## **De Nederlandse Regenboog School – Annual Report 2023** Registered Charity No. 1121703 School location: Salusbury Road, London, NW6 6RG Email: secretaris@regenboogschool.org.uk Website: www.regenboogschool.org.uk ## **The Charity’s objectives** De Nederlandse Regenboog School was founded in 1993 and turned into a Charity in September 2007. Its objectives are to advance Dutch language and Dutch & Flemish cultural education for school children. These children are already familiar with the Dutch language or have at least one parent/carer who speaks Dutch or one parent/carer with the Dutch or Belgian nationality. ## **The Governors** The Charity’s membership consists of all parents/carers of the children attending the school. During the annual general meeting, the Members elect the governing body and can also seek election into that governing body. The governing body manages and administers the Charity. During the General meeting in June 2023, the following members were elected as officers: During the General meeting in June 2023, the following external Trustees have been re-appointed: - Mr Wilco Alberda - Ms Caroline Vanovermeire - Mr Jan de Boer - Ms Maud Nauta The Trustees attend two meeting per year, the first one where the Governing Body presents the previous year’s annual report as well as its plans for the upcoming year and the second one as a mid-year check-in. ## **Additional positions assisting the charity** The following persons remain available: - Health & Safety Officer: Mr Graham Tanner - Confidential advisor: Mr Jan van der Meulen - Mr Martijn de Vree as Chair - Mr Frank t’ Sas as Vice-Chair - Ms Bianca Refualu as Secretary (new) - Mr David Kerstens as Treasurer - Mr Sanne de Boer as Vice-Treasurer (new) - Mr Laurens Steenbergen as General Officer (Media & PR) - Ms Noortje Marres as General Officer (Events & Culture) The governing body consists of volunteers. Its officers are prepared for their posts by their predecessors as well as through training by the Dutch government through Stichting NOB (Nederlands Onderwijs Buitenland), an organization supporting Dutch schools abroad. A written record listing the officers’ duties is in place. The School Director, Mrs. Daphna Plaschkes, is responsible for the curriculum and the educational planning, in close co-operation with the other members of the teaching staff. Decisions are made by consensus and discussed in meetings by the governing body. ## **The Trustees** Both Governors and Trustees are ‘Charity Trustees’ (as defined in the s.177 Charities Act 2011) and collectively have legal responsibility to ensure the Charity complies with the requirements of its governing document, Charity law and any other legislation or regulations, which govern the activities of the Charity. The Governing Body proposes the external Trustees and asks the Charity’s members for approval at the next Annual General Meeting. An External Trustee cannot be a parent/ carer of a current pupil at the school nor a teacher but is a nominated person with a relevant connection to the Charity’s objectives. The External Trustees don’t receive specific training but are familiar with the publication The Essential Trustee – what you need to know, published by the Charity Commission. ## **Services provided to Charity members** - Published the school prospectus. - Delivered in-person lessons on 37 Saturdays from 10am-1pm. - Provided Dutch language and Dutch and Flemish cultural education to 152 children of primary and secondary school age (mark date: 1st Oct 2023). - Run a nursery to teach children that are at the age of 3 years on the 1[st] of September, with the aim to smooth the transition into the Regenboogschool. Currently (1 October 2023) 14 children arevattending. - Teaching in small groups under the supervision of one qualified teacher and an experienced assistant per group. - Provided up-to-date teaching materials for use within the classroom and at home. - Provided a library service with a varied selection of Dutch language books, when teaching at location as well as an online provision linked to the Netherlands. - Supplied parents with two written reports on the progress of their children. - Tested the children on their progress and compared results with those of children in the Netherlands to ensure that they met the required standard for reentry into the Dutch educational system, should the parents decide to return to the Netherlands. - In 2022 four students took the CNaVT exams in May at UCL and passed it. In 2023-2024, one student has enrolled for this certificate. - Organised cultural events to celebrate the Dutch national childrens’ book week, St Nicholas, King’s Day, Flemish Day, the National Remembrance at Mill Hill Cemetery and a Dutch Cultural event