2024-07-31-accounts

Cygnets Pre-school AGM Minutes – 23[rd ] May 2025

Attendees:

Hayley Durbin (Preschool Manager) Jane Smith (Preschool Deputy Manager) Kim Jeffrey (Chair) Iris Martin (Secretary) Montanna Taylor (Committee member) Emiliana Tashev (Committee member) Georgie Holpin (Committee member) Chloe Inness (Committee member) Leona Weston (Committee member) Lauren Dumbleton (Committee member) Donna Simpson (Committee member) Celia Jones (Finance Manager)

Minutes of previous AGM Minutes approved

Chair’s Report

Overview of the Year

As the school year draws to a close, it gives me immense pleasure, as your Chair, to reflect on what has been another truly remarkable and fulfilling year at Cygnets Preschool. It feels like just yesterday we were welcoming our new families and watching our little ones embark on their exciting journey of discovery. This year has been filled with countless moments of joy, learning, and growth. We've witnessed incredible milestones, from the first wobbly steps into our classrooms to the confident leaps of our soon to be graduating children, ready to take on their next adventure. Every day has been a testament to the curiosity, resilience, and boundless energy of our children.

Highlights of the Year

• Ofsted Inspection: We achieved a ‘Good’ - Attending this early years setting offers a highly nurturing and engaging experience where children truly flourish. The dedicated and attentive staff build close attachments, ensuring children feel safe, secure, and settle quickly. They implement a carefully sequenced curriculum that considers each child's interests, leading to good progress through imaginative activities, such as creating 'fake snow,' which engrosses children and promotes discovery. Staff act as positive role models, fostering kindness and respect, and use consistent praise to build children's self-esteem and confidence. The passionate leadership team maintains a clear focus on learning, providing rich and varied experiences. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are effectively supported, making good progress. Parents consistently speak highly of the preschool, valuing the strong partnership and regular communication. Staff well-being is also prioritised, leading to a committed and well-supported team. Children are encouraged to develop a love of books and stories, actively participating in re-enactments. Communication and language are well-supported, and children are physically active with daily outdoor play, developing confidence through age-appropriate risks. Our next steps are

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• to further promote children's early number and mathematics, and to more accurately correct mispronunciation and model vocabulary.

• Enriching Learning Experiences: Our dedicated early years educators have continued to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment, fostering creativity, problem-solving skills, and a love for learning through play. From messy art sessions and imaginative role-play to fascinating nature explorations and engaging story times, every activity has been thoughtfully designed to support holistic development.

• Memorable Events & Celebrations: We've enjoyed a vibrant calendar of events that brought our community together. The Xmas Fayre, the lantern walk and Father Christmas visit, were a resounding success.

• Growth and Development: It has been inspiring to observe the children develop crucial social skills, such as sharing, cooperation, and empathy. We've celebrated every small victory, from mastering new songs to building impressive towers, knowing that each step contributes to their foundation for future success.

• Our Amazing Community: None of this would be possible without the incredible dedication of our staff. Their passion, patience, and unwavering commitment to the children's well-being and education are truly commendable. A heartfelt thank you to every one of our teachers, and the leadership team for their tireless efforts. To our wonderful parents and guardians, thank you for your continued trust, support, and active participation. Your partnership is invaluable, and we truly appreciate your involvement, whether through volunteering, attending events, or simply sharing your child's home learning experiences with us. And of course, to our amazing children – you are the heart and soul of Cygnets Preschool Name! Your laughter, your questions, and your unique personalities make every day an absolute delight. We are so proud of each and every one of you.

Looking Ahead

As we say goodbye to some of our children who are moving on to new schools, we wish them all the very best. We know they are well-prepared for the adventures that lie ahead. We also look forward to welcoming new families and children in the coming academic year, excited to continue building on our successes and creating more cherished memories. On behalf of the entire committee, I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to making this year such a success. We are immensely proud of our preschool community and excited for what the future holds.

Manager’s Preschool Report

We have 33 children on roll. Out of a potential 160 sessions, we are full and have actually filled a further 5 sessions to accommodate children wanting to increase sessions where child/staff ratios have allowed us to do this. We have 5 children with English as an additional language, these include Persian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Macedonian. We have 2 vulnerable families on roll and 9 children with emerging needs, mainly speech and language and social/emotional mental health needs.

Our team received accreditations in Healthy Smiles+ (oral health/diet/healthy living) and Millie’s Mark (Paediatric First Aid) and staff are hoping to complete a Maths accreditation in 2026.

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Progress

We are just about to complete our end of term assessments for children, reviewing their learning and development as the academic year comes to a close. 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 5 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 gained through our ‘enabling environment’ accompanied with input from key persons e.g., through language, modelling play, sustained shared thinking etc. Progress and transition reports will be sent out by 27 June 2025.

