Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Charity number: 1072893
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
CONTENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 2 - 7 |
| Receipts and Payments Account | 8 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 9 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 10 |
Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
The Trustees are pleased to present their report, together with the financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025.
Reference and administration details
Charity name: St Mary’s Pre-School Playgroup Charity registration number: 1072893 Address of Charity: St Mary’s Church Hall 322 Woodbridge Road Ipswich Trustees: T Underwood (Chair) J Stoggell (Treasurer) L Underwood (Secretary)
Support team: E Jessop (Pre-School Manager) H Stoggell (Pre-School Deputy Manager) P Crabb (Pre-School Business Manager)
Independent examiner: A Robinson BFP FCA DChA Lovewell Blake LLP First Floor Suite Unit 2 Hillside Business Park Bury St Edmunds IP32 7EA
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Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Objectives and activities
The primary purpose of the Charity is to help children and young people with educational training, by providing pre-school care for children aged two to five years old for eight sessions per week. Each session lasts for three hours and a lunch club is also provided, if required, three days per week.
The Charity aims to enhance the development and education of children primarily under statutory school age by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups.
The Charity raises additional funds from the public to support the activities of the Charity but does not work with commercial participators. The purposes of the Charity are exclusively charitable and the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
In planning the objectives and activities of the Charity, the Trustees have reviewed the guidance provided by the Charity Commission.
Achievements and performance
The year ending 31 August 2025 has been another successful year for the preschool, characterised by strong community engagement, high-quality provision and a continued focus on the wellbeing and development of every child in our care.
Throughout the year, we have maintained strong occupancy levels and welcomed many new families to the preschool. The continued demand for places reflects the confidence parents place in our setting and the positive reputation we have established within the local community.
Our staff team has remained at the heart of our success. Through ongoing professional development, reflective practice and collaborative working, staff have continued to provide a nurturing, stimulating and inclusive environment where children feel safe, valued and supported to reach their full potential. We are proud of the dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm demonstrated by the team on a daily basis.
We have continued to strengthen our partnerships with parents and carers, recognising the important role families play in children's early learning and development. Feedback from families remains overwhelmingly positive, and we are grateful for their ongoing support and involvement in preschool life.
Despite a period of change within the wider early years sector, the preschool has remained focused on delivering high-quality care and education. The successful transition to new session arrangements demonstrated the adaptability of both staff and families and ensured that children experienced continuity in their learning and care.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to continuous improvement and to providing the highest standards of early years education. With a dedicated staff team, supportive committee and strong community links, we are well positioned to build upon our achievements and embrace the opportunities and challenges of the year ahead.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Public benefit
In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commissions guidance on public benefit when setting the objectives for the year.
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2011.
Financial review
The financial year ending 31 August 2025 presented both opportunities and challenges for the preschool. Although we initially budgeted for a deficit of £32,806, we ultimately closed the year with a surplus of £3,403. This outcome reflects the continued commitment of our staff team, the support of our families, and the careful financial management exercised throughout the year.
One of the most significant challenges arose in April 2025 following changes introduced by the Department for Education regarding the delivery of funded childcare hours. These changes restricted how settings could structure funded sessions and meant that we were no longer able to operate our existing lunch club model, as families accessing funded childcare were required to have access to six uninterrupted hours of provision. As a result, we were required to implement changes immediately and introduced new session times from April 2025. Our core day now runs from 9.30am to 3.30pm, with an optional early start session from 8.45am to 9.30am available to support working families. Whilst these changes required significant planning and communication with families, they have enabled us to remain compliant with funding requirements whilst continuing to meet the needs of our community.
Despite these sector-wide challenges, the preschool continued to experience strong demand for places, with enrolment levels contributing positively to our financial position.
Looking ahead, the financial outlook for the year commencing 1 September 2025 remains positive, although we continue to monitor the impact of government funding reforms, staffing costs and wider economic pressures. We remain committed to delivering high-quality early years education whilst ensuring the long-term financial stability of the preschool for the children and families we serve.