at the Dutch Church in central London. - Offered all children a book or a Dutch game as a gift for St Nicholas. Page 1 of 3 ## **De Nederlandse Regenboog School – Annual Report 2023** Registered Charity No. 1121703 School location: Salusbury Road, London, NW6 6RG Email: secretaris@regenboogschool.org.uk Website: www.regenboogschool.org.uk - Provided Coffee services by parents/carers to the teaching staff and a free coffee and tea corner service for parents/carers. - Published one newsletter per term during the year (three newsletters in total). We implemented a newsletter mailing system (Sendinblue), to professionalise our mailings in a secure environment. - Run an adult language class to help parents that do not have Dutch as their first language get more familiar with the language and contribute to the connection of non-Dutch speaking parents with the school with a secondary objective of motivating their children to study Dutch together. - by the pupils of Groep 8, and creating a short documentary about the history of the school. - To improve communications with current and prospective parents about the school and its events, launched a Twitter (X) account. ## **Objectives for next year (2024):** - Undertake the two-yearly pupil questionnaire. - Continuously improve the quality of the teaching, with a focus on ongoing professional development of the staff. - Continue to collect experiences of reintegration from families moving back to the Netherlands or Belgium in a structured approach. ## **Other highlights:** - There was a school inspection in 2022, with the previous one in 2017. The feedback was very strong and an improvement on the previous assessment, which was already strong. The school scored maximum score on 5 items and second highest score on 2 items. The Regenboogschool’s ambition is to maintain maximum score on those 5 items and work to improve the 2 items to have all items at the maximum at the next school inspection. The stable team, high quality of education, supportive Board and great atmosphere were key points noted by the Inspector. - Reviewed salaries of director and all teaching staff and provided an annual increase in line with local standards. Increased paid hours by school director in recognition of contributions outside the classroom to organizing cultural events, and student recruitment. - Undertook a parents’ questionnaires that showed that our parents/carers were very satisfied with the education and services offered. - Conducted interviews with families that had left the previous year regarding the transitioning to Dutch schools in the Netherlands. - Continued to implement the DBS process for all staff and Trustees involved and adhere to GDPR requirements. - Continued to have close connections with the Dutch Embassy, Flemish Representation, NOB and other NOB-schools. - Increased the overall social interaction by continuing the events as mentioned before, as well as the New Year’s drinks at the school and a social event for all teachers together with the board members. - Finalised new 4-year plan NOB-style for the continued evolution of the school through 2027. - For our annual children’s book week celebration, we were excited to be joined by well-known Dutch author and illustrator Annet Schaap to discuss her books and teach children drawing. - We celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the school on-site, with Dutch mini-pancakes, a musical - Consider responsible growth plans, both organic and possibly ‘inorganic,’ partnering with other Dutch schools in the London metropolitan area. The popularity of the school is high, with waiting lists for many of the earlier classes. ## **Financial declaration** The school aims to keep the receipts and payments in balance, as the Charity is not for profit. To ensure that the school always has the necessary funding for unforeseen expenses or an unexpected drop in receipts, it keeps a reserve on average around 100% of annual expenses. ## Receipts The school is funded by parent/carer contributions, £139,682 this year, and grants from the Dutch government (predominantly through NOB), which was £45,563 in 2023. Total receipts for this year: £185,607 (including interest on the reserve, excluding parent deposits received.) ## Payments Total payments (including foreign exchange gains/losses of £1,995) for the year 2023 were £180,418, the majority of which are teacher salaries (£138,960), after a 6.5% pay rise on 1 September 2023 and the impact of additional staff hours. Present building rent is an annual cost of £10,000. ## Reserves The reserves (as per 31 December 2023) were £161,710, including parent deposits of £19,000. The Trustees aim to balance the budget each year and agree to keep the level of reserves stable