Woodpeckers ## Out of School Club Annual Report 2022-23 ## Whitchurch Primary School Erw Las Cardiff, CF14 1NL Annual Report compiled by the Woodpeckers Committee Chair June 2023 Woodpeckers is a registered charity Registered number: 1042261 ## **Contents** |||Page| |---|---|---| |1.|Report from the Chair|2| |2.|Woodpeckers 2022-23: A summary of the year|
3| |3.|Committee membership|4| |4.|Woodpeckers Statement of Purpose|5| |5.|Staff Update|7| |6.|Treasurer’s report|8| 1 **Report from the Chair 2022-2023** The end of this academic year has brought some significant changes to Woodpeckers. Catherine Bushell ended her term as chair and stepped down from the committee with her youngest moving to High school. The committee thanks Catherine for all the help and support given to the club over the years. I have taken over the role of Chairperson with support from the Club and Deputy Managers (Cathy and Sian) and other committee members. We have welcomed two new members onto the Committee this year and we would like to thank all our members both new and old for their support, committee support from our parents is very important for the running of the club. This was the first year of normal operation following the global pandemic, but unfortunately saw us in a cost-of-living crisis instead. As a charity we have tried to keep our fees low, and we remain extremely competitive compared to other clubs and childcare providers in the locality. The popularity of the Club, including an extensive waiting list, remains encouragingly strong which is a testament to the high quality of care provided by the dedicated staff, who work hard to care effectively for our children. Our holiday club continued to be a great service to our parents, it also allows attendance from children who are not regular members of Woodpeckers as it is open to the whole school on a first come first served basis, after a priority booking period. Rising costs meant we did not offer off-site trips as booking coaches and activities has proved too costly and instead, we have focused on activities and entertainment on the club site. The staff have worked hard to provide an exciting and varied programme of activities within the club itself. This has proved to be a success with both children and parents. During the October half term holiday club, the children really enjoyed taking part in lots of traditional Halloween activities, fancy dress and cooking. Easter saw lots of chocolate themed activities culminating with a traditional Easter egg Hunt. In March, the Club saw the arrival of the ‘Play shack’. This was provided by the council to facilitate more traditional outside play. It is a metal shack placed in the outside area which stores ‘loose parts’. Loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Materials include crates, tubes, sticks, stones, unused building materials, pinecones, natural materials, household items, etc. The benefits of loose part play are children using their imagination to make structures. A sense of adventure in the outdoors, problem solving and solution making. The children have thoroughly enjoyed this more traditional type of play in our excellent outdoor area. This addition to the Woodpeckers Garden has made a massive impact on the way the children play as it leads to a more traditional type of play rather than, leaning towards technology. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff for their continued hard work, patience and dedication to the children of Woodpeckers. They continue to support our children and keep them happy whilst in their care. The committee and staff members are continually looking for opportunities to improve the Club and look forward to the changes and building on another successful year with the children at the heart. Michelle Carolan Chair Woodpeckers Management Committee June 2023 2 ## **2. Woodpeckers 2022 - 2023: A summary of the year** |Date|Activity| |---|---| |September 2022|We started the school year with a new intake of children. All children
settled well quickly. Woodpeckers did not open for the inset days on the
4thand 5th, as these days were used for a deep clean and tidy up in
preparation for the new academic year. There were a few changes to
staff to start the year. We closed on 19thfor the Queen’s funeral.| |October 2022|Cathy M and Sian B attended a Pediatric First aid Course. There was an
Inset Day on October 10th. We had a busy day with many children in
attendance. The school had a Flu Immunization for the children.| |November/December
2022|A busy Holiday club at Half term which involved Halloween and Bonfire
Activities. Leanne W attended a Child Protection course. Preparations for
Christmas began with the decoration of both huts by the children. Cari W
is finalizing her Playwork qualification. A new member of staff was
welcomed to the team as a 1:1 support. All children received a Christmas
Present.| |January 2023|The term started on Tuesday 10thJanuary. There have been a few staff
changes to start the year. Staff have been successfully inducted into the
team.| |February 2023|The school proposed some strike days for teachers, thankfully they were
cancelled. February holiday club was a success. We had a delivery of our
‘Play shack’ provided by the Council with ‘loose parts’ which really
enhanced the play experience for the children in our outside area. Katie
E embarked on her Transition to Playwork level 3 with lots of
enthusiasm!| |March 2023|We had our first Play Shack training from the Council, it gave us ideas
how to get the most benefit from the shack and underlined how
important frequent replenishing the parts is for maximum benefit.| |April 2023|The Easter holidays fell in the first week of April, we had a fun time in
