Cygnets Pre-school AGM Minutes - 13[th] March 2024
Attendees:
Hayley Durbin (Preschool Manager) Jane Smith (Preschool Deputy Manager) Georgina Smith (Chair) Chloe Inness (Secretary) Montanna Taylor (Committee member) Emiliana Tashev (Committee member) Iris Martin (Parent) Leona Weston (Parent) Kim Jeffery (Parent)
Apologies:
Lauren Dumbleton (Committee member) Donna Simpson (Committee member) Stacey Fairbairn (Committee member) Celia Jones (Finance Manager)
Minutes of previous AGM
Minutes approved
Chair’s Overview of the Year:
We have seen Cygnets continue to go from strength to strength. We have continued to invest in the equipment, facilities, and staff which after such a long time taking a cautious approach has been essential.
We received a grant from Tesco Blue Tokens which paid for a new Interactive Screen. In March we hosted our very first Spring Craft Fair and ~Raffle which were very successful. We have enjoyed many other highlights such as the Christmas party, Easter Egg hunt and Parade, both were a resounding success. The summer graduation was a fantastic way to finish the academic year ready for a well-earned break for all!
New children have brought new parent members to the team of current members, and we welcome all the support you are able to give. We understand the busy lives we all lead and the constant demands on everyone’s time so any spare that you are able to give up to help us keep Cygnets running is invaluable.
The Cygnets staff continue to work tirelessly to provide a fun, happy, nurturing and stimulating educational environment for the children who attend whilst constantly striving to improve and adapt to the ever-changing requirements that are put upon them and this was evident as Cygnets were nominated and successful in becoming Bicester’s ‘Most Trusted Early Years Provider 2023’.
We would like to say a massive thank you to all committee members and staff, without whom Cygnets would not be the fantastic setting it is. Our community should be proud to have such a commodity within it.
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Preschool Report:
Currently we have 32 children on roll as 1 child left us at after February Half Term and we have one further child joining us in April. We only took one new child in January.
Out of a potential 160 sessions, we have now filled 157 so only have 3 x 3-hour sessions available for a 2YO until September 2024 and no 3YO spaces at all.
We have 12 children with English as an additional language, these include Albanian, French, Italian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai.
Training - All statutory training is up to date for all staff and as a team we are nearly finished our accreditation for oral health/diet/healthy living and are working towards Millie’s Mark linked to Paediatric First Aid.
We have one child with a ‘child in need’ plan in place, 2 vulnerable families on roll and 5 children with emerging needs, mainly speech and language and social, emotional mental health needs.
Children’s Progress
We are just completing our mid-term assessments for our children, reviewing their learning and development as the academic year progresses. All assessments and tracking are carried out within children’s play. A key focus for us is children’s speech and language as assessments show we have 4 children behind based on typical targets for their age. Reports on children’s development, highlighting where children are working and showing what experiences children are gaining through our ‘enabling environment’ accompanied with input from key persons e.g., through language, modelling play, sustained shared thinking etc. Reports will be sent out on 22 March 2024.
We are very pleased with children’s progress as this is clearly evident from the data tracking.
Environment
We haven’t needed to make any big purchases this term, just replenishing resources that needed updating and buying equipment connected to our termly topics. We will be looking at Lifecyle’s after Easter and we have a delivery of duck egg to arrive to broaden children’s experiences.
Staffing
We had no staff changes over the past year. Terrie, our newest member of staff will have been at Cygnets a year at the end of this month and has settled well.
Our team are highly experienced and skilled, and all staff have a minimum of level 3 in childcare.
- Review of Updates Policies and Legislation
The update of policies was completed in October 2023, and we have just recently tweaked our oral health and healthy eating policy.
Lease Agreement Update
The portacabin is owned by Oxfordshire County Council, meaning that although we pay rent to the school, our lease agreement must be with the council. The council has sent a lease agreement which states that we are responsible for paying 100% of the cost of internal repairs, and 50% of the cost of repairs to shared and outside areas. We are due to sign this shortly once we are in receipt of the utilities layout/plan.
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Appraisal and Supervision
No issues were raised following the appraisals at the end of the summer term 2023. Appraisals will be carried out again at the end of the summer term 2024.
Marketing
A banner is displayed on the main gate, and we have a new welcome sign on our entrance gate. We will duplicate these for both garden gates too. The website has been updated and a blog added and is up to date and a very strong support tool for signposting to families.
Financial Report:
Accounts
Accounts for the year ending 31st July 2023 were balanced and closed off and were submitted to our accountant, Jayne Blake. After carrying out her independent examination, she signed the accounts off on the 17[th of] February 2024. A copy of the accounts is available to view tonight. Once the accounts have been accepted by the Committee, the information can be submitted to the Charities Commission. This needs to be completed before the 31[st of] May 2024.
The accounts for the financial year, show Cygnets Pre-school made a loss of £330.00 The balance sheet shows the Pre-school funds at £75295.00 – detailed balances as of 31[st] July 2023
Current account- £15,696.00 Staff account - £7,480.00 Holding account - £21,770.00 Reserve account - £30,344.00 Petty cash – £5.00
Total receipts for all accounts amounted to £120,871.00 (£116,605.00 in 21/22)
Income from Pre-school fees totalled £37,705.00, Wraparound £78,754.00. As with previous years, the majority of Pre-school fees are parent funded and Wraparound mainly Government funded. Fundraising income increased to £3,560.00, Interest increased to £352 on our Reserve and Holding accounts and £500 in grants.
