Ducklings Preschool Great Massingham Charity Number 1039199
Report by the Trustees, Annual Financial Statement and Independent Examiners Report Year ending 31st March 2021
| Address | Ducklings Preschool |
|---|---|
| Weasenham Road, | |
| Great Massingham | |
| King's Lynn | |
| Norfolk | |
| PE32 2EY | |
| Trustees | C Boyden |
| L Tibble | |
| C Molyneux | |
| L Armitage | |
| Accountants | Clenshaw Minns |
| 24 Market Place | |
| Swaffham | |
| PE37 7QH |
INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT FOR THE TRUSTEES OF DUCKLING'S PRESCHOOL GREAT MASSINGHAM
The trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
I am reporting on my examination of the Duckling's Preschool Accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and I have followed the directions given by the Charity Commission under section145(5) (b) of the Act.
Independent Examiner's Statement.
I have completed my examination; I can confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination that would give me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records are not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act
-
the accounts do not accord with those records
I have no concerns and have not found any other matters in connection with the examination that require attention in so that a proper understanding of the accounts can be reached.
Signed
Name: Peter Rasberry, FCCA, FMAAT
Address Clenshaw Minns, 24 Market Place, Swaffham, Norfolk, PE37 7QH
Ducklings Preschool Ofsted EY268556 Charity No 1039199 Committee of Trustees Report 2020-2021
23 Children between 2-4 years were registered during 2020-2021 at the preschoo l in the small village of Great Massingham. Families come from the village and also a wider area. Preschool advertises and has a web-site but most referrals are by word of mouth. Families are advised to look at a variety of Early Years settings so that the choice is positive for Ducklings Preschool. There are other providers within a 4mile radius. The Trustees and Staff are pleased that families trust us to provide the care and education for their child. The preschool provides opportunities for learning and development according to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
During the year Preschool complied with Government Requirements due to Covid. The Preschool Trustees and Manager produced a Covid Safety Policy, Risk Assessment and Guidance that included a Parents Handbook. Some staff needed to isolate so for some time The Manager and Deputy maintained the service. Government Guidance re Coronavirus shut Preschool but our manager provided lessons for the children using the online learning journal system providing families with ideas and activities to share with the children and keeping in touch during difficult and unusual circumstances. These included watching and counting animals on a Farm Webcam, growing seeds and constructing a garden obstacle course. Preschool reopened with a staged and reduced admission of first our older children then the younger ones.
In September 2020 when all children were able to return, Preschool redesigned the service to keep children and staff as safe as possible by creating 2 bubbles of different age groups and staff, additional cleaning and safety arrangements. During the summer of 2020 Preschool moved outside into Tent Town which the children enjoyed. There have been several incidents of possible covid infections, Government and Public Health Guidance has been followed. More recently staff were able to access regular tests each week. The Trustees note that school staff were able to do this before Early Years settings staff.
The Preschool Committee of Trustees thanks the parents for supporting the Covid safety arrangements. The Trustees also recognise that the Preschool was only able to continue to provide care and education to the children through the commitment of the staff, and very sincere thanks go to the staff team.
Parents are in Partnership with Preschool by also having representatives on the Committee of Trustees. Another Committee Trustee is a school Governor. Trustees have a range of experience and skills that support the governance of Preschool and the staff team. The newsletter each term provides information to parents about what happens at Preschool as well as information.
In January 2021 additional staff joined the team to provide support while the manager is on leave. Another student place was provided to support the achievement of higher level
qualifications. All staff have undergone online training including, updating Safeguarding and Paediatric First Aid, Special Educational Needs and Planning Learning Activities. During this academic year Preschool have developed good links with our local Primary School and in particular, the Reception team. Amongst many positives, it will also ensure transition between Preschool and Reception is a smooth and positive experience for our children and their families.
The preschool is a registered charity, has appropriate insurances, works to policies and procedures, has a constitution, a written agreement with Norfolk County Council (NCC), is registered with Ofsted as an Early Years Provider. Committee Meetings are held three times a year. (These have been online) Staff attend as part of our shared and open approach to providing the service. Another Trustee will be confirmed when confirmation is received from Ofsted as to suitability.
The Financial Report figures show that the annual income supports the annual expenditure for 2020-2021.However the income also includes a refund and a pre-spend amount from HMRC for staff parental pay. This means that expenditure is not covered by income for the year. Income from Fees is reduced as these were not charged when Preschool was closed or children were unable to attend. There was additional expenditure to cover extra staff hours, additional staff uniform to ensure daily change and wash, training for additional staff and statutory update training. The Financial Statement identifies income from Norfolk County Council that is for hours funded by the Government as well as showing income from fees paid by families for additional or non- funded sessions. Expenditure on staff is the highest % of spend as with all Early Years settings nationally. Staffing ratios are high as there is a requirement for a 1:4 to provide care for 2 year olds and 1:8 for older children. Extra staff are needed to support additional needs of children. The number of children is kept to around 10/12 as preschool occupies one room that has limited space. This means that income is also restricted and there is no way to increase income from a business viability assessment. Empty places are kept for children starting in another term when funding for that child becomes available. Preschool also spends a good amount on resources for activities and equipment as the children's learning is a priority to give the children the best possible learning opportunities. Housekeeping includes anything from toilet rolls to nappies. There has been an increase in expenditure on cleaning fluid and equipment. Utilities electricity and water is paid direct to the school as a shared supply. A registration fee is paid to Ofsted and the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). Preschool has a second account that is used for fundraising to pay for necessary repairs to the building. Preschool employs a bookkeeping company to manage PAYE and the accounts are approved by an Accountant before going to the Charity Commission.
This report is to the end of March 2021.
| Ducklings Preschool Weasenham Road Great Massingham PE322EY | Ducklings Preschool Weasenham Road Great Massingham PE322EY | Ducklings Preschool Weasenham Road Great Massingham PE322EY | Ducklings Preschool Weasenham Road Great Massingham PE322EY | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charity Registered Number | 1039199 | ||||
| Accounts Summary 2020-2021 | |||||
| Income | Expenditure | ||||
| Early Years Funding | £ | 35,633.82 |
Staff | £ | 38,852.55 |
| Fees | £ | 4,252.00 |
Training | £ | 368.80 |
| Fundraising /Donation | £ | 560.00 |
Building | £ | 1,417.74 |
| HMRC SMP Refund | £ | 7,134.33 |
Utilities | £ | 523.59 |
| Uniforms | £ | 188.34 |
Phone | £ | 208.44 |
| EYPP | £ | 222.60 |
Insurance | £ | 558.30 |
| Misc | £ | 188.78 |
Resources/Equip/Housekp | £ | 2,679.61 |
| Account Interest | £ | 1.20 |
Uniform | £ | 448.25 |
| Website/Advertising/Printing | £ | 228.49 |
|||
| Bookkeeping /Accountancy | £ | 596.45 |
|||
| Ofsted/Data OIC | £ | 90.00 |
|||
| Misc | £ | 160.92 |
|||
| Total Income | £ | 48,181.07 |
Total Expenditure | £ | 46,133.14 |
| Opening Balance | £ | 17,399.82 |
|||
| Total | £ | 65,580.89 |
|||
| Closing Balance | £ | 19,447.75 |