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← Woolpit Childcare Centre Limited

2024-08-31-accounts

: a | we Good 22 0 23/202424/2025 - = eos o Provider ste oS_ ANNUAL REPORT

WOOLPIT CHILD CARE CENTRE LIMITED OFSTED URN: EY359649

COMPANY AND CHARITY REGISTRATION DETAILS

Heath Road Woolpit Bury St Edmunds IP30 9RU

COMPANY NUMBER: 6255868 CHARITY NUMBER: 1121387

PREPARED BY : Sara Hursey

Contents

Achievements

Fundraising and Donations

Financial Statements

Independent Examination

Statement of financial activities

Balance Sheet

Notes to the Financial Statements

page 2

Chairperson's letter

Welcome to the Woolpit Childcare Centre Charity's Annual Report for the year ending 31st August 2024. I am pleased to introduce this report, which highlights the many achievements of our charity over the past year. As a registered charity, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable childcare to families in Woolpit and the surrounding area. We offer a wide range of services, including:

We are committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for all of our children. Our staff are highly qualified and experienced, and they are passionate about providing the best possible care for our children. I feel so proud of all that we have achieved in the past year, and I am confident that we will continue to grow and develop in the future. I would like to thank all of our staff, volunteers, and supporters for their hard work and dedication.

Highlights of the Past Year

Plans for the Future

I look forward to seeing the improvements continue within the setting and the outcome of the changes made recently. I feel these will have a positive effect on the children, their families and the staff. We are here to serve our community.

Yours sincerely,

Marie Bloomberg Chairperson Woolpit ARC

page 3

Reference and Administration Information

Woolpit Child Care Centre Limited (Woolpit ARC)

Charity Name: Woolpit Child Care Centre Ltd

Charity Registration Number: 1121387

Company Registration Number: 6255868

Registered Office & Operational Address: Woolpit Child Care Centre Limited Heath Road, Woolpit IP30 9RU

Directors

Chairperson: Marie Bloomberg

Secretary: Tom Gallagher Treasurer: Rae Symons

Director: Ayeisha Rose

Director: Jade Attwater

page 4

Structure, Governance and Managements

Governing Document

The Woolpit Child Care Centre Limited operates as a Charitable Company Ltd by Guarantee, incorporated on 22nd May 2007 and registered as a Charity on 26th October 2007. The company was established under a Memorandum and Articles of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £1.

Appointment of Management Committee and Membership

The Volunteer Directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purpose of charity law and under the company’s Articles are known as members of the Management Committee. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the members of the Management Committee are elected from existing users of the services to serve for a period of one year, after which they must be re-elected at the next AGM, up to a maximum of six consecutive years. The Management Committee meet once a quarter to discuss business/building and staffing related matters.

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Headteacher Manager
Governing body
Foundation stage Members
School Rep Group
Board of
Directors
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page 5

Consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them

Holding regular meetings enables the early identification of any major risk, be they financial, staffing, Ofsted related, Health and Safety, etc. Any additional support required is discussed - for example, if a significant fundraising event is required or if additional staffing resources are needed.

No major risks have been identified for this period.

The setting is now required (since Sept 2012) to carry out all checks on any new manager appointed (as we currently do for all other staff). Ofsted will check at the next inspection that we have suitable thorough process in place for checking suitability.

Health & Safety risk assessments of all obvious and significant hazards are regularly reviewed, especially if circumstances or equipment change or if there is a reason to suspect a problem. The review is recorded, and appropriate control measures put in place to reduce the risk. Staff are involved in the discussions. Health & Safety is also discussed at each staff meeting.

page 6

Objectives

The Arc’s main objectives as set out in its Governing Document are to: Enhance and provide for the development and education of children from Pre-School age to eleven years of age; encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups; including making facilities and services available to children in and out of school hours and during school holidays by:

Offering appropriate play, education and care facilities and training courses, together with the right of parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of such groups ensuring that such groups offer opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means or ability.

Encourage the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs.

Summary of the principal activities in relation to these objectives:

The service recruits school age children from Woolpit Primary Academy and surrounding villages and meets the needs of the families in these villages. We attract Pre-Schoolers mainly from the same catchment area, though both Pre-School sessions and the Holiday Club are available to any parent or carer wishing to access it.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) applies throughout the setting and covers statutory welfare requirements and educational support following the EYFS curriculum.

