2024-08-31-accounts - Little Stars Christian Preschool

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, Little Stars Christian Preschool Report for the 2023/24 Period 4as Charity Number: 1070709 4. .

Little Stars Christian Preschool is a volunteer-led charity governed by a constitution, with the primary objective of providing high-quality early years education in a Christian environment.

Overview of the Year

2023/24 was a year of rebuilding and supporting children with their development as they continue to build their confidence and independence following the Covid period. We continued to see an increasing need for family support—especially regarding children's communication skills and independence with eating and toileting.

Ofsted Inspection and Awards

In March 2024, the setting underwent an Ofsted inspection and received a rating of “Good.” The inspection was a positive experience for staff and leadership alike, with both the report and verbal feedback highlighting several areas of strength across the provision. We were pleased with the outcome, which affirms the team’s commitment to high-quality early years education and care.

We were also proud to achieve “Gold ” status in the Warwickshire Inclusion Award (WIncKS) for the second consecutive year. This recognition reflects our ongoing dedication to creating an inclusive and nurturing environment for all children.

Board of Trustees

Throughout the academic year, our Board of Trustees remained strong with a minimum of five dedicated members overseeing governance and development.

Constitution and Policies

Our policies and procedures remain fully up to date, meeting all Ofsted and Early Years Alliance standards. We are committed to continuous improvement, regularly evaluating our practices to ensure a safe, supportive environment for children and staff alike. COVID-related risk assessments were revised in line with the latest guidance from the government and regulatory bodies.

Aligned with our Business Plan, we enhanced our visibility by actively sharing updates on platforms such as Facebook.

Finance and Fundraising

Our core funding continues to come from Warwickshire County Council and parental contributions. While enrolment numbers improved, we are still working toward pre-pandemic levels. Many families opt for funded hours only, which affects our income. We are deeply thankful to Leamington Spa Baptist Church for subsidising our premises costs.

Address: Leamington Spa Baptist Church, Chandos Street, Leamington Spa CV32 4RN Trustees for the Period 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024: Ian Doncaster, Amanda Kilgour, Sara Rouse, Blessing Simango and Karen Barge

Little Stars Christian Preschool Report for the 2023/24 Period Charity Number: 1070709

Our fundraising efforts saw a welcome resurgence this year, with events like wreath-making returning. We raised a net total of £2,539, which will go toward enhancing the children’s outdoor learning space.

We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of our wider community—philanthropic donations totalled £6,765 this year. Thank you to all who contributed.

Reserves Policy

Our reserves policy ensures we maintain contingency funds to cover three months of essential expenditure (currently £23,000). These reserves help us:

Bridge funding delays
Cover unforeseen staff training needs
Supplement underfunded operational costs
Respond to fluctuating enrolment

Financial challenges continued this year due to rising wages and inflation not matched by funding increases.

Staffing

Our staffing has remained stable overall, with three staff members allocated per room, complemented by regular support from bank staff, weekly administrative assistance, and the valued contribution of a dedicated volunteer. The Preschool’s leadership team—comprising the Manager, Deputy Manager, and Room Leader—continues to demonstrate resilience through strong planning and collaborative working practices. Weekly support from a trained teacher has remained a significant benefit, particularly in enhancing children's learning with a focus on specific letters and sounds.

At the end of the year, we bid a fond farewell to one of our Level 6 practitioners, who has embarked on an exciting new chapter by retraining at university to pursue a teaching qualification. We are delighted that she will continue to support the Preschool as part of our bank staff, availability permitting.

Development of Provision

We continue to welcome families from diverse faiths, cultures, and languages.

In response to the increasing demand for places for two-year-old children, an additional class was created for rising three-year-olds. The Sparkles Class was launched in January 2024, accommodating seven children and led by one staff member in a partitioned section of the larger classroom. This initiative was implemented smoothly and proved highly effective in meeting the children’s needs.

Little Stars Christian Preschool Report for the 2023/24 Period Charity Number: 1070709

Children on Roll

Room Summaries

Sunshine Room (Ages 2–3):
The year began with low numbers but concluded with full capacity at 20 children. A significant proportion of the cohort had English as an additional language and limited prior social experiences. Notably, their development in language, confidence, and socialisation throughout the year was substantial.
Sparkles Class (Age 3):
This small, well-structured group of seven children became firmly established over the course of the year. Continuity of staffing and a focused environment supported their ongoing progress effectively.
Rainbow Room:
The setting served 15 children by year-end. The cohort included eight children with English as an additional language, two sets of twins (including one identical pair), and several requiring focused support for social skills, independence, and communication. Clear developmental progress was observed across the group by the close of the year.

