## **Stepping Stones Pre-school Annual General Meeting** 

## **Date: Wednesday 12th October 2022** 

## **MINUTES** 

## Welcome and Introductions 

Welcome everyone and thank you for coming along 

## Present 

Devon (Chair) Sophie Stewart (Treasurer), Allison, Chanelle, Rosie, Lara Trave, Sophie Newman 

## Apologies 

Helen Whale, Miranda Tyson, Laura Mercer, Sophia Maniscalco, Tiffany Westlake (Secretary), Rebecca Davies, Helen Bailey 

## Chair Report 

Tonight we will run through the year September 21 to the start of September 22.  We can discuss matters arising from the last AGM but we can’t discuss anything new – that will be dealt with at the first committee meeting after the AGM. 

Firstly, the committee must agree the minutes from the last AGM.  Please bear with us while we read them out.  We will then need to agree that they are correct. _Read out minutes - summarise_ 

Chanelle agreed these are accurate and Rosie seconded that. 

- After the AGM last year we held a second meeting to appoint Officers.  Tiff was appointed Secretary and Sophie is the Treasurer.  Liz used to be the financial administrator for Stepping Stones, so she kept the books and Sophie’s job was essentially in name only. 

- It has been a relatively uneventful year in terms of the committee, but very busy for staff.   The staff report will have more details on the day to day happenings. 

- We appointed Elly in April as a member of bank staff to cover gaps in staffing.    Liz left in May so Elly stepped in to cover her hours. 

- Allison and Chanelle have been doing Liz’s financial work since.  It has added to their work load and the accountant hasn’t had the books yet so our financial report will be brief. 

- During the summer we dealt with a concern from a parent, which we can’t discuss as it was a safeguarding matter.  However, we looked into it and were reassured by other professionals that actions taken were correct, professional and contributed to the safety and wellbeing of a child. 

- We did not have a Safeguarding Champion last year, but this is something that Ofsted recommend, so we should try to appoint one this year.  It is just a person on the committee who prioritises safeguarding issues. 

- Next we have the Staff Report from Allison and the Financial report. 

1 




## **Stepping Stones Pre-school Annual General Meeting** 

Staff Report 

Came back in September with healthy numbers, full house almost immediately. Covid procedures greatly reduced  – mostly concerned with maintaining hygiene. 

After the disruption caused by covid, the government decided to implement a new Early Years curriculum. It gives more responsibility to staff and reduces the legal requirement for paperwork.  Nevertheless, we still have to be able to show that individual children are making progress.  So, there is still a lot of accountability – as there should be.  The bonus, is that we are able to spend more time with the children, not rushing to evidence everything. 

Both Tanya and Rosie began L3 Apprenticeships. 

Allison & Chanelle did curriculum training. 

We were joined in September by a student (Monika).  James helped out as bank staff to cover any absences. 

We began a closed Facebook group which only PARENTS of children can join – not other relatives. 

## Allison did SENCO training 

We returned our Early Years survey – in total we had 32 children, 9 of whom were classed as vulnerable plus children with additional needs.   We also had 9 children on the waiting list we didn’t have places for. 

We had one child stay with us for an extended amount of time as there were no spaces in special schools. 

November: 

All staff undertook Gloucestershire Total Communication Training.  We brushed up on our Makaton and how to use visuals to support children’s communication. 

Staff also undertook training ‘Interacting or Interfering’ – how to help support children’s learning through play without hijacking their play. 

Sovereign – the company that installed the pirate ship came to inspect it.  They agreed to send a quote to re-bond the safety surface as this has peeled away from the tarmac.  The quote came in at around £2k. We haven’t proceeded as it is a large sum of money. 

2 members staff caught covid. 

Magic Marie came to entertain the children at their Christmas party, which they loved. 

We filmed the children singing Christmas songs and put on Tapestry for the parents. 

January: 

Chanelle, Miranda and Tanya undertook first aid training. 

2 




## **Stepping Stones Pre-school Annual General Meeting** 

Allison did training around SEND in the context of Early Years. 

Allison & Chanelle did Every Child A Talker training 

We explored winter and spring, looking at wildlife and lifecycles.   We had some caterpillars which we grew on and the children found them fascinating. 

Staff illness and covid made busy sessions tricky and the extra pressure on staff affected their motivation and wellbeing. 

Sadly, this eventually contributed to us losing another 2 members of staff. 

We had a new cleaner which helped morale.  Staff pleased as we were able to plan and organise activities for the next day after the session. 

Replaced old laptop as it was on it’s last legs.  Battery had been replaced twice, 3 keys didn’t work, the mouse pad didn’t work, it would randomly switch off and the screen kept going blue.  Got a refurb laptop which is amazing! 

Replaced printer. 

Joined by a work experience student from Rednock. 

Looked into using the previous Treetops nursery building, which in some ways would have been ideal but initially it only offered 15 places.  After a rethink the council increased the size and offered another room and an office however, they insisted it had to be run as a nursery and not a preschool.   We already had a full house for preschool from Sept 22 so wouldn’t have been able to offer the extended hours as required. Also, our current staff couldn’t work early mornings and late evenings.  The council would have paid costs for the first year but subsequently we would need to pay our own way.  We would have needed to present a business plan to them.  Currently we are rent free and have relatively low overheads as we share bills with DOOSC. 