More information is available to Parents/Carers on request.

page 7

Our Services

Breakfast Club

This club provides a welcoming and relaxed environment where children enjoy a healthy breakfast consisting of but not limited to cereals, toast, milk, fruit juice. We provide a selection of activities such as arts & crafts, board games, card games, music and tabletop games. The enclosed outside area is also available to the Breakfast Club children.

Pre-School

Here we continue to provide a welcoming and stimulating environment, providing a variety of activities and opportunities for the children. These include sensory sand and water play, construction toys, arts and crafts, writing area, home corner/role-play area, as well as opportunities for outside play including gardening.

We provide a wide and varied curriculum based on Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), offering activities and opportunities to encourage confident and independent learning. The staff use information gained through observation and assessment to inform their planning to ensure that individual children’s needs are met. Individual progress records are regularly maintained and shared with parents using an online system called Tapestry. We ensure that children are involved in the planning of activities & future purchases of equipment/resources by means such as discussions with the children, and questionnaires.

We use the key-person system to enable us to work closely with families and help us meet individual children’s needs and further enhance the education and care we provide.

Lunch Club

Parents have the option of buying a hot, healthy lunch from the school kitchen, or sending in a packed lunch for their child. A variety of activities are available, such as arts and crafts, sand and water, role-play and a quiet area. The outside play area is also accessible.

After School Club

We provide a variety of activities, including arts and crafts, science activities, cooking, and movies on our Smart TV. We also have a chill out zone, tabletop games and more. We enjoy the outside play area too. The After School Club also provides the children with a healthy snack.

page 8

Our Services - continued

Holiday Club

Activities offered are similar to that of the After School Club. In addition, we include special days where we provide, planned activities such as dance, Lego Club, craft activities such as pebble painting and cooking.

Holiday Club information is emailed to all local schools. We also produce a flyer for each of our Holiday Clubs which shows a detailed programme of activities for each day, to attract the children’s (and parents’) interest. The flyer is shared on social media sites, such as our own Facebook Page and we also advertise in our local village magazine.

Holiday Club dates are made available up to a year in advance to assist parents in planning their holiday childcare. We can offer places to children who qualify on the HAF scheme.

Partnership with Parents and Local Community

We have good partnerships with parents/carers. We recognise that parents/carers are their children’s primary educators and the importance in working with those closest to the children. We achieve this by ensuring that parents/carers have the opportunity to discuss their children’s progress with staff through regular meetings. Staff are also available at the start and end of each session.

Parents/carers have access to their children’s learning journeys which document the child’s progress under the EYFS guidelines. We use Tapestry which is an online learning journal that enables us to give parents/carers instant access to our observations, photos and videos of their children in the setting. It also provides them with the opportunity to comment and share their insights into their child’s learning. This has also proven to be an excellent tool to improve communication. We actively support parents/carers to attend a session at the provision, if they wish, or to be involved in the organisation of the group by being a committee member or regular volunteer.

We have good links with the local school. Staff work closely with teachers in Reception Class throughout the year.

We invite members of the local community such as the Dental Nurse, Fire Brigade, Police etc. to talk to the children. We strive to seek new links within our local community.

page 9

Our Team

Hayley Clifton - Setting Manager Level 4 & Lead SENCO & PANCO

Hayley joined the team in 2015 after initially coming to join us as a student. Hayley was promoted to setting manager in 2024 and has done amazing work since! She has her level 4 and is our main key SENCO member of the team. She is extremely well respected by staff and loved by the children!

Sara Hursey - Office Manager

Sara has worked with us for many years, and was promoted to office manager in 2024, a well deserved promotion! she is office based and works tirelessly keeping the office marketing, administration, attendance and finance running smoothly.

Marie Hassall - Early Years Educator Level 3

Marie has worked for us for many years and is a popular member of staff with the children. She has completed her level 3 training and having lived in Woolpit for a long time, she works closely with the community to strengthen relationships with the local area.

Susan Howarth - Play Assistant Level 3

Susan joined the team after Easter in 2023. She had a lot of experience with other settings already so has fitted in quickly and become another valued team member. She has her level 3. She has quickly bonded with the children. We feel lucky to have her.