Children at Cygnets learn at their own pace to achieve. Having shared goals for children and respecting all the different approaches in getting there we ensure that all the children in our care develop to their greatest potential. All children develop at different rates, and some children will need much more support than others, and that's not always easy, but if we can hang on to the fact that even when children have got significant needs, we can still celebrate their progress, they're still going to be making progress - whatever stage children are at, success is about moving the individual on from where they are to where they need to get to, to take those small steps of progress, and we really enjoy celebrating those small steps of progress.

Environment

We have had a portion of the entrance floor replaced and a new front door that we funded 50% of with LVCPS. We received quotes for an area of the garden to be renovated and have chosen Made2Play who will level out the area down by the main shed, putting in a retaining wall. We will faux grass the area and add a perimeter with road markings for a bike/scooter track. This work is due to be carried out on 18 August 2025.

Staffing

Miss Terrie was signed off work for approx. 6 months following a health issue but is now back and feeling much fitter. Our newest member of staff, Miss Tia commenced with us in November 2024 as a Level 3 Apprentice and has not only fitted in extremely well but did a wonderful job supporting Miss Terrie’s key families in her absence.

Our team are highly experienced and skilled, and all staff have a minimum of level 3 in childcare. Miss Lucy is leaving us at the end of this academic year, early retirement so the recruitment drive has commenced.

Appraisals were carried out March 2025 and all statutory training is up to date for all staff. Staff salaries were reviewed in March 2025, NLW increased to £12.21 from April, an increase of 6.7%. The Leadership team agreed that we need to invest in the staff with any profit raised as well as maintaining and replenishing our environment. It was agreed to increase salaries.

- Review of Updates Policies and Legislation

The update of policies was completed in October 2024, and legislation in various policies were updated on 13 January 2025.

Lease Agreement

The lease for the portacabin, owned by Oxfordshire County Council was signed by all parties on 26[th] August 2024, meaning that Cygnets now pay rent direct to OCC rather than the school. Our lease agreement 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.

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Marketing

A banner is displayed on the main gate, and we have a new welcome sign on our entrance gate and both garden gates too. The website has constantly been updated and our blog regularly refreshed – this is a very strong support tool for signposting families.

Finance Managers Report:

Accounts

Accounts for the year ending 31st July 2024 were balanced and closed off and submitted to our accountant, Jayne Blake. After carrying out her independent examination, she signed the accounts off on the 8[th of] April 2025. 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 2025.

The accounts for the financial year, show Cygnets Pre-school made a loss of £2,311.00 The balance sheet shows the Pre-school funds at £72,984.00 – detailed balances as of 31[st] July 2024

Current account- £5,669.00 Staff account - £1,885.00 Holding account - £34,391.00 Reserve account - £30,924.00 Petty cash – £115.00

Total receipts for all accounts amounted to £128,056.00 (£120,871.00 in 22/23)

Income from Pre-school fees increased to £45,441.00, Wraparound increased slightly to £78,969.00 and admin fees amounted to £100.00. Slightly tweaking intake to start the year with younger children, increased the Pre-school fees which are mainly parent funded, and Wraparound continued to be mainly Government funded. Funding raising income reduced to £2,344.00, Interest increased to £1,201.00 on our Reserve and Holding accounts.

Total expenses for all accounts were £130,367.00 (£121,201.00 in 22/23)

Our major expense through the year has again been staffing costs at £98,739.00. Premises costs were £3,271.00, Consumables £14,898.00, Equipment £3,187.00, Admin/Office £7,998.00, Subscriptions £629.00 and fundraising £1,645.00. Discussions were finalised with Oxfordshire County Council, Langford Village School, and Hayley (Pre-school Manager) regarding the rental agreement for the portacabin. Backdated rent was paid during the 2024/25 financial year.

Cygnets Pre-school is still in a very positive financial position, despite the loss in this financial year.

This is the current financial position of Cygnets Playschool at the end of July 2024.

Fundraising Raised a total of £1,645.00

• 30[th] Birthday Celebrations

• Xmas Fayre

• Cherwell Lottery

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Fees

• Fees increased in April 2025 Funded 2YO - £7.83 ® £8.05 (government agreed) Private 2YO - £7.50 ® £8.50 Funded 3YO - £5.30 ® £5.53 (government agreed) Private 3YO - £6.50 ® £7.50

Government/Council Initiatives

The government has implemented several initiatives to support working families, including expanded childcare eligibility and initiatives for work-life balance. These initiatives include from September 2025, working parents of children under 5 years old will be entitled to 30 hours of government-funded childcare per week. This expansion builds on the existing 15-hour entitlements for children aged 9 months and older.

