The Goodwin Academy, Hamilton Road, Deal, Kent CT14 9BD T: 07872 536936 Registered Charity No: 1079023
Treetops Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 11[th] November 2025
1. Welcome
- Apologies
3. Introductions
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Over of the past year 2024-2025:
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Fundraising Report – Anna Hackett
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Treasurer’s report – Anna Hackett
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Manager’s report – Jo Gunne
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Chair’s report – Laura Newing
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Treetops Management Committee
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What, why and who
6. Resignations
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Election of Committee for 2025-2026
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Chair Person
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Vice Chair
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Committee Members
8. Any Other Business
Minutes of the Meeting – AGM 2025 11/11/2025 @ 7:30pm
Taken by Anna Hackett
Meeting held online via Microsoft Teams.
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Welcome from Laura Newing (Chair Person) and a reminder of confidentiality.
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Present: Suzy T / Joanne G / Anna H / Laura N/ Michelle L / Beth M / Millie G / Becky / Sarah O / Olivia / Sasha / Ant / Jordanne / Lorraine / Deon
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Apologies: Sarah B / Naomi D
• Over-view of the Year 1[st] September 2024 – 31[st] August 2025
Fund-raising Report – Anna Hackett attached
Treasurers Report – Anna Hackett attached
Supervisor’s Report – Joanne Gunne attached
Chair’s Report – Laura Newing attached
• The Committee for 2025– 2026
Laura explained how the Committee works, its roles and responsibilities, and led the following process / discussion.
Resignations EY3
- Susie G and Megan M
Election of Committee for 2025– 2026
Packs out to new members
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Chair Person Laura Newing
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Vice-chair Suzy Tigwell
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Treasurer Anna Hackett
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Secretary Suzy Tigwell
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Committee Members: Joanne Gunne; Sarah Birkett; Michelle Lawrence; Lorraine Butterworth.
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All committee members voted and agreed to the above positions (no change from the previous year).
• AOB
The committee may look at Co-Opting other members at the next committee meeting.
Meeting ended at 8:40pm
Treasurer’s Report for End of Financial Year 2025
Closing Bank balances - 31/08/2025 Current £45817.38 covers day to day running costs. Reserve £30454.66 Fundraising £1348.16 Holding £9004.28
Income:
| ncome: | |
|---|---|
| Collaboration Money | £ - |
| DAF Money | £ 910.00 |
| Donations | £ 250.00 |
| FF2 Funding | £ 25,356.28 |
| Fund Raising | £ 2,127.18 |
| Funding | £ 153,092.36 |
| Grant Money | £ 2,022.24 |
| Interest | £ 474.81 |
| Lunch Money | £ 10.00 |
| Parental Fees | £ 4,310.00 |
| Pupil premium money | £ 3,814.20 |
| Refunds | £ 206 |
| SENIF Funding | £ 36,562.06 |
| Training In | £ - |
| Trip Money In | £ - |
| Misc | £ 595 |
| Working Parents | |
| Funding 2YO | £ 17,902.45 |
Misc in includes: £595 NELI payments
| Expenditure: | |
|---|---|
| Activity Items | -£ 1,519.71 |
| Bank Charges | -£ 217.53 |
| Rent | -£ 7,250.04 |
| Collaboration Money | £ - |
| Consumables | -£ 2,002.14 |
| DAF Resources | -£ 60.00 |
| DBS Checks | -£ 48.50 |
| Equip.& Repairs | -£ 10,133.81 |
| Food | -£ 252.75 |
| Fund Raising Out | -£ 812.21 |
| Gardening / | |
| Maintenance | -£ 674.00 |
| Gifts | -£ 144.56 |
| Grant Money Out | -£ 828.86 |
| Initial Hygiene | -£ 412.70 |
|---|---|
| Insurance | -£ 1,253.88 |
| Lunch Money | £ - |
| OfSted Fees | -£ 50.00 |
| Pension | -£ 6,405.48 |
| Phone | -£ 363.53 |
| Postage / Shredding | -£ 57.15 |
| Prof. Fees | -£ 72.00 |
| Pupil Premium Money | |
| Out | £ - |
| SEND Resources | -£ 41.15 |
| Tax / NI Payments | -£ 11,052.09 |
| Training | -£ 2,052.08 |
| Travel | £ - |
| Trip Money Out | £ - |
| Wages | -£ 171,062.71 |
| Website Hosting | -£ 25.17 |
| Misc | -£ 1,043.25 |
Misc Out was spent on:
-£ 792.75 Fees paid to another nursery -£250.50 Children’s Party
Over the past couple of years we have been in a position to put funds into our Reserve Account to cover the costs should we need to close. We have also put money aside to pay for the fire safety changes we need to implement and to cover the costs of the National Insurance increase.