Kiera Hunt - Early Years Educator Level 2

Kiera joined the team in February 2024 following her college placement with us. She is learning quickly and is already very capable. She started at our Holiday Club but now works in all of our servies. She has her level 2 and is training for her level 3. Welcome to our team Kiera.

Polly Hermes - Early Years Educator Level 2

Polly joined the team in March 2024. She is keen and capable and a great asset to the team. She has her level 2 and is training for her level 3. She also has a BA 1st Class Hons. Degree in Special Educational Needs & Disability Studies. Welcome to our team Polly.

page 10

Our Team - continued

Laura Cook - Early Years Educator Level 2

Laura joined us in July 2024 as bank staff. She is already very capable and has experience with her own 4 children. She also has first hand experience with looking after children with autism and additional needs. She has been very at home right away and seems to be a natural. She has her level 2 and is training for her level 3. Welcome to our team Laura

Davina Hunt - Cleaner

Davina works very hard to keep the setting clean for us at the Arc and does a great job.

Achievements

We would like to congratulate Hayley for stepping up and taking on the role of Setting Manager earlier this year. She has made some significant changes to the setting and we think has made Woolpit Arc better than ever. Congratulations and well done Hayley!

We would also like to congratulate Sara on becoming our very first Office Manager! Sara has a wide wealth of knowledge about the Arc as well as how it runs, and we are so pleased that she has accepted the new role and has made strides to update the systems and policies to continue to provide the play staff with everything they need in order to provide the best care for the children. Congratulations and well done Sara!

We have been able to hire new staff at the setting to ensure that we are always in ratio and have cover when needed for holidays and sickness. We also created a new role for a lunch cover Early Years Educator. We are grateful for them! Welcome, Kiera, Polly and Laura. Thank you also to Lucy, Leanne and Sarah W.

page 11

Achievements - continued

Thanks to additional funding granted by the Parish Council, we carried out more upgrades to the setting, these include the new windows, outside painting, a new bathroom cabinet and a whole new makeover inside! We are very grateful and pleased with how the work has turned out. Thank you Woolpit Parish Council!!

page 12

Fundraising & Donations

This year has been a highly successful one in terms of fundraising efforts, with several noteworthy accomplishments. Here's a summary of our achievements:

Our dedicated fundraising committee helped us raise an impressive £1821 This was from our Halloween Disco, the Mothers Day Raffle, the very successful Bunny Hop challenge at Easter, The Summer Raffle and Smartie Challenge.

We were delighted to receive a generous donation of £2,300 from Poor's Land, which we used to purchase new equipment and toys for our setting.

Lastly, we received a substantial donation of £1,700 from the Woolpit Steam Fair, which we're incredibly grateful for.

With such excellent fundraising efforts this year, we're excited to see what we can achieve next year!

page 13

Plans for the future

page 14

Financial Review 2023/2024

Despite facing rising costs in energy, fuel, and groceries, Woolpit Arc, a non-profit childcare provider, has had to make some difficult decisions this year regarding the hours we operate. From May 2024 we made the difficult decision to reduce our after school club hours down from a 6pm close to a 4.15pm close. This was due to the lack of interest in the extended hours and rising staffing and setting costs. This decision however has helped the organisation financially, reducing the outgoing costs and helping us stay financially healthy.

To mitigate the impact of rising costs, Woolpit Arc has implemented various strategies. The organization has actively promoted Tax-Free Childcare and Childcare Voucher Schemes to enhance the affordability of its services. Additionally, Woolpit Arc extended its ability to provide ‘stretched childcare’ allowing families to fully utilise its 15 & 30 funded hour codes.

The organisation's Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) program, funded through government initiatives, has also played a crucial role in attracting families. This program provides free Holiday Club activities to children who qualify for free school meals, significantly boosting participation in the program, particularly during the summer holiday season.

Woolpit Arc has also taken steps to optimise staffing levels, closely monitoring the number of children attending each session. This approach ensures that staffing aligns with actual demand, preventing unnecessary expenditure. The organisation has also been proactive in seeking grants to secure additional resources without incurring additional costs.