holiday club with an Easter egg hunt, lovely craft activities and lots of
fun. There was an Inset day on Friday April 28thdemand was low, so we
did not open.| |May 2023|We had a delivery of ‘loose parts’ from the Council to fill our very
successful Play shack.| |June 2023|Cathy M hands in her notice and preparations begin for Sian B to take
over as the new manager.| |July 2023|Catherine Bushell ends her term as Chairperson and Michelle Carolan
becomes the new chairperson. We say goodbye to our long attending
Year 6 Children with a week of treats. Preparations begin for our busy
summer holiday club.| 3 ## **3. Committee membership:** |Catherine Bushell
Michelle Carolan|Chair|| |---|---|---| |Louise Price|Secretary|| |Sadie Lowman-Jones|Treasurer|| |Cathy Martinson|Club Manager|| |Sian Burnett|Deputy Club Manager|| |Darren Stacey
Louise Price
Karen Dawson-Morris
Michelle Carolan
Simon Geeves|Committee Members|| ## **3.1 Committee Update** Catherine Bushell ends her term as Chairperson and Michelle Carolan takes up the role. New committee members are welcomed, Sadie Lowman -Jones and Simon Geeves. Sadie Lowman-Jones becomes Secretary later in the year. 4 ## **Woodpeckers Out of School Club Statement of purpose** Woodpeckers are a Breakfast, After-School and Holiday Club located in Whitchurch Primary School in Whitchurch Cardiff. The club was formed in September 2012 due to the closure of Eglwys Newydd Primary School and Eglwys Wen Primary school; both previous schools had existing provision, so demand was high in the new school. The club is held on the previous site of Eglwys Wen. The Woodpeckers club is registered with The Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW). According to the requirements laid down by the children’s act 1989. The venues are fully insured and run by experienced, qualified staff on a minimum ratio of 1:8 for children up to 12 years. The Breakfast Club is registered to take a maximum of 48 children. The After-School Club is registered to take 88 children and the Holiday Club can take up to 40 children. We are based in two demountable classrooms. The larger double demountable holds the Breakfast Club, After-School Club for the juniors and the Holiday Club. The smaller single demountable holds the AfterSchool Club for the infants. The club during term-time is open from 7:45am – 9am for Breakfast Club and 3:15pm – 6pm for infants and 3:30pm – 6pm for juniors in the After-School Club. Holiday Club is open from 8am – 6pm on half term holidays, Easter Holidays and four weeks of the Summer Holiday. Half day cover is also provided. The club also offers full day care on most school inset days which is 8am – 6pm. Both boys and girls between the ages of 4 –11 years are cared for in a safe and stimulating environment until collected and signed out by a parent, guardian or another nominated adult known to the staff. A daily register is taken and kept. Children’s records and information are kept in secure files detailing each child’s individual needs and emergency contact numbers. Parents complete a registration form and contract before their child starts in the Woodpeckers Club. They are also provided with an up to date parent’s handbook. The aims of the club are to provide a wide range of activities and games that all children can enjoy and participate in whether they are free play or they can join in with set activities. Children in the After-School Club are on their individual bases at register time and snack time and then they are free to choose between both huts and the outdoor area. Staff are based on a rota basis in each hut so ratios are always maintained. The outdoor area is a large garden area with a playground tarmac Safety flooring area & grass areas. There is also under shelter areas which children can use if raining. A wide range of outdoor toys are available to the children and Woodpeckers have their own shed for safe keeping of outdoor toys. Other activities include Arts and Craft which is set up in each hut daily, Board Games and Puzzles, Construction Toys, Music, Puppet Theatre, Home Corner, Dolls and Prams, Tool Station, Hama Beads, Lego, and much more. 5 We have a separate games room in the junior hut for larger games including a pool table, air hockey, and table football. This room can also be used for TV/games console activities in bad weather. Also available in the larger hut is a room set aside as a library/quiet room. In here children can read, play quiet games, have a rest or have help with homework. The children are cared for and supervised by English speaking staff, however we do endeavour to incorporate the welsh language where possible. In addition to this the club does have some books written in Welsh and some Welsh posters. The Welsh language is encouraged and supported in the Woodpeckers Club. The Woodpeckers further aims to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all children, parents, and staff. Where possible, the club will aim to provide adaptations to the facilities in order to cater for individual special needs. The Woodpeckers Club is run by a Voluntary Management Committee made up of the Manager of the Club, Deputy Manager and parents whose children attend the club. The club is a registered charity, and abides by the charity commission. Charity number 1042261 Parents are automatically entitled to join the committee at any time if they have a child attending any part of the club. Prices at the club are kept to a minimum and are reviewed regularly by the management committee. Breakfast club costs £3.70 per session (early breakfast start at 7:45am) or £3.50 per session (start at 8am) After-School Club is £8 per session. Holiday Club costs £20 for full day care 8am – 6pm or £10 for half day 8am – 1pm or 