Additional Needs and Support

Among the children, one was identified as having complex safeguarding, social, and special educational needs (SEN), while two others presented with significant SEN. Additionally, a number of children experienced delays in speech and language. To help meet these needs, a bank staff member was deployed to deliver one-to-one support, funded in part through a targeted inclusion grant.

We are grateful to the church for allowing daily outdoor play for most of the week, which has been vital for children lacking access to outdoor space at home. COVID Recovery Grants, fundraising, and donations supported the creation of a literacy-rich learning shed and a permanent sandpit.

Family Support and Financial Impact

We continued to provide families with comprehensive support across a range of areas, including parenting skills, feeding, toileting, and debt management. We regularly signposted families to external professionals and courses, and we arranged the distribution of food parcels and other essential supplies when required.

Ongoing financial challenges persist, primarily due to the continued preference among families for funded-only hours—a trend which is likely influenced by the rising cost of living and evolving work patterns. Additionally, many families faced employment instability, with several on short-term contracts at local employers. This resulted in sudden withdrawals when contracts were not renewed, impacting both continuity for the children and our financial planning.

Looking Ahead

Little Stars Christian Preschool Report for the 2023/24 Period Charity Number: 1070709

Our priorities for the coming year include:

Carefully balancing budgets with staffing needs
Increasing enrolment through outreach, social media, and community engagement
Strengthening communication with families and encouraging fundraising participation
Supporting our dedicated staff team and prioritising wellbeing amid increasing SEN and behavioural demands
Providing ongoing training and building confidence in curriculum delivery

Staff Training and Development

All staff successfully completed mandatory training requirements, including safeguarding, first aid, and other core competencies. In addition, in-house training sessions throughout the year focused on key areas such as safeguarding procedures, curriculum development, autism awareness, and behaviour management strategies.

Planning across the setting remains firmly child-centred, with practitioners using small-group learning to target individual developmental needs and support meaningful progress.

Community Engagement

We actively embraced every opportunity to attend church and share our singing with the congregation. As part of our commitment to community engagement, we visited a local care home to sing, welcomed visits from police officers who brought along their patrol car, and explored nearby shops and the local garage—enriching the children’s understanding of community outreach. Collaborations with Tiny Stars and the Thursday Group encouraged meaningful intergenerational play and connection. We continue to play an active role in the Summer Stay and Play organisational team, led by the church. This initiative offers children and parents a free space to come together during the summer holidays, engaging in planned activities and building friendships.

With immense gratitude to Leamington Spa Baptist Church, our families, staff, trustees, and friends for your unwavering support this year.

Warm regards,

The Trustees

Little Stars Christian Preschool

Littlestars Christian Preschool Income and Expenditure Statement for the Period 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024 Charity Number: 107070

2022-23 £000 Receipts 96,317 Grants Warwickshire CC 17,017 Fees 2,987 Fundraising 362 Donations 1,536 Other 118,220 Expenses 117,244 Salaries 2,668 Administration 691 Cleaning 822 Insurance 4,157 Playgroups Materials & Equipment 1,052 Printing, postage Postage & Stationery 3,900 Contribution to Church 1,383 Training & Development 1,231 Other Costs 133,149 14,929 - Net Deficit 45,535 Balance b/f 30,606 Balance c/f	2023-24 £000 103,283 14,454 3,011 6,765 2,026
	129,539
	- - 118,325 1,690 353 1,003 2,418 1,046 4,230 481 4,957
	134,503
	4,964 - 30,606
	25,642

Signed by: Board of Trustees of Little Stars Christian Preschool

CHARITY COMMISSI FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Indepen ent examiner s repo on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl LITfLE STAQS CHEISTI pjj PRESCfrtOL On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any) Aufrvsr aol 1070709 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity 1.the Trusf) for the year Responsibilities and basis of report ended9p/]¥ As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under seth'on 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5}(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention éo&48pt in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. • accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or . the a¢xounts do not a¢xord with the accounting recnrds Independgnt examiner's statement I have no conM$ and have come across no other matters in ct)nnecb"on with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets rf they do not apply. Signed: Date: 25 Name: IW Y Relevant professional qualifioation{s) or body (if flArLgL + any): Address: Tr 8QooL£IDÉ Oxi Sectlon 8 Di5c105ure Only complete ifthe examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiner8). Give her• brief detsils of any items that the examiner wishes to