2024-08-31-accounts - Little Sparks Preschool

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Little Sparks Preschool Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts

For the year ended 31 August 2024

1. Reference and Administrative Details

Charity Name: Little Sparks Preschool Registered Charity Number: 1079011

Governing Document: Constitution adopted 6 November 2014, amended June 2018

Charity’s Principal Address:

Little Sparks Preschool Knowland Grove Norwich Norfolk NR5 8YB

Trustees during the year:

Karen Rowley – Chair (17 July 2018)
Jacqueline Walker – Secretary (26 April 2012)
Karen Chapman – Treasurer (20 April 2021)

Independent Examiner:

Abacus Accountancy, The Willows, Ipswich Road, Long Stratton, NR15 2TG

2. Structure, Governance and Management

Little Sparks Preschool is an unincorporated association, governed by its constitution. The charity is run by a management committee whose members act as trustees.

Trustees are responsible for:

Ensuring compliance with the governing document
Preparing annual reports and accounts
Ensuring activities further the charity’s aims

Trustee Appointment and Induction

New trustees are proposed and seconded at the AGM, subject to DBS checks. Trustees receive induction including access to policies, safeguarding procedures, and governance responsibilities.

Organisational Structure and Networks

The preschool:

Encourages parental participation in group activities
Supports families through referrals to external agencies
Promotes the Healthy Smiles teeth-cleaning programme
Works cooperatively with statutory and voluntary bodies

3. Objectives and Activities

Charitable Aim

As stated in the governing document:

“To advance the education of children below compulsory school age in Norwich by providing safe and satisfying group play in which parents have the right to take part, and by encouraging charitable activities through which parents may help children.”

public benefit.

Main Activities

The preschool provides:
EYFS-aligned early years provision for children aged 2–5
Access to 15–30 funded hours
Progress monitoring via developmental strands, Wellcomm assessments, and SEN pathways
Strong parental engagement in children’s learning

4. Achievements and Performance

Educational Outcomes

Children’s progress was tracked across communication, personal/emotional development, and physical skills.

Where children required additional support, stag worked closely with families and external professionals, ensuring early intervention.

SEND and Inclusion Work

Stag engaged with occupational therapists, inclusion teams, and multi-agency professionals.

Family Support and Multi-Agency Work

Families were signposted for early help where needed to prevent escalation to children’s services.

Transitions to School

Stag liaised with local primary schools to support transitions, including sharing assessments and preparing children for Reception.

5. Financial Review for the Year Ended 31 August 2024

Income

Total income for the year was £138,331, an increase of £30,734 from last year’s £107,597.

Breakdown:

Norfolk County Council Funding: £135,692 (2023: £102,777)
Fees & Lunch Money: £2,639 (2023: £4,820)

although fee income fell due to a shift towards fully funded places.

Expenditure

Total expenditure was £116,933, compared with £119,205 last year.

Key changes:

Payroll: £82,376 (down from £92,944)
Rent: £25,125 (up from £15,075)
increase is due to timing digerences in payment, not a change in rent.
Toys & Educational Supplies: £2,388 (newly separated category)
Consumables: £180 (2023: £2,128)

Net Surplus

year.

Year-End Reserves

Total cash funds at year-end were £97,187, up from £75,789. Unrestricted funds increased to £57,578 (2023: £36,180).

Designated Funds

Of the unrestricted funds, £39,609 has been designated by trustees to cover potential closure costs, including:

stag redundancy liabilities
lease exit commitments
essential overheads

This designation is reviewed annually.

Principal Risks

Filling spaces in both rooms
Attracting new trustees
Lease uncertainties linked to changes in school leadership

staging and enrolment levels.

6. Plans for the Future

The charity intends to:

Continue developing high-quality EYFS provision
Strengthen family engagement
Maintain strong SEND practice
Promote oral health through the Healthy Smiles Programme
Address challenges around recruitment and occupancy
Review designated reserves annually

7. Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

Trustees are responsible for preparing the TAR and accounts, safeguarding assets, ensuring funds are used solely for charitable purposes, and keeping proper financial records.

8. Notes to the Accounts

1. Basis of Accounting

These accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with Charity Commission guidance for non-company charities.

2. Fund Accounting

All funds are unrestricted.

under the trustees’ control and may be reallocated.