Despite facing financial challenges, Woolpit Arc remains committed to providing high-quality childcare services to the community. The organisation's ability to navigate these challenges while maintaining a positive financial position is a testament to its resilience and dedication to its mission. And thus this year we have proved this by showing a huge improvement in our end of year accounts where we showed a loss of -£3,651 compared to last years financial loss of -£11,320.

page 15

Financial Review

Holiday Club

Our Holiday Club remains a vital service for our community, operating five days a week from 8am to 4.15pm. We now offer funded places through the local council's Holiday Activities and Food program, providing families with a fantastic opportunity to keep their children engaged and entertained during school holidays.

Staffing

We are thrilled to welcome new staff this year, including Lucy, our Assistant Manager.

Marketing and Promotion

We are committed to enhancing the visibility of our services within the community while simultaneously reducing advertising costs. We plan to achieve this by carefully reviewing and limiting the number of adverts we use, ensuring that our marketing efforts are effective and cost-efficient.

Fundraising

Our dedicated Fundraising Committee remains committed to organizing community events and initiatives to raise funds for the charity's ongoing operations and expansion.

Reserves Policy

Our Management Committee has established a prudent Reserves Policy, mandating that the charity's unrestricted funds be equivalent to three months of expenditure. This policy ensures that we have the necessary financial stability to meet the day-to-day revenue requirements of the charity and continue providing our services even in the face of unforeseen circumstances or funding fluctuations.

Audit and Independent Examination

Despite being a small company, we are not required to undergo a formal audit. However, we have commissioned an Independent Examination to provide additional assurance regarding the accuracy and completeness of our financial statements. For more information, please refer to page 19.

page 16

Acknowledgments

WOOLPIT NURSERIES

ASDA

TESCO

FARMFOODS

CO-OP

POORS LAND TRUST

WOOLPIT STEAM FAIR

PARISH COUNCIL

PALMERS BAKERY

TEAM

COMMITTEE

FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE

BABERGH & MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCIL

page 17

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above at the Management Committee Meeting on 11th Nov 2024 and signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees by:

Rae Symons Treasurer

Date

page 18

Financial Statements l ¢fft Feggs Xl lo 25. HU15 1HW 11th l*pArrtJw X)24 page 19

cNwc l(Y Ih Y•r Énd•d 311 311rw2024 J1W2ro3 Totsl 8,715 1.821 8,715 7.447 148.7 118. 159238 12S.X6 IW.854 134. 162.887 162.887 136.616 M•¢ l•xpwthrnD ftYth• 4,651 4.8s1 -11.320 18.849 30.119 IS.iD8 15.198 18819 page 20

Wo Chlld Car• C•ntr8 Llmlt•d Balanc• sI￿•t al 31st ust 2024 31K1812024 3111>812023 Rx•d AM411 Tarwjth assots 11 93.627 12 7.991 14.Ki3 3.412 16.430 19.842 Ca8h at aThJ kn hand Crndltor• Arn￿nts lalthrrfd lthkn ij 7.481 15.313 18.280 Totsl A•Ml• L•M CuTh•nl U•blllU 101.5 111.887 Cr•dltor AM￿jnIS lalllw tkn aft•r mLY• lh￿ cm 14 15.198 18.849 Fund• G￿ra1 fixKI 15.198 18.849 For lh• y•ar wMl•d 31st ￿￿U$l 2024 cxynpwty was wllll•d lo •x•nOkn fvrn a￿1 urnjw $477121 page 21