Election of Committee Members / Resignations & Elections

Resignations of Officers/Committee Members

• Leona Weston, Treasurer

Re-election of current committee members

• Montanna Taylor, Donna Simpson, Georgina Smith, Chloe Inness, Emiliana Tashev, Leona Weston, Lauren Dumbleton, Iris Martin & Kim Jeffrey to be re-elected to committee.

Election of Key Committee Roles

• Kim Jeffrey - Chair Proposed by Hayley / Seconded by Celia

• Iris Martin - Secretary Proposed by Jane / Seconded by Kim

• Vacancy - Treasurer

Any Other Business/Actions

• Committee to regularly meet and recruit new members, including a Treasurer

• Chair to complete level 3 Safeguarding training via the OSCB website

• Secretary/Treasurer to complete level 2 generalist safeguarding training via the OSCB website

• 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. Implement a new bank mandate to HSBC if signatories need to be updated.

• All committee members to be sent a new confidential agreement to sign and send back

Date of next AGM meeting

Next AGM meeting to be held March 2026.

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CYGNETS PLAYSCHOOL LANGFORD VILLAGE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ST ENDED 31 JULY 2024

CYGNETS PLAYSCHOOL LANGFORD VILLAGE Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Cygnets Playschool I report on the Accounts of the Playschool for the year ended 31" July 2024 which are set out on pages l and 2. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this period under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is m)1 responsibility to". examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid doii'n in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (undcr section 145(5)(b) ofthe Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's statement My examination was carried out in accordance with General directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includcs a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts prescnted with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audi¢ and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair, view and the report is limited to thos¢ matters set out in the statement below. Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention ( l ) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, th¢ requir¢ments'. to keep accounting r¢cords in accordanc¢ with section 130 of the Charities Act. and to prepare accounts ii,hich accord w'ith the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met. or (2) to ￿'hICh, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Name......................................... Jayne Blake Chartered Accountant 23 Roman Way Thame Oxon OX9 2FP Date...

CYGNETS PLAYSCHOOL LANGFORD VILLAGE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT Period ended 31st July 2024 RECEIPTS Total Fees Fundraising Bank interest 124,511 2,344 1,201 TOTAL RECEIPTS 128,056 PAYMENTS Premises Staff Costs Consumables Equipment Fundraising costs 3,271 98,739 14,898 3,187 1,645 121,740 Administration Mcmbership subscriptions 7,998 629 8,627 TOTAL PAYMENTS 130,367 NET DFFTCIT FOR THE YEAR ADD SURPLUS BOUGHT FORWARD (2,311) 75,295 SURPLUS CARRIED FORWARD 72,984

CYGNETS PLAYSCHOOL LANGFORD VILLAGE BALANCE SHEET As At 31st July 2024 CASH AT BANK Current Account Deposit Account Deposit Account - NOF account Petty Cash Staff Account 5,669 30,924 34,391 115 1,885 72,984 SCHOOL FUND Funds bought forward Deficit for year 75,295 {2,311) 72,984

CYGNETS PLAYSCHOOL LANGFORD VILLAGE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ST ENDED 31 JULY 2024

CYGNETS PLAYSCHOOL LANGFORD VILLAGE Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Cygnets Playschool I report on the Accounts of the Playschool for the year ended 31" July 2024 which are set out on pages l and 2. Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this period under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is m)1 responsibility to". examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid doii'n in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (undcr section 145(5)(b) ofthe Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent examiner's statement My examination was carried out in accordance with General directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includcs a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts prescnted with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audi¢ and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair, view and the report is limited to thos¢ matters set out in the statement below. Independent examiner's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention ( l ) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, th¢ requir¢ments'. to keep accounting r¢cords in accordanc¢ with section 130 of the Charities Act. and to prepare accounts ii,hich accord w'ith the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met. or (2) to ￿'hICh, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Name......................................... Jayne Blake Chartered Accountant 23 Roman Way Thame Oxon OX9 2FP Date...

CYGNETS PLAYSCHOOL LANGFORD VILLAGE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT Period ended 31st July 2024 RECEIPTS Total Fees Fundraising Bank interest 124,511 2,344 1,201 TOTAL RECEIPTS 128,056 PAYMENTS Premises Staff Costs Consumables Equipment Fundraising costs 3,271 98,739 14,898 3,187 1,645 121,740 Administration Mcmbership subscriptions 7,998 629 8,627 TOTAL PAYMENTS 130,367 NET DFFTCIT FOR THE YEAR ADD SURPLUS BOUGHT FORWARD (2,311) 75,295 SURPLUS CARRIED FORWARD 72,984

CYGNETS PLAYSCHOOL LANGFORD VILLAGE BALANCE SHEET As At 31st July 2024 CASH AT BANK Current Account Deposit Account Deposit Account - NOF account Petty Cash Staff Account 5,669 30,924 34,391 115 1,885 72,984 SCHOOL FUND Funds bought forward Deficit for year 75,295 {2,311) 72,984