3. Designated Funds

At year-end, the trustees designated £39,609 of unrestricted reserves to cover potential closure costs, including redundancy liabilities, lease exit costs, and fixed overhead commitments.

No expenditure was made from this designation during the year. The designation will be reviewed annually.

4. Independent Examination Fee

The independent examination fee for the year was £288.

The invoice was received post year-end and has been accrued in these accounts.

5. Rent Payment Timing

in annual rent. The rent amount itself has remained unchanged since August 2022.

Expenditure headings have been revised.

Items previously included under “Consumables” are now shown under “Toys & Educational Supplies” or “Refreshment/Kitchen” to provide greater clarity.

7. Related Party Transactions

There were no related party transactions during the year.

No trustee received remuneration, and only allowable expenses (if any) were reimbursed.

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved this report.

Signed on behalf of the trustees:

Karen Rowley – Chair -KRowley

Jacqueline Walker – Secretary JAWalker Date: 17/12/2025

The Willows, Ipswich Road Long Stratton, NR15 2TG Tel. 01508 333040 office@abcabacus.co.uk www.abcabacus.co.uk

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of the “Little Sparks Pre School”

I report on the accounts of the above charity number 1079011 for the year ended 31 August 2024

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Act 1993 and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under section 145 of the Act;
to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act; and
to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:

the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
the accounts did 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.

Peter Bussey FFA FIPA

19[th] December 2025

abc abacus ~ the name you can count on !

	Little Sparks Preschool	Little Sparks Preschool				1079011
	Receipts andpayments accounts						CC16a
For the period from ~~ee ~~		01-Sep-23 ~~ee~~		To	31-Aug-24 ~~ee~~
Section A Receipts and payments
	Unrestricted funds	Restricted funds	Restricted funds	Endowment funds		Total funds	Last year
	to the nearest £	to the nearest £		to the nearest £	to the nearest £	to the nearest £	to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Norfolk CountyCouncil Funding 135,692 - - 135,692 102,777 Fees and Lunch Money 2,639 - - 2,639 4,820 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *Sub total(Gross income for AR)138,331* - - 138,331 107,597 ~~===~~
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). - - - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - *Total receipts* 138,331 - - 138,331 107,597 ~~——_————~~
A3 Payments
Payroll	82,376	-	-	-	-	82,376	92,944
Rent	25,125	-	-	-	-	25,125	15,075
Insurance	895	-	-	-	-	895	857
Printing,Postage & Stationery	1,164	-	-	-	-	1,164	1,137
Equipment & Computer Costs	682	-	-	-	-	682	-
Toys & Educational Supplies	2,388					2,388
Communications and Website	904	-	-	-	-	904	1,105
Refreshment/Kitchen	969	-	-	-	-	969	1,069
Administration	315	-	-	-	-	315	855
Consumables	180	-	-	-	-	180	2,128
Staff Training	161	-	-	-	-	161	79
Repair and Maintenance	16					16	1,033
TV Licence	159	-	-	-	-	159	159
DBS Checks & Registrations	26	-	-	-	-	26	79
Examination of Accounts	-	-	-	-	-	-	288
Accountancy & Professional Fees	1,501					1,501	2,346
Travel	-	-	-	-	-	-	11
Balancing amount	-	-	-	-	-	-	5
Sundry Expenses	74	-	-	-	-	74	35
**Sub total **	116,933	-	-	-	-	116,933	119,205
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - *Total payments* 116,933 - - 116,933 119,205 *Net of receipts/(payments)* 21,398 - - 21,398 - 11,608 A5 Transfers between funds - - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 36,180 39,609 - 75,789 87,397 *Cash funds this year end* 57,578 39,609 - 97,187 75,789 ~~—————~~ ~~SSSS~~
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)		1					19/12/2025

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds	Details Details *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Bank Petty Cash Details Details Details PAYE Signature	Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 57,578 39,609 - - - 57,578 39,609 OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) 1,508 - - - - Print Name	Endowment funds to nearest £
			-
			-
			-
			-
			OK
			Endowment funds to nearest £
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			-
			-
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			Current value (optional)
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			Current value (optional)
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			When due (optional)






			Date of approval

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

19/12/2025