Wi-Fi, this maybe something we can tap into saving £61-£20 per month.
Maintenance and Repairs :
Preschool under the new rental agreement are now liable for day to day maintenance costs. Note no additional booking fee for events using other rooms in the building have not been invoiced. Maintanence costs and equipment has totaled approximately £1,215
Training Costs :
A total of £22 was spent on training, We anticipate more money spent on training in light of new staffing and recruitment. The majority of staff 1[st] aid will expire in the next year.
Year Ended 31st August 2025
Oughtrington Preschool
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Oughtrington Pre-School Financial Summary for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
Main Purchases :
No main equipment purchases this year, other increased costs include:
Redecoration costs
Garden maintenance
EYA - services & Insurance
Staff incentive / Christmas presents for children approximately £160
Marketing Costs :
To increase Pre-School’s presence within the local and wider community, the following was spent on marketing:
Renewal of website subscriptions Preschool need to continue to look at how they can raise their profile through social media platforms and community events.
Payroll Outsourcing : The payroll is outsourced to the Early Years Alliance to ascertain if this is cost effective a comparsion between R King salary and C Royle / EYA service needs to be calculated. The EYA has been accessing the HMRC tax relief scheme where we are currently in credit. No payments are expected to be made until December 2025.
Tapestry Subscription : A Childhood Education Platform. This has tools to help run the setting efficiently, adhering to EYFS framework and to improve communication between families and staff. This has reduced some staffing costs.
Debt Recovery Fees : Pre-School have not needed to access these services this year.
Future Plans
Operational Hours: Operate an out of hours – after school club service
Pre-School Fees: To remain at £6.50 per hour and be reviewed in January 2026. Additional sessions to be charged at £7 per hour. Consider a different rate of fee for 2 year olds to cover the higher ratio element.
Sub letting rooms: For children’s parties, training events etc.
Breakfast Club Fee: To remain at £6.50 per day, with focus on attracting more attendees. Regular advertising and marketing to make the service more visible in the local community.
Voluntary Enhanced Provision Fee: To be charged at £20 per term, or £2 per activity for children that wish to be included ad hoc. This could be reinvented as additional curriculum activities that suit staff expertise and children’s interests.
Consumables Fee: Merged with snack fee to cover the costs of snacks, nappies, wipes, nappy bags, sun cream, hand wash, medication, hand towels and use of spare clothing. To be charged at £1.95 per session. Ensure that those parents that do opt out, provide the necessary resources for their child.
Hot Meal Option: The introduction of a chargeable hot meal option at lunch time will be considered.
Holiday Club: Pre-School plan a part time holiday club, October/ February/ June breaks, with a view to extending provision during school holidays. This is to meet the demand of working parents.
Invoicing: Continue to issue on a monthly invoicing to encourage better revenue flow. Consider late payment charges.
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
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Oughtrington Pre-School Financial Summary for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
Committee and Governance
The Pre-School is managed by a voluntary Committee of parents. Over the last decade, there has been a demographic shift in Lymm Village.
More parents are working full-time and do not have the spare time to dedicate to Pre-School. Since the appointment of a new manager in September 2025 , it is more important than ever that Committee roles are fulfilled by people with the experience and determination to drive the business forward and fully support the remaining Preschool team. Dedicate specific roles and tasks to elevate paid staff workloads. Continue to monitor the role and responsibilities of Supervisor/Bookkeeper to ensure efficiency.
To address these challenges, the following options should be considered:
Changing to a Charitable Incorporated Organization (CIO ): This could provide a more sustainable governance structure and potentially attract more funding. Although this has been adopted at the last AGM, the application has yet to be submitted.
Fully adopt the 2013 constitution: Once a CIO the new constitution can be adopted, this will open up who can become a trustee.
Enlist business support from the Local Authority or Pre-School Learning Alliance: This could provide resources and guidance, networking opportunities, access to funding and grants, training and professional development and advocacy and representation.
Cash Surplus
Cash surplus carried forward amounts to £53,181, of which £38,000 has been earmarked for provisions/business growth, leaving an uncommitted balance carried forward of £15,000
Petty cash on site
£153.75 on site as of 31[st] August 2025
Bank Accounts
The majority of funds currently sit within a single bank account- Santander £445 is held in a dormant NatWest account. Signatories issues have caused issues to access. The Sum Up account balance of £200.
This is being used for onsite purchases. This comes with its own debit card which can be preloaded and used by staff for purchasing refreshments, sundries and online goods. This account includes a card reader, which can be used at fundraising events and enables Pre-School staff to take fee payments on site.
The visibility of the transactions are complex, in that, a commission of 1.62% is charged on debit payments and 1.72% is charged for credit card payments that include a interchangeable fee. Therefore the actual invoice presented to parent is not the amount that is received, sum up make monthly deposits based on what is surplus to the retainer kept on the card of £200 in total.
Conclusion
The financial loss of £17,270, highlights the need for continued monitoring and potential further adjustments to ensure the sustainability of Oughtrington Pre-School. The management team will continue to explore additional funding opportunities, cost-saving measures, and potential collaborations to improve the financial health of the Pre-School and absorb the rent increase. Additionally, any further increase in the National Living Wage, will necessitate another review of staff salaries, staff ratios/ structures, the role of trustees to ensure compliance and fairness.