Woo It Chlld Carn C•ntrn Llmlt•d for th• Year Ended 31st Au ust 2024 1. Accounllng pollcl•• B•th ol pr•p•r¥iion These acc￿nts have been prepared under the histL¥ical cost (￿venti(￿ iterns recognBed at cost vahx otheTh￿ stated in Ihe relevant ￿le{s> to Ihese 8Kcounts. . the Statement of Rec¢MnmefKled PraclKe: Acc￿ntry ar￿ Rep(Mtsng by Charrt prepanng accounts in accordance with the FinancMI Repyb'ng StarKlard applicable in the UK and Rewbhc of IrelaTha (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 - and the Chwths Act 2011 Incomlng rnsourc All incoming re8our(YJ are mckmled cm the Ststement of Flnandal ActM11￿ ￿lIen the thanty is legalty entsfjed to ￿ irKome and the amount (xn be qU￿trf1ed reasonable accuracy. R•gourc•8 •xp•nd•d that aggregate al ujst related to Ihe categ(xy. T•nglbl• fix•d ug•ts provided al the anThJ81 rntes in owrler Io Trte off cost estsmated resKlual value of eath asset obtr its esb'rnakd useful thfe. Equiwnenc ￿ureS WKI fith'rys FreetrK4d t￿than9 .15% ￿ r￿u¢If¥J balarKe 3tys strWI line Slock• Sthks are vthed at the khver (rf (x>st and net realisatAe value. afknr makn'rvJ due allowa￿￿ Taxatlon Fund accountlng Unrestr￿ed fuTrJs can be used in aCC(Xda￿e dwrils obieclNes at the dis(xetK of Ihe trustees. Restri￿￿1 furKts can cx)ty be used frx pa11th￿r rntricted Fxjrposes vthPMn the otiects of the charrty. RestrK1K￿S anse Spe￿fi￿ by the Wt￿ funds are rwsed for parbcular purposes. page 22

Chlld Cwv C•ntr• NO￿ to tho Flnanclal Statoments . conllrMd for th• Year Ended 31sl * usl 2024 8.715 7.447 8.715 7.447 3. c￿￿tabl• xlMtI•• 31 44M1 104.439 51.J)2 Ewty Y••rn F{An18ti￿ Furn5ry'. TTM) Y• 148.7 116.565 1.C3 1.043 120.174 105250 6,756 6.816 559 413 2.126 1.51S 1.493 2,752 2.011 2.495 1276 1.442 2.140 9.510 19 kdwr 7,573 8.846 1e4J.854 page 23

Wool It Chlkl Cav• C•ntr• Lknlt•d Not•8 to th• Flnanciaj Stat•m•nts - continu•d for th• Y•ar End•d 3151 ust 2024 8. Gov•rn•nc• Costs 110B12024 31m&r202 ManJ8m￿t charges 99J 950 950 9. Trut••' R•fflun•r•tlon and B•rb•flts 31st Wst 2024. (2023 £Th11 Thwe no ITUSto08' exp￿￿63 paMI kn Iho year endlxl 31 st Augu812024. (2023 £nl). 10. Staff Costs 110812024 311081202 Salaries wages Soa'al secunty cos Pertsion cost$ Total slaff cost5 115.967 87,833 15.745 1.942 105.520 1.938 120.174 awrage of duriry the ￿ wa¥ S (2023 . 5) 11. T•rylbl• Flx•d 4••ts L•a••hold Land & Frwhold 8ulldlng Flxlurns Flttlng• Co•t or v•lu•tlon Al 1 September 2023 IdrtK>n 182.481 219,379 At 31 knJust 2024 182.481 219 379 Al 1 September 2(r23 Charge for the 97.294 28.458 125.752 7.350 Al 31 knJust 2024 103.378 29.724 133 102 N•t Book V•lu• At 31 ￿ust 2024 At 31 ￿￿USt 2023 79.103 85.187 7.174 86,277 page 24

Wool It Chlkl Car• C•ntr• Llmtt•d No¢•s to the Flnanclal Stat•ments - contlnu•d 11 O•btorn: AM0￿18 Falllng Dthi V•llhln OTr• Y••r 31108r2024 311081202 Trade deblors Olher debtors 7.928 2.501 911 3.412 7.991 13. Cr•dltcrf•: Amouiits F•lllng Du• Wlthln on• Y••r 31108r2024 3110812023 5.239 1,188 372 Taxation and social stturity 1.210 7,481 14. CrndIt￿: Amouiits F•lllng Dwi Aft•r kn Th•n On• Y••r 1108r2024 93.038 Transf•r I1￿ trj {6.6461 86.392 93,038 rlannry, ￿'1th'ng dw KI c<msliuclxxi 8Lwi up cosls. h is of tho th.r￿t(Y1 Ihat the ill ha￿ an esbmalad u8•ful lrfe of w0￿mate￿ 30 yoxs. ttwef(Y• the deferr￿ inc<xn• b• lo the SOFA In tyual instalrn•nts ov•r th8 rern*ning 13 )￿. page 25