Liz’s last day in June 

Chanelle & Allison ttended Leadership and Management course 

Allison attended a webinar about the updates to safeguarding legislation Keeping Children Safe in Education, which would be enforced from September 2022 

Magic Marie entertained the preschool children at the end of term and we had a low key presentation for the children and parents. 

Parents said the loveliest things about how happy their children have been with us and how they are confident and capable. 

We bought a very much needed new easel for the children. 

End of term – everyone was shattered! 

3 




## **Stepping Stones Pre-school Annual General Meeting** 

At the end of August Tanya contacted us and said she wasn’t coming back be back to Stepping Stones.  She didn’t work her notice which was a shame for us.  Thankfully Elly stepped in, but not for long as she is having a baby in February!! 

## **AGM October 12th 2022 Income and Expenditure 2021/22** 

|Treasurers|||||||UP|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Account||Sep-21|£11,497.28||Ended|18001.17|6503.89|
|Instant Access||Sep-21|4882.49||Ended|4993.6|111.11|
|Treasurers||||||||
|Account|_Income_|_Expenditure_||||||
|Sep-21|517.29|7620.63||||||
|Oct-21|26156.59|7004.99||||||
|Nov-21|806.25|6960.22||||||
|Dec-21|3373.16|6562.48||||||
|Jan-22|24083.76|7390.89||||||
|Feb-22|516.4|7138.86||||||
|Mar-22|616.93|8251.27||||||
|Apr-22|5365.43|7318.11||||||
|May-22|30259.5|8195.92||||||
|Jun-22|2304.31|8405.73||||||
|Jul-22|985.3|8077.34||||||
|Aug-22|1089.84|6644.43||||||
||96074.76|89570.87||**6503.89**||||



## Any other business 

Discussed need to step up fundraising this year to improve garden area and for maintenance of building. Discussed the possibility of moving premises but that we had felt this was not financially viable. 

Devon said she has had issues becoming Nominated person with Ofsted.  A previous chair (Sam Shaw) messaged Allison during the summer to say that Ofsted still contacted her as nominated individual. Allison advised they write and explain they have stepped down. They contacted Allison again and said that they have now sorted this. 

4 




## **Stepping Stones Pre-school Annual General Meeting** 

## Election of New Committee and Officers 

Rebecca Davies messaged to say she was standing down No word from Siobhan Riggs  (believed to wish to stand down as no children attend) No word from Tiffany Westlake (Secretary) (believed to wish to stand down) 

Sophie Stewart (Treasurer) would like to stand down Devon Povey (Chairperson) would like to stand down 

Chanelle Uzzell (staff) agreed to stay on Rosie Brisland (staff) agreed to stay on 

Sophie Newman agreed to join committee but not take on Officer role Lara Trave agreed to join but not take on Officer role 

Chair not sure of procedure to take but we all agreed we feel an SGM is necessary. Query if Officers can step down if no-one has agreed to replace them. 

Allison to ring PATA tomorrow for advice. 

5 



## Financial Report 

## **AGM October 12th 2022** 

## **Income and Expenditure 2021/22** 

|Treasurers Account|||Sep-21|£11,497.28||Ended|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Instant Access|||Sep-21|4882.49||Ended|
|Treasurers Account|_Income_||_Expenditure_||||
|Sep-21||517.29|7620.63||||
|Oct-21||26156.59|7004.99||||
|Nov-21||806.25|6960.22||||
|Dec-21||3373.16|6562.48||||
|Jan-22||24083.76|7390.89||||
|Feb-22||516.4|7138.86||||
|Mar-22||616.93|8251.27||||
|Apr-22||5365.43|7318.11||||
|May-22||30259.5|8195.92||||
|Jun-22||2304.31|8405.73||||
|Jul-22||985.3|8077.34||||
|Aug-22||1089.84|6644.43||||
|||96074.76|89570.87||**6503.89**||





Accoun
Balances at start of
eriod
2022
2021
Lloyds *2724
Loan K Redmond
Petty Cash
Lloyds *5204
Total
11,497_28
901.07
31.84
4,882.42
6,715.11
1,601.07
39.67
4,427.91
12.783.76
17,312.61
Income
Child Fees
Nursery Grant
other Grants
Events
3,270.10
91,733.80
2,875.68
64,075.03
19,462.37
PFK)tographers comm
Sweatshirts
Xma5 Bazaar
Easyfundraising
Cla55 fundraisinE
102.00
156.00
0.00
110.35
25.08
Interest
0.62
0.41
Donation CAF
Donation- re13tive
Total
547
87,141.57
95.216.87
Wage5
HMRC IPAYEINII
71,792.39
3,758.40
1,978.69
1,241.58
236.40
870.11
732.L9
365.91
945.90
2,808.90
3.265.06
355.49
200.00
50.99
65,020.38
3,447.36
1,493.33
4.825.48
278.48
792.85
484.58
Nest Pension
Premises
Memberships
Insuran
Refreshrnents
Clothing
Course Fees
Admin
Equlpmenvcomsumables
Xma51Leaving PrÈsents
HMRC fine
Other Expense5
982.07
2.108.50
2,668.73
344.62
166.34
Total
88,602.01
82,612.72
ome- Ex
endlture
6,614.86
4,528.85
Balance after Income-
endit
23,927.47
17,312.61
Acc
Balanc
Lbyds *2724
Loan- K Redmond
Petty C35h
Lloyds •5204
at end of
rlod
18,001.17
901.07
31.84
4,993.39
11,497.28
901.07
31.84
4,882.42
23,927.47
17,312.61