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
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Oughtrington Preschool Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
Income and Expenditure
| Income | 2025 | 2024 | Expenditure | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||||
| Grants - WBC | 75,399 | 81,938 | Staff Costs | 91,154 | 97,307 |
| Grants - DfE Experts & Mentors Programme | 2,125 | Rent | 10,500 | 7,410 | |
| Grants - Milk | 612 | 745 | Early Years Alliance | 1,537 | 1,136 |
| Fees | 16,613 | 25,542 | Refreshments and Milk | 1,211 | 1,610 |
| Snacks | 2,060 | Trips and Sponsorships | 30 | ||
| Consumables | 1,025 | Expendables | 2,195 | 1,068 | |
| Voluntary Enhancement Fee | 375 | 970 | Stationary | 62 | 135 |
| Sale of Childrens Uniform | 60 | 155 | Sundries | 1,332 | |
| Insurance Refund | 181 | 0 | Computer Goods | 851 | 1,138 |
| Cleaning | 173 | 184 | |||
| Staff Training | 22 | 1,051 | |||
| Phone / Broadband | 1,345 | 1,172 | |||
| Registration | 50 | 50 | |||
| DBS Checks | 127 | 78 | |||
| Accountant | 1,260 | 1,200 | |||
| Beaumont Recoveries | 381 | ||||
| Sum Up Fees | 17 | 5 | |||
| Marketing and Sponsorship | 180 | 194 | |||
| Core Activities | 93,240 | - | 110,683 | 115,481 | |
| Fund Raising | 1,408 | 1,363 | Fund Raising | 154 | 503 |
| Donations | 146 | Equipment and Books | 301 | 1,717 | |
| Refurbishment / Garden | 780 | 4,852 | |||
| Total | 94,648 | 1,509 | 111,918 | 122,553 | |
| B/F Cash | 70,451 | 76,936 | C/F Cash | 53,181 | 70,451 |
| 165,099 | 78,445 | 165,099 | 193,003 | ||
| Analysis of surplus | 2025 | 2024 | |||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Santander Current Account | 52,382 | 69,706 | |||
| NatWest Current Account | 445 | 445 | |||
| Sum Up Account | 200 | 200 | |||
| Petty Cash | 154 | 99 | |||
| Total | 53,181 | 70,451 |
Notes:
- Some rounding differences occur
Auditor's Report
I have examined the above accounts with the books and vouchers supplied to me.
To the best of my information and knowledge, these accounts show a true and fair view of the state of affairs as at 31st August 2025.
SIGNED:
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
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Oughtrington Pre-School Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
Bank Reconciliation
£
| Balance per Santander A/C statement Balancer per NatWest Current A/C statement Balance per Sum Up Account statement Balance in Petty Cash Total |
52,382 445 200 154 53,181 |
|---|---|
Add unpresented credits:
| Value £ - - - Less unpresented cheques: Cheque No. Value £ - - - As per accounts: |
- - 53,181 |
|---|---|
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
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Oughtrington Pre-School Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
Creditors
There were no creditors
Debtors
There were no debtors
Provision
A provision of £30,000 is made for any future redundancies A provision of £10,000 is made for Pre-School improvements A provision of £7000 is made for one-on-one care
These provisions are held within the Santander current account as part of the cash carried forward balance in the income and expenditure account.
Stock
No material stock was held
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
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Oughtrington Pre-School Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
| Analysis of Sundries | £ | |
|---|---|---|
| Health & Safety | 308 | |
| Office Supplies | 241 | |
| Childrens Uniform | 240 | |
| Building | 188 | |
| Committee Gifts | 144 | |
| Ancilary Craft Items | 94 | |
| New Starter, Leavers & Christmas Gifts | 61 | |
| Ancilary Kitchen Items | 49 | |
| Batteries | 7 | |
| 1332 | ||
| Analysis of Fund Raising | Income | Expenditure |
| £ | £ | |
| Misc Fundraising | 104 | 59 |
| Halloween Fundraising | 134 | |
| Christmas Fundraising | 279 | 15 |
| Easter Fundraising | 721 | 16 |
| Summer Fundraising | 170 | 64 |
| 1,408 | 154 |
0
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
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Oughtrington Pre-School Income and Expenditure Account for the Year Ended 31st August 2025
Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Oughtrington Pre-School
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31st August 2025, which are set out on pages 1 - 6.
Respective Responsibilities of the Trustees and the Examiner
As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts; you consider that the audit requirement of section 43(2) of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) does not apply. It is my responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under Section 43(7)(b) of the Act, 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 Commissioners. 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 a consideration of any unusual items and disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.
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
-
to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 41 of the Act; and
-
to prepare accounts in accordance with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act
have not been met; or
- To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
Name: Paul Wareham Date: 30/03/2026
Relevant professional qualification or body: ACCA
Address: PS Accountants 5A Chruch Rd Lymm WA13 0QG
Oughtrington Preschool
Year Ended 31st August 2025
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