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2023-08-31-accounts

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 06730193 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1127260

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] August 2023 FOR GLOUCESTER SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP

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CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

Page Report of the Trustees 5-7 Statement of Trustee Responsibilities 9 Independent Examiner’s Report 10 Income Statement 11 Statement of Financial Position 12-13 Notes to the Financial Statements 14-16

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

The Trustees present their reports and independently examined financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2022.

Introduction

GSP is a group of 39 Primary Schools in Gloucestershire, committed to effective challenge and support in order to provide the highest quality provision to raise the attainment, aspirations, and life chances of the pupils in the Partnership.

We continually review our aims, objectives, and activities, looking at how we achieve outcomes from the projects we undertake. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on “Public Benefit” when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities

Originally founded in October 2008, the Gloucester Schools' Partnership (GSP) is a group of 39 primary schools in Gloucester City that are committed to mutual challenge and support, in order to deliver the highest quality of primary provision. The GSP recognises that every member school is unique, but the principle upon which the alliance was founded, is that they will all share many of the same challenges and can learn from each other, at every level.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company Number

06730193

Registered Charity Number 1127260

Registered Office

Meadowside Primary School Elmore Lane East Quedegely Gloucestershire GL2 4LX

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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

REFERENCE AND ADMINSTRATIVE DETAILS Trustees

The persons below were selected from the Board of Trustees to be appointed directors.

Miss G Brogan Miss S Thomas

The Board of Trustees

The board of Trustees is made up of one Head Teacher representative from each member school- in accordance with the Articles of Association.

Company Secretary

Gloucester Schools Partnership

Independent Examiner

Pi Accountancy 40a London Road Gloucester Gloucestershire GL1 3NU

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank PO Box 250 Skelmersdale WN8 6WT

Solicitors

Davies & Partners 135 Aztec West Bristol BS32 4UB

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SUMMARY REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST AUGUST 2023 THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF THE GSP

At the start of the 2022/23 academic year, the Gloucester Schools’ Partnership comprised 39 Infant, Junior, Primary and Academy schools in the city of Gloucester, amounting to around 12,500 children. Two further schools joined the Partnership, during that year, taking membership to 41 schools. It is a diverse mix of schools, including Church, Community and Trust schools.

The Gloucester Schools’ Partnership was founded in 2008 as an alliance, building on the success of the Education Achievement Zone (EAZ) that was created with 18 primary schools in 1999, to focus on education provision for the most disadvantaged children in the City of Gloucester. The EAZ then transformed into the Excellence Cluster, with the same 18 Gloucester primary phase schools. When the Excellence Cluster ceased in 2008, The Gloucester Schools’ Partnership was formally established. All the schools involved in the EAZ and Excellence Cluster knew that the collaboration was making a difference to the children in Gloucester and so, at that time, 40 schools committed to working together. The drivers then, are the same drivers today:

§ To provide effective challenge and support;

§ To provide the highest quality provision of education;

§ To raise the attainment, aspirations and life chances of the pupils in Gloucester; and

§ To make schools’ budgets work harder.

In line with those and now celebrating 15 years of its existence, the Partnership provides a supportive framework for its members that facilitates collaboration and networking, as well as delivering CPD and exciting pupil events; all aimed at improving the opportunities and experiences of the children in its schools. As a collective, it continues to evolve to meet the challenges of the local and national education landscape, together with the impacts of external forces; including diminishing budgets, less capacity within the local authority, the highest ever levels of SEND need within mainstream schools and a recruitment crisis.

OUR STRATEGIC APPROACH

The GSP is directed by its Strategy Group, which meets seven times per academic year and is made up of: the Chairs from each of its Steering Group, the Chair of the Partnership Board and a representative from GAPH (Gloucestershire Association of Primary Headteachers).

The Strategy Group determines the activity, CPD and events for the year and is dynamic in its response, throughout the year, to changing needs and situations. Six times per year, the Steering Group Chairs share an update with the Partnership Board, which is made up of every Headteacher, from the GSP’s member schools.