Reserves policy
The Charity’s reserves policy is to maintain reserves at a level adequate to protect its ongoing work from significant fluctuations in service income. This policy is reviewed annually. The Charity aims to hold sufficient reserves to cover three months’ running costs plus statutory redundancy costs. This value is set aside in a separate bank account which totals £48,926 (2024: £48,436) at the date of review post year end. The committee recommend that £10,216 (2024: £7,310) be transferred from the year end surplus to top up the reserve account to the required level of £65,962 (2024: £55,746).
Trustees consider that the Charity will continue as a going concern for the foreseeable future. There are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue.
Plans for future periods
It is the Trustees’ intention that the Charity will continue to provide services in line with the objectives and activities as noted in these financial statements.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
The Charity is focused over the next financial year on a number of key areas aimed at protecting the preschool’s financial position, improving the quality of provision and developing opportunities for growth and stability.
Looking ahead, the financial outlook for the year commencing 1 September 2025 appears to be more challenging. Although, we remain cautiously optimistic that this positive trajectory will continue, supported by strong enrolment, committed staff, and ongoing community trust in our provision.
Structure, governance and management
Governing document
St Mary’s Pre-School Playgroup was established on 10 December 1988. Its constitution: the ‘Pre-School Learning Alliance Constitution Document January 2016’ was registered with the Charity Commission (registration number 1072893) on 29 February 2016.
Appointment and recruitment of Trustees
Trustees are appointed at the Annual General Meeting and the Trustees can co-opt up to 3 further Trustees any time after the AGM. The minimum numbers of the Committee, including Trustees and Members is 5 and the maximum is 12, together with up to a further 3 co-opted members. The Trustees of the Charity are currently all parents of current children or parents of previous children. The one exception to this is, the current Treasurer who was co-opted in March 2020 due to his background in finance and following the resignation of the previous Treasurer.
The current number of trustees is three, which is below the minimum required by the Charity’s constitution, and this position has persisted for more than twelve months. The trustees recognise the importance of maintaining appropriate board composition and governance, and the Charity is actively seeking to recruit additional trustees in order to bring the Board back into compliance with its governing document.
Trustees
The current Trustees are shown in the reference and administration details of these accounts, including those who have served during the year and any appointment and resignation dates as required.
Trustees’ induction and training
All new Trustees will be provided with a Committee Welcome Pack which includes copies of:
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The Charity’s constitution
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The latest accounts of the Charity
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Code of conduct
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Confidentiality agreement
Trustees are encouraged to read Charity Commission guidance notes CC3 - “The Essential Trustee, what you need to know, what you need to do” and PB3 - “Public benefit: Reporting”.
In addition, Trustees are encouraged to read Charity Commission and other newsletters and to attend courses designed to keep them abreast of their duties and responsibilities.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Organisational structure
The Trustees administer the Charity and meet regularly throughout the year. During these meetings all charitable matters are discussed including the raising of funds, income structure, ongoing performance and to approve forthcoming charitable expenditure.
The Charity monitors performance against budgeted targets and reports annually at the Annual General Meeting where Trustees’ resignation and appointments are made in line with the necessary roles and requirements of the foreseeable future.
Risk management
Management has reviewed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate these risks. St Mary’s Pre-School Playgroup benefits from a diligent and dedicated team of Trustees. Costs are closely monitored to ensure the Charity operates within its means whilst taking into account other key factors including quality of provision. The Charity maintains a separate bank account to cover its reserves, all of which minimise its exposure to risk.
The Charity’s internal policies in place to mitigate risk are listed on the Charity’s website and summarised below:
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Children’s right and entitlements.
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Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults.
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Looked after children.
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Uncollected children.
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Missing child.
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Online safety policy including use of mobile phones and cameras.
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Employment.
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Student placements.
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Induction of employees and volunteers.
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First aid.
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The role of the key person and settling in.
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Staffing.
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Administering medicines.
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Managing children who are sick, infectious or with allergies.
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Recording and reporting accidents and incidents.
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Nappy changing.
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Food and drink.
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Food hygiene.
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Promoting positive behaviour.
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Health and safety general standards.
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Maintaining children’s safety and security on premises.
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Supervising children on outings and visits.
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Fire safety and emergency evacuation.
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Animals in the setting.
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Smoking.
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Staff safety including home visits.
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Valuing diversity and promoting inclusion and equality.