Next Year:
We will continue to monitor finances next year to ensure we remain sustainable.
Fundraising Report 2024/2025
by Anna Hackett
There has been no Fundraising Sub-Committee again this year, instead fundraising ideas have been discussed and agreed at Treetops Committee Meetings. During the year we raised a total of £2127.28.
£142.50 was raised through Dover Lotto
£176.10 was raised by an Easter Fundraiser. This was matched by the Charities Trust giving us another £176.10.
£95 was raised by a Christmas Fundraiser. This was matched by the Charities Trust giving us another £95.
£817 was raised for us by the Deal Rotary Pirates.
£125.48 was raised for us by one of the children doing a sponsored walk.
£500 was raised for us and donated to us by the Deal Sgts Mess Pantomime Productions
A total of £812.21 of fundraising was spent on:
£72.18 on new trikes
£231.05 on garden resources
£508.98 on new resources / equipment
The rest of the money will be carried forward to next year.
Fundraising ideas for the Year 2025 / 2026 will be discussed after the AGM.
Manager’s Report: September 2024 – August 2025
Hello! I’m delighted to share with you a warm summary of our year at Treetops Pre-school, looking back on the period from September 2024 to August 2025. It’s been a year full of energy, growth, fun and community - and one where our wonderful children have flourished across all areas of our provision.
Learning, Play & Environment
From the very beginning of the academic year, our indoor spaces have been buzzing with creativity, exploration and meaningful play. Whether it’s messy sensory activities, role-play areas, early mark-making, number fun or quiet story time, we’ve provided a rich variety of opportunities grounded in the children’s interests. Outdoors, the children have taken full advantage of fresh air, movement, risk-taking in a safe environment, team games, water and sand play, and nature-based exploration. This year we continued to emphasise independence, curiosity and nurturing the love of ‘having a go’ - and that has really shown.
Inclusion & Meeting Every Child’s Needs
We are proud of how we have continued to support all children, including those with additional needs (SEND) or who require extra support. Individualised planning, close conversations with parents and carers, and strong teamwork with external professionals have been key. Staff training over the year has kept our practice fresh and inclusive - in communication, emotional wellbeing, sensory needs and more. Every child has had opportunities to thrive, feel valued and be part of our community.
Celebrations & Special Events
Throughout the year we’ve enjoyed lots of memorable moments with the children and families:
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Children in Need - We held fundraising activities and discussions around kindness, helping others and community spirit.
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Christmas Craft Afternoon - Families joined us for festive crafting, creating decorations, sharing refreshments and enjoying a lovely sense of togetherness.
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Comic Relief - A fun dress-up day, creative activities and a chance to talk with the children about empathy and supporting others.
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Easter Egg Hunt - A beautiful spring event outdoors: children worked in teams, collaborated, solved clues, and delighted in finding ‘eggs’ and treasures.
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Pirate Picnic - A wet, but fun picnic! costumes, themed games, picnic, laughter and sharing the year’s successes with each other.