The Strategy Group for 2022/23 comprised:

§ Sam Thomas, Meadowside Primary School (Strategy Group Chair, S2SS Steering Group Chair)

§ Kelly Armstrong, Field Court Junior School (Chair of the Partnership Board)

§ Julie Poulson, Beech Green Primary School (CPD & Leadership Steering Group Chair)

§ Nicola Barby, Dinglewell Infant School (Events & Activities Steering Group Chair) 5

CPD AND LEADERSHIP

There were a number of programs including an ECT programme, a Subject Leaders programme and Middle and Senior Leaders programmes.

There was also training on managing difficult conversations, evaluating PSHE and personal development and subject leadership.

INCLUSION

The GSPEC (GSP Emotion Coaching) project was developed in 2019, in response to an opportunity for the Partnership to bid for funding with the Local Authority, as part of their High Needs Strategy, at the time. Emotion Coaching was chosen as a focus because it had the potential to have a real impact, not just on a dysregulated child, while they are at school, but also in supporting their family to bring a consistent approach between home and school.

The GSP engaged Emotion Coaching UK at the outset, to deliver the training, with a view to moving to a ‘train the trainer’ model that would ensure sustainability in the longer term, as experienced Emotion Coaching Lead Practitioners in GSP schools are now training other GSP schools.

Early in the 2022/23 academic year, it was determined that the programme needed some focus and ‘reinvigoration’ and it was agreed that the next tranche of Emotion Coaching Leads would be recruited and trained at an intensive two-day conference, led by the experienced Emotion Coaching Lead Practitioners in the Partnership.

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE CPD

Initially commissioned by the GSP in 2021/22, having recognised the huge need in children for Speech, Language and Communication support, particularly since the pandemic, the GSP continued to invest in Speech and Language Training in 2022/23.

The GSP continued to work with independent Speech and Language Therapist, Cathy Shilling of The Speech Den, to deliver the ‘Level One’ training, to equip Teachers and Teaching Partners with the tools to recognise and start to address some of the issues that are presented in the classroom.

The Best Practice Networks facilitate regular dialogue between curriculum and subject leaders from across the city’s primary schools and provide a vehicle for the exchange of ideas, resources and support. These peer-to-peer networks are also invaluable for staff in the interpretation and best-practice implementation of DfE frameworks and pedagogical practice.

In 22/23 there were BPNs for art, computing and digital futures, EYFS, geography, history, PE, RE, science and Sendco.

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EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

There were a number of exciting events in 22/23 including the “Really Wild Reading Festival” and a GSP production of Romeo and Juliet.

The iRock team ran a series of rock and pop band sessions for the GSP during the school day on Friday 10th February 2023 at Dinglewell Infant School.

There was also GSP Outdoors! A small group of children and adults from various schools from within the GSP network began an exploration of the forest school site at Longlevens Infant School, for three sessions of activities. Even though these sessions were across just 3 weeks, the impacts were demonstrable. Children, who were apprehensive about communicating with new people, began engaging with other peers/adults. Some children actively worked with others and low self-esteem was gradually starting to build by completing small tasks, even being able to sit and concentrate for longer periods of time whilst engaging in activities.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME

18 schools engaged in this programme which is in place to give support to Head-Teachers in their school improvement journeys. Education Consultants contracted by the GSP worked with the schools allocated to them on their individual priorities for the year. They could help identify the areas of support required and the resources needed to address them. 2022/23 was the fifth full year of the GSP School Improvement Programme, with 18 GSP schools engaged in programme, in five ‘clusters’. The programme came into being in 2018, to enable the GSP to better support Headteachers in their school improvement journeys, with a more objective, robust and challenging framework than had been achieved through peer-to-peer evaluation.

SCHOOL TO SCHOOL SUPPORT

Mindful that the well-being of our Headteachers is critical to the success of our schools, the GSP founded the School to School Support Group in 2014. Ten years on, the steering group continues to provide a valuable platform for peer-to-peer support; creating opportunities for Headteachers to confidentially discuss live and prevailing issues with peers, who have a real understanding of those issues. It has also put in place access to external Reflective Supervision and part subsidises this service for GSP Headteachers.