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Supporting children with SEND.
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British values.
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Admissions policy.
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Parental involvement.
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Children’s records.
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Provider records.
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Transfer of records to school.
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Confidentially and client access to records.
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Information sharing.
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Working in partnership with other agencies.
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Making a complaint.
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Payment policy.
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Financial reserves policy.
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Trustee’s expenses policy.
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Conflict of interest policy.
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Risk assessments.
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Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Related party transactions
During the year the charity paid H Stoggell amounts for employment services £15,119 (2024: £15,065). H Stoggell is related to the Trustee J Stoggell. There was no other related party transaction in this or the prior year.
Independent examiner reappointment
A resolution to appoint A Robinson BFP FCA DChA of Lovewell Blake LLP as independent examiner will be proposed at the next Annual General Meeting.
The Trustees' annual report was approved on …………………… and signed on behalf of the board of Trustees by:
T Underwood (Chair) Trustee
………………………..
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Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
| 2025 Unrestricted Restricted £ £ Receipts Fees and grants Fundraising Interest received Higher tariff needs Other Total Receipts Payments: Rent and rates Wages Consumables Management and admin Enrolment and insurance Fundraising expenditure Training expenditure Small equipment Other Purchase of assets Total Payments Net receipts/(payments) Transfer to/(from) funds Surplus/(deficit) for the year Cash and bank balances at 31 August 2024 Cash and bank balances at 31 August 2025 168,009 - 490 - - 168,499 11,281 127,869 5,071 6,779 5,792 - 850 4,190 2,395 869 165,096 3,403 - 3,403 110,880 114,283 - - - 9,866 - 9,866 - 9,866 - - - - - - - - 9,866 - - - - - |
2024 Total Unrestricted Restricted £ £ £ 168,009 - 490 9,866 - 178,365 11,281 137,735 5,071 6,779 5,792 - 850 4,190 2,395 869 174,962 3,403 - 3,403 110,880 114,283 151,578 - 373 - - 151,951 11,784 92,602 3,186 2,741 2,553 - 550 3,783 5,135 - 122,334 29,617 - 29,617 81,263 110,880 - - - 11,765 - 11,765 - 11,765 - - - - - - - - 11,765 - - - - - |
|---|---|
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Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
AS AT 31 AUGUST 2025
Cash funds Bank current account Other monetary assets Prepayments Assets retained for the Charity’s own use Furniture and equipment At cost At Net book value Liabilities Accruals Other creditors |
Unrestricted Funds 2025 2024 £ £ 114,283 110,880 2025 2024 £ £ 974 1,073 2025 2024 £ £ 11,283 10,414 1,517 1,151 2025 2024 £ £ 2,991 2,582 552 200 3,543 2,782 |
Unrestricted Funds 2025 2024 £ £ 114,283 110,880 2025 2024 £ £ 974 1,073 2025 2024 £ £ 11,283 10,414 1,517 1,151 2025 2024 £ £ 2,991 2,582 552 200 3,543 2,782 |
Unrestricted Funds 2025 2024 £ £ 114,283 110,880 2025 2024 £ £ 974 1,073 2025 2024 £ £ 11,283 10,414 1,517 1,151 2025 2024 £ £ 2,991 2,582 552 200 3,543 2,782 |
Unrestricted Funds 2025 2024 £ £ 114,283 110,880 2025 2024 £ £ 974 1,073 2025 2024 £ £ 11,283 10,414 1,517 1,151 2025 2024 £ £ 2,991 2,582 552 200 3,543 2,782 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 £ 11,283 1,517 |
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2025 £ 2,991 552 3,543 |
These financial statements were approved by the Trustees on ……………… and are signed on their behalf by:
T Underwood (Chair) Trustee
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Docusign Envelope ID: 9FA8CBA9-A993-8E0C-815C-DB294D7069D1
ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ST MARY’S PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
I report to the Charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 August 2025 which are set out on the afore mentioned pages of these financial statements.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the Charity’s Trustees 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 Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
A Robinson BFP FCA DChA Independent examiner Lovewell Blake LLP First Floor Suite Unit 2 Hillside Business Park Bury St Edmunds IP32 7EA 30/6/2026
……………………
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