These events have not only been fun, but have helped children develop social skills, confidence, a sense of belonging and memories they will carry with them.
Family Partnership & Community
We continue to value strongly our partnership with families. Regular daily chats at drop-off/pickup, stay-and-play opportunities, and shared events have kept communication open and supportive. Parent/carer feedback this year has been positive, and we have used that feedback to shape our planning and provision.
Our Ofsted Visit
We were surprised by an early visit by Ofsted. Although this was a very challenging day we were pleased to be graded ‘Good’ in all areas.
This result reflects the dedication, care, and professionalism of our team, as well as the strong partnerships we have built with families. The inspectors recognised our warm, inclusive environment and the way we support children to learn, grow, and thrive.
We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to continuing to offer the best possible start for every child in our care.
Outdoor Space & Physical Development
Our outdoor provision this year has been a highlight: climbing, balancing, team games, watery play, digging and planting, exploring nature, and making use of open space. We’ve seen children develop physical confidence, coordination, gross-motor skills, and a love for outdoor learning. It’s been lovely to see many children choosing to play outside and engage in more active tasks.
Looking Ahead
As we look to the new academic year, our ambitions include:
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Further developing our outdoor area - adding more natural features including a small allotment area for planting.
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Continuing professional development around SEND, communication (including non-verbal and sensory) and emotional wellbeing for both children and staff.
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Strengthening family-engagement activities: more stay-and-play, parent-led sessions, inviting families into the learning journey.
Thank you to all our staff, families and children for making this such a positive, inclusive and dynamic year. I’m excited for what next year will bring — and confident that the children will continue to shine, grow and enjoy every moment.
Jo Gunne Manager Treetops Pre-school 11[th] November 2025
Treetops AGM – 10th November 2025 Academic Year September 2024 – August 2025 Chair’s Report by Laura Newing
Welcome everyone, and thank you for joining us for this year’s Treetops Annual General Meeting. It’s wonderful to see so many familiar faces, along with some new ones too.
Looking back over the past year, it’s amazing to see how far Treetops has come. After a few years of challenge and change, this year has felt like one of renewed stability, growth, and community spirit. The staff have continued to show incredible dedication, warmth, and teamwork – ensuring Treetops remains the loving, safe and nurturing environment that we are so proud of.
Our finances have remained stable this year, thanks to careful management, continued fundraising, and the commitment of both the staff and committee. We’ve been able to maintain our emergency reserve account and look confidently to the future knowing the setting is secure.
As always, the staff have gone above and beyond for our children. They’ve planned and delivered engaging, creative curriculums, encouraged curiosity and independence, and worked hard to make every child feel valued and supported. Their commitment to professional development continues to shine through, with team members attending courses, sharing ideas, and constantly improving their practice.
We also continued to strengthen our links with the local community. The Deal Pirates once again offered their time and energy to help improve our outdoor space – lending hands, tools and enthusiasm! Their ongoing support has helped us make lasting improvements to our garden and play areas.
Our events calendar was busy and joyful again this year – from our Christmas Craft day with a very special Santa visit to our Easter family fun day to our Pirate picnic, there was plenty of laughter, games and fundraising along the way. The children loved caring for our ducklings in the summer term and our charity events for organisations such as the NSPCC and Children in Need helped the children learn about kindness and giving.
We had an Ofsted inspection where we received a "Good" result, we take on board all feedback and are continuing to be the best for our families.
It’s been a genuine pleasure to continue in my role as Chair of the Management Committee. Working alongside Jo, Anna, the rest of the committee and all of our wonderful staff is always rewarding – we’re a team that truly cares about Treetops and the families who are part of it.
Finally, I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the committee members who are stepping down this year as their children move on to school, and to those who continue to give their time and energy so generously. I hope we’ll see some new parents and carers joining us too – your involvement really does make all the difference. Together, we’ll keep Treetops the warm, welcoming, and special preschool we all know and love.
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