EARLYBIRDS PRESCHOOL
TRUSTEES REPORT 2024 to 2025
Objectives and Activities
Earlybirds Preschool has continued to provide high quality, child-focused early years
education during the report period.
Over the course of this year, we have had 27 children in setting. Our staff team has
increased to 7 members (including one apprentice and one member of staff on
maternity leave).
Our offer is a high quality, inclusive child-led setting where learning is through play
and curiosity. Children with additional needs are individually assessed so that gaps
can be promptly identified and, where possible, needs met.
We offer excellent links with Newtown Soberton Infant School on the same site,
providing a smooth transition to school for our children. In addition, positive
relationships have been established with other local settings.
We are fortunate enough to enjoy a rural environment, with the children visiting our
school hall and playground, local church and surrounding grounds on a regular
basis.
Structure. Governance and Managément
Mana
ement Committee
The Committee remains stable, and we welcomed three new members towards the
end of the financial period. There is a range of expertise within the Committee which
we have been fortunate to draw upon for support.
Children's data has continued to be monitored for areas of improvement and learning
and development opportunities within the staff team.
Staffin
Our Preschool Manager has been on maternity leave Sin￿ January 2025. In her
absence, existing members of staff have successfully stepped up on an interim basis
to cover the Manager and Deputy Manager positions.
There have been other staff changes within the preschool this year, and
additional team members were employed in June 2025.

Agency staff have also been used throughout the period, to cover sickness and other
staff absence.
Volunteers have not yet been re*stablished in setting following Covid. This may be
reviewed in the future.
Achievements and Performance
Earlybirds continues to receive positive feedback from parents and guardians, and
we were able to use some wonderful parent testimonials in the development of our
new website.
Earlybirds remains fully committed to providing a safe, high-quality, and nurturing
learning environment in accordan￿ with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
framework. Following a routine Ofsted inspection in September 2024, the Preschool
received an initial 'lnadequate' rating with regards to some safeguarding concerns
around the revised eating procedures in preschool and nursery settings. The
trustees and management team took immediate, proactive steps to address the
inspector's feedback, implementing a robust action plan to strengthen our
operational procedures. As a result of these swift improvements, Ofsted re-inspected
the preschool three and a half months later in early January 2025 and officially
awarded the preschool a 'Good' rating across all areas. The trustees are incredibly
proud of the staff s hard work, which successfully demonstrated our high standards
of care and restored full regulatory confiden￿.
Financial Review
Income..
The number of children in setting has been high (27 children at end of school year),
generating income from direct payments as well as the local authority Early Years
Funding (resulting in an increase in childcare income of £23k vs the prior year).
The preschool offers breakfast club and after school club to parents I guardians,
which provides further income for the preschool, while serving as essential childcare.
Wrap-around care is crucial for many working families when choosing a childcare
setting.
A review of our rates for non-funded hours is being carried out to ensure
competitiveness and financial stability.
enditure..
Expenditure exceeded income by a significant amount this year (meaning an overall
deficit of £27.8k), partly due to one-off expenses such as agency fees to cover for
staff maternity leave, recruitment fees for subsequently employing an agency staff
member, and re-developing the Earlybirds website.
Expenditure on staff wages (including Statutory Maternity Pay which will later be
reclaimed from HMRC) and related costs has also increased.

In addition, we have changed our reporting year-end from 21 August to 31 August
this year, which means the 'Wages- Employed Staff figure includes the total for 13
months rather than 12. Adjusting for the additional month would reduce this year's
deficit to £21.7k.
Fundraisin
We received a kind donation from the local 'Allotment for the Labouring Poorf charity
which was used for additional learning resources to support the children's needs and
development.
We have also implemented a 'wish list, board outside of the setting where parents
and community members can choose from a list of items to donate.
Future Financial Viability
Following the financial year-end, and on top of the one-off additional expenditure
discussed above, the preschool experienced a temporary reduction in child numbers
for September 2025. This was driven by a lower birth year cohort locally, alongside
unexpected family cancellations outside our control, leading to a subsequent drop in
income. Although outside of the financial year in question, the Trustees feel that this
subsequent event should be documented and addressed in this report to give a true
reflection of the charity's financial position.
The Trustees took prompt and effective action to manage this cash flow constraint by
introducing operational efficiency measures and launching successful fundraising
initiatives. These corrective measures have fully resolved the temporary cash flow
issues. The preschool has Sin￿ stabilised its funding position by increasing child
numbers, and the Trustees are confident the charity remains a going con￿rn with
sufficient cash reserves to meet its operational liabilities for the foreseeable future.
Thank you
We continue to thank the committee, stsff team, parents and local community for
their support in ensuring the preschool stays in a financially secure position, to
provide high quality early years education in our rural community.

CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WAIES
Earlybirds Preschool (Newtownl
1083648
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the perlod
from
2110812024
3110812025
To
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Endowment
funds
Total fvnds
Last yéar
tothe nearESt
tothe n8aT8St £
to the rbPar￿t£
toth• nearest£
to tho Treare￿ £
A1 Receipts
Funding
P8reThi Payments
Donations
94,023
25,242
500
192
57,510
133
258
Sub total(Gross income for
AR)
119.967
119,9
A2 A588t and investment sales,
Isee table).
Sub total
Totsl receipts
119.
A3Pa
ents
Advert151ng and Website
Staff Expenses
HMRC
Child Lunches (Re-charg￿}
Repairs and Maintenance
MembÈrships Subscllptions
Pension
Rent ¥Dd se[w￿ Charges
Childcare Resources
Supply staff and Agfjn¢y Fees
2,2S2
360
3.784
5.548
821
1,313
4,737
5,472
3,270
19,999
2,920
5,34fj
87.190
15B
1.555
1.037
243
48
533
366
5,396
5,609
1,31¥
3,817
5,642
5.241
7.879
230
3,919
51,462
19,919
Premises Expenses
W8ges- Employtd staff
Cotnputer Sofware & Maintenan
Equipment
Stationery & Cansumables
Medical & Health Supp11¢5
Posiage & Delivery
Sundry Expenses
Telephone
Staff Uniform
Sna¢K and Bre8ktsstClub
S.J41
87.1
91
775
786
Sub total
't47JI3.
A4 Asset and investment
urchases,
see table
Sub total
Totalpayments
147113
147MI
Net of receipts/(paymgnts)
AS Transfers be￿een funds
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end
CCXX R1 accounts ISSI
34.556
29,673
7110
2410612026

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
Restricted
funds
to nearo8t£
Endowment
funds
to nFarest £
Categorles
Detalls
B1 Cash funds
Treasurerfs AGcounl
87
ReseNe Account
6.613
Total cash funds
layre•balance$with receipts and paymeni$
Unrestricted
funds
to noarest£
Restricted
funds
to near8$t£
Endowment
funds
to nBarpst£
Detsils
Pund to whlch
888Èt belon
Cost loptionall
Current ¥alug
tional
Detalls
B3 Investment assots
Fund to which
assBt b•lon
Detailg
Cost lop¥onall
Curr8ntvalu&
onol
84 Assets retalned for the
charity's own use
Fund ￿ whSch
relatés
Amountdue
When
ional
Detslls
BS Llabilities
Signed by one or Iruslees on
behalf of all the tru51ees
Date of
rov81
Signature
Print Name
Catherine Butler-Harris
2510612026
CCXX R2 accounts ISSI
2410612026

CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES |
Independent examiner's
report on the accounts
Section A
Independent Examinerfs Report
Report to the trusteesl
members of
Eadybirds Pre-SGhool (Ne￿OWn)
On accounts for the year
ended
31 August 2025
Charity no
lif any)
1083648
Set out on pages
I report to the tnjstees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (Yhe Trust.) for the year ended 3110812025.
Responslblllties and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation
basis of report of the accounts in ac¢ordance with the requirements of the Charities Act
2011 ('the ACY).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's acwunts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I
have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charrty Commission
under section 145{5)Ib) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have
come to my attention {otherthan that disclosed below.) in connection with
the examination whith gives me cause to believe that in, any material
respeGt:
£CCgunting.records were-not-kept-in accordance wilh section -180 of . -
the Art or
the accounts do not accord wilh the accounting records
Ind&pendent
examiner's statèment
I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection
with the examination to which attenlion should be drawn in order to enable a
proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Please delete the words in the brackets rfthey do not apply.
Signed:
Date".
25106126
Name:
Mrs Doreen Madow
Relevant professional
qualificationls} or body
(if any)"
Chartered Accountant- ICAEW
Address:
24 Hill Road, Portchester,
Fareham
Hampshire P016 8LA
IER
October 2018

Section B
Disclosure
Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of con￿rn (see CC32,
Independent examination of chajity accounts: directions and guidance for
examiners).
Glve here brlef dotails of
any items that the
exarniner wishes to
disclose.
IER
October 2018