at around 100% of annual payments. The reserve excluding deposits is currently at 79%, due to the growth of the school in the past year. ## External scrutiny of accounts The receipts and payments accounts (CC16a) for 2023 were completed in February 2024 and submitted Page 2 of 3 ## **De Nederlandse Regenboog School – Annual Report 2023** Registered Charity No. 1121703 School location: Salusbury Road, London, NW6 6RG Email: secretaris@regenboogschool.org.uk Website: www.regenboogschool.org.uk to David Lindon & Co Chartered Accountants for external examination. The school is in a stable and healthy financial position to run as a going concern as well as cope with certain unforeseen events. The continuation of Government grants combined with parental contributions will suffice to meet the payments made in the ordinary course as well as contribute to the funding of our objectives for 2024 and beyond. Page 3 of 3 Charity No: 1121703 DE NEDERLANDSE REGENBOOG SCHOOL RECEIvfs AND PAYMENfs Accouwrs FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023 DE NEDERLANDSE REGENBOOG SCHOOL (Charfity No: 1121703) Contents for the year ended 31 December 2023 Page Charity Infornk*ion DE P4EDERLANDSE REGENBOOG SCHOOL (Charity No: 1121703) CHARITY INFORMATION 1121703 TRUSTEES Mattheus Wijnand de Vree Frank es&8 David Kerstens Vice-chair Bianca Refualu Noortje Marres General Officer. Jan de Boer Maud Nauta Wilco Alberda Caroline vanOvern￿lre External Trustee: coNrAcf ADDRE&S 18 Tideswell Road SW156U SCHOOL ADDRE&S Salusbury Road IA)ndon NW6 6RG AccouNfANrs David Lindon & Co Avaland House 110 l￿don Roa(L Apsley Hemel Hemp#ead Hertfordshire HP3 9SD INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT to the trustees of DE NEDERLANDSE REGENBOOG SCHOOL (Charity No: 1121703) on the accollnts for the year ended 31 December 2023 I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the ac￿Unts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023 which are set out on pages 3 to 4. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the rquirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Tr Actry. I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying my examinatio￿ I have followed all the applicable Directi(x)s given by the Charity Commission u￿ler section 145(5Xb) of the ACL Independent examineVs ststement 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: (i) accounting records were not keO in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the ACL" or (li) the accounts do not arxord with those records. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connertion with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this rg￿ in order to enable a proper understanding of the acLx)unts to be reache Antony Durrant FCA For and on behalf of David Lindon & Co Chart￿￿ Accountants Avaland House 110 London Ro Apsley Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP3 9SD Date: 8 May 2024 DE NEDERLANDSE REGENBOOG SCHOOL (Charity No: 1121703) RECEIFfs & PAYMENTS AccouNrs for the peri(MJ l January 2022 to 31 December 2023 2023 2022 RECEivrs Receipts from Sch(x)l activities: Parent contributions Parent deposits Government grnnts 127J82 12JOO 45,563 107,479 6,705 37,878 185245 152.062 Donations: Other income: 21 24 R￿xIpts from investments: Interest 341 Totsl rettlpts 185,607 152,132 PAYMENrs Sch(K)I xtivities: Texhers salaries Training Staff entertaining Classroom hire School equipment 138,960 3J68 962 i 0.000 105,391 898 2.950 i o,0( 86 3J69 969 5J50 2.918 703 2,472 585 (3,062) 7J19 554 11.113 3J07 756 2,059 25 1.995 ICT Culturnl events Accountancy Insurance Bank charges Foreign exchange (gainyloss Total payments 180,418 132,629 Excess of Recelpts over Payments 5.189 19J03 Cash funds at l January 156,521 137,018 Cash Funds at 31 December 161,710 156J21 DE NEDERLANDSE REGENBOOG SCHOOL (Charity No: 1121703) RECEIFfs & PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS for the perlod l January 2023 to 31 December 2023 OFA&S D LL4BILTrJEs TED T 31 DECEMB CASH FUNDS 2023 2022 SanLqnder Current Account Santander Business Reserve ABN-Amro (note l) Natwest 53.324 38.889 68,480 1,017 22,362 53.548 80,232 379 161,710 156J21 I. (¥)nth￿ frtwn Ew05 to GBP using the r* 1.15 EwD3 kn I GBP aThl I 5tstal at yr* USiD8 the Bank of En8knThJ d05n¥ ￿ of1.15 E4ra% kn I GBP (2022 . 1.12771 OTHER MONETARY ASSETS 2023 2022 ASSET3 RETAINED FOR CHARITY'S OWN USE The School owns the following teaching equipn%nt: Computer equipment Books and educational material LIABILITIES 2023 2022 Parent deposits held Social security and other tsxes Nest Pension I9,￿5 1.719 243 6,705 2.104 20.967 8855 These accounts were approved by the board of trustees on ...... on their behalf by: . and are signed US WUNAND DE VREE DAVID KERSTENS