Total expenses for all accounts were £121,201.00 (£102,932.00 in 21/22)
Our major expense through the year has again been staffing costs at £90,544.00. Premises costs were £928.00, Consumables £11,394.00, Equipment £8,876.00, Admin/Office £7,411.00, Subscriptions £384.00 and fundraising £1,664.00. Discussions are still ongoing between Oxfordshire County Council, Langford Village School, and Hayley (Pre-school Manager) regarding the rental agreement for the portacabin. We have not paid any rent/utilities again and retain funds within our balance sheet to pay the backdated funds, hopefully before the end of the current financial year.
This is the current financial position of Cygnets Playschool at the end of July 2023.
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Future Expenditure - Fees
Our session fees for a 2YO are currently £7ph and a 3/4YO £6ph. The government are increasing funding in April to £7.83 for a 2YO and £5:30 for a 3/4YO. With the increase in funding, national living wage, staffing, food, drinks, resources etc. A proposed increase of 50p for a private 2, 3/4YO.
- Proposed increase fees from April 2024 Funded 2YO - £6.21 → £7.83 (government agreed) Private 2YO - £7.00 → £7.50 Funded 3YO - £4.58 → £5.30 (government agreed) Private 3YO - £6.00 → £6.50
We will send information to parents w/c 18/03/2024.
Government/Council Initiatives
The new Working Families 2YO funding commences in April and this has been taken up by 4 of our families.
Wages
Staff salaries need review from April 2024 as NLW is increasing to £11.44 from April, an increase of £1.02 / 9.8%. Our biggest investment must be in staff with any profit raised as well as maintenance and replenishing environment. We are currently looking at what we could afford, and we will discuss this further following today’s meeting.
Forthcoming Events:
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Wednesday 27[th] March for an Easter event at park from 15:30-17:00hrs to include an Easter Egg hunt
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Cygnets’ 30[th] Birthday Party, Sun 7[th] July 2024 from 1:30-5:30pm, Launton Sports & Social Club with Aaron Williams
Election of Committee Members / Resignations & Elections:
Resignations of Officers/Committee Members
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Georgina Smith, Chair
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Chloe Inness, Secretary
Re-election of current committee members
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Montanna Taylor, Donna Simpson, Georgina Smith, Chloe Inness, Emiliana Tashev to be re-elected to committee.
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Stacey Fairbairn resignation
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Leona Weston, Iris Martin & Kim Jeffery to be elected as new committee members
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Election of Key Committee Roles
- Kim Jeffery - Chair
Proposed by Georgie / Seconded by Chloe
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Iris Martin - Secretary Proposed by Emi / Seconded by Leona
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Leona Weston - Treasurer Proposed by Jane / Seconded by Hayley
Any Other Business/Actions:
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All committee members signed a new confidential agreement, those that didn’t attend meeting to sign post meeting
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Hayley to add new members to WhatsApp group and send requirements for DBS applications so we can commence process asap
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Hayley to commence applications for Enhanced DBS checks and EY2’s for Ofsted
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A meeting at Esquire to be held on Friday 22[nd] March @ 9:30am to welcome new members and talk about key roles and responsibilities
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Once DBS and EY2’s in place, Celia to amend our records with the Charities Commission to add new committee members and new key elected roles. Also to implement a new bank mandate to HSBC asking for signatories to be updated.
Date of next AGM meeting
Next AGM meeting to be held March 2025, next committee meeting to be held in May 2024, dates to follow.
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CYGYET5 PiAYSCHOOL LLYCFORD VILIAGE ACCOUhTS FOR niE YL4R ENDED JI IULY IOIJ
CYGNM PLAYSCHOOL LANGFOKD VILLAC:V. 14s(JMblofthtCwrl Art •Ad J4ynr BJ•k¢ 23 W•y OxwOX9 ZFP
Cvf.YF.1S PLA Y11[L LANC•VORD VILLACE RF.CEIPT% AliD PAYMFNTr AccouKr Ptrl•d tydt4 Jl"J•ly I•LI RECEIPTS Few 116J39 352 TOTAL RECEiprs 120J71 928 9)344 l iJ94 8.876 113.406 7.411 384 7.795 TOTAL PA YME 121201 NET DEVICIT FOR THF YKAR ADD SURPLUS ROUGHT FORWARD (330) 73.625 SURPLliS CARRJED FOMWAXD 75,295
('YGliETS PLA YSCHooL LANCFORD VILIAGE BALANCE SHEET A•Ai31rfJ•ty IW CASH AT BANK 15. 30J44 21.rn C4th 75395 SCHOOL FUND 75.625 530 75295
CYGYET5 PiAYSCHOOL LLYCFORD VILIAGE ACCOUhTS FOR niE YL4R ENDED JI IULY IOIJ
CYGNM PLAYSCHOOL LANGFOKD VILLAC:V. 14s(JMblofthtCwrl Art •Ad J4ynr BJ•k¢ 23 W•y OxwOX9 ZFP
Cvf.YF.1S PLA Y11[L LANC•VORD VILLACE RF.CEIPT% AliD PAYMFNTr AccouKr Ptrl•d tydt4 Jl"J•ly I•LI RECEIPTS Few 116J39 352 TOTAL RECEiprs 120J71 928 9)344 l iJ94 8.876 113.406 7.411 384 7.795 TOTAL PA YME 121201 NET DEVICIT FOR THF YKAR ADD SURPLUS ROUGHT FORWARD (330) 73.625 SURPLliS CARRJED FOMWAXD 75,295
('YGliETS PLA YSCHooL LANCFORD VILIAGE BALANCE SHEET A•Ai31rfJ•ty IW CASH AT BANK 15. 30J44 21.rn C4th 75395 SCHOOL FUND 75.625 530 75295