1pm – 6pm. Parents will be given an invoice for payments on a half term basis and a four week notice is required for termination of places. The Woodpeckers club accepts all childcare vouchers, cheques, payments made through the bank or cash payments. There are three registered persons at the club one of whom is also the Out of School Club Manager. The Out of School Club Manager Cathy Martinson can be contacted daily on 07786908242 All of our policies and procedures can be found in the Parents handbook. Policies and procedures are reviewed at least annually as part of our review of the service. The Woodpeckers club as a complaints procedure which is in the Parents handbook however if you wish to contact our registering authority their address is: Care Inspectorate Wales **CIW Welsh Government Tel 03007900126 Rhydycar Business Park Fax 0300 062 8548 Merthyr Tydfil Email ciw.southeast@wales.gsi.gov.uk CF48 1UZ Updated March 2020** 6 ## **5. Staff Update** Thank you to you all Woodpeckers staff for your continued commitment and hard work over another successful year. A special thank you to Cathy and Sian for their leadership, interpretation of guidance, planning and ensuring that Woodpeckers remained a welcoming and safe place for the children attending. Emma W left in September 2022 and was replaced by Caroline M. Also, Cari W joined the team. Chris W left in December 2022. Leanne W transferred from being a 1:1 support to a playworker and Thomas P joined us as a one-to-one support. ## **5.1 Training** The Club has a strong policy of maintaining staff skills and continuing to develop their expertise. Staff must attend the 3 courses set out by the CSSIW for best practice approximately every 3 years. These are First Aid, Child Protection, & Food Hygiene. Certificates are awarded to those that attend and pass the course; these are held on their personal files. Currently all staff are up to date with these courses. Looking to the future we endeavour to get all the staff presently at Woodpeckers working towards a Play qualification, which will really enhance the club. 7 ## **6. Treasurer’s report** ## **Report and statement for the year 2022-23 and update for 2023-24.** The Woodpeckers Committee present the Financial Report at this meeting; for the account’s year ending 31[st] Aug 2023. For the financial year ending 31[st] Aug 2023 the committee continued with existing financial commitments, including continuing with existing lease commitments. Total Income for the year 2022-23 was £154,084 £166,164 was spent from unrestricted funds on salaries for the club staff **.** The net result for the year was a net loss of £12,080 The closing balance held by the charity was £88,258 as of August 2023. The Charity is required to hold reserves of at least 3 months outgoings for a “normal” year. This is held to smooth out fluctuations in cash flow and to meet emergencies. Financial modelling carried out by the Treasurer and considered by the Committee anticipates rising costs will erode these funds and therefore this is maintained as contingency for increasing costs year on year and the risks identified later in this report. The management committee will maintain an oversight of the outgoings and fee income over the coming year to consider whether there is a need to raise fees. During this period (2022-23) fees have increased for the first time since September 2019 to cover rising costs & wage increases. To support all staff in the cost-of-living crises a one-off bonus was paid in December 2022. A pay increase of at least 6% was awarded in April 2023 recognising the rising cost of living. Those staff on the Play Worker grade had their pay raised by a higher percentage to ensure that the hourly rate was raised in excess of the national living wage. ## **Reserves Policy** It is Woodpeckers’ policy, and a requirement of the Charities Commission to keep unrestricted funds, which equates to at least three months payments. ## **Future Risk areas for 2023** - Increasing inflation will impact all outgoings for the club including heating and food costs. - The possibility that the school will seek to raise the rent for the current premises. 8 - Ongoing risks of the current buildings reaching their end of life and needing replacement. Woodpeckers is reliant on the school as the landlord for any consideration of changes to or replacement of the structure of the buildings. The Committee will seek to restart a dialogue with the school to consider options for the future to pre-empt any need for change, given the likely limited life span of the current buildings. ## **2023-24 Financial Year** September 23, fee increases again to cover ever increasing costs. Term time wrap around fees to increase by +4%, along with Holiday Club increasing to £30.00 from October 23. From July 24, holiday club fees to increase to £35.00 for a full day, and £16.00 to £18.00 for a half day, which given competition prices still offers great value. A pay increase of 8% in April 2024 recognising the rising cost of living and ensuring that all play workers’ wages are higher than the living wage. The financial position remains tough at the club, with the ever-rising costs. **To be read with this report:** Independent Auditors Report 2022-23 9 ## # ## ## ## |Income Resources|| |---|---| |Fees Received|143,782| |Grants and Subsidies|9,953| |Bank Interest Received|349| ||154,084| |Salaries|128,496| |---|---| |Rent|13,920| |Lrsurance|750| |Equipment Toys and Crafts|2,873| |Food and Refreshments|5.140| |Telephone, Broadband & Parent mail|369| |Repairs and Maintenance|6'062| |Printing, postage and stationery|376| |S undy Expenses|3,171| |Heat and Light|3,302| |Accountaney|1,050| |Book-keep ing Fees|475| |StaffTraining|180| ## ## ##