For 2022/23, the School to School Support Group delivered one two-day Headteachers’ Reflection Conference and there were six Partnership Board Meetings, with networking time, specifically built into the Agenda.

FINANCE

The GSP started the 2022/23 academic year with £252,934 in the bank and budgeted to finish the year with £93,031. The Partnership ultimately ended the year with £168,699 in the bank, so that was £75,668 higher than expected.

The significant actual versus budget cost variances were:

§ GSPEC: £11,266 was spent, with an overall available budget of £46,478. The available budget is for the duration of the project, and funds are spent based on the pace at which schools can train staff and parents and embed the Emotion Coaching practice.

§ CPD: Expenditure was £11,897, where the Steering Group had an available budget of £24,700.

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§ Reading Festival: The first Really Wild Reading Festival was delivered under budget, at £40,071, rather than £56,250.

§ School to School Support: The School to School Support Steering Group spent £10,199 of the £16,303 budget, due to lower uptake of the Reflective Supervision subsidy, as a number of funded places were available in 2022/23 and also due to there being just a single Headteachers’ Conference.

For 2022/23, the membership fee was reduced to only £1 per pupil based on the comfortable financial position of the Partnership at the start of the year, particularly because of lower expenditure during Covid restrictions.

Income was slightly higher than was forecast and this was compounded by costs being £72,237 lower than expected, which resulted in a stronger cash-in-bank position at the end of the academic year.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

…………………………………

Trustee

…………………………………

Trustee

Date …………………………….

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STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

The trustees (who are also the directors of the Gloucester Schools Partnership for the purposes of company law) are responsible for producing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practise).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:-

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Independent Examiner

Following the decision of the current independent examiner to retire post completion of 2020-21 accounts and submissions, the Board have appointed Pi Accountancy Ltd to complete the Independent Examiners Report.

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF GLOUCESTER SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31[st] August 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of the report

As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the charities’ accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

  1. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or

  2. the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or

  3. the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities 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.

Mr M Marshall FCCA Pi Accountancy

…………………………………

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INCOME STATEMENT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

Income from:
Activities for generating funds
2
Interest
Total Income
Resources Expanded:
Direct costs
3
Charitable Activities
4
Total Resources Expanded
Net income/(expenditure) and net
movements in funds for year
Reconciliation of Funds
Total Funds Brought Forward at
01/09/2022
Total Funds Carried Forward at
31/08/2023		 2023
Unrestricted Funds
Restricted
Funds
Total
£
£
£
40,603
11,266
51,869
1,187
-
1,187
41,790
11,266
53,056
29,267
29,267
110,235
110,235
139,502
-
139,502
(97,712)
11,266
(86,446)
197,721
10,479
208,200
100,009
21,745
121,754		 2022
Total
£
93,539
108
93,647
1,371
91,385
92,756
891
207,309
208,200

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AT 31 AUGUST 2023

2023 2022 £ £ Notes FIXED ASSETS Intangible Assets - - Tangible Assets - 72 ----- ---- 72 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 6 914 5,795 Cash at bank 168,700 252,934 ---------- -------169,614 258,729 CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 7 12,647 4,122 --------- --------- NET CURRENT ASSETS 156,967 254,607 -------- --------- NET ASSETS 156,967 254,679 ====== ====== FUNDS Unrestricted Funds 121,754 208,200 Restricted Funds 35,213 46,479 ---------- -------- TOTAL FUNDS 156,967 254,679 ====== ======

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION-CONTINUED

AT 31 AUGUST 2023

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 August 2023

The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2022 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small charitable companies and with the Financial Reporting Standard 102.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on ............................ and were signed on its behalf by:

.................................................

Trustee

.................................................. Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard FRS 102 (effective January 2016), the Companies Act 2006 and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities.

Exemption from preparing a cash flow statement

Exemption has been taken from preparing a cash flow statement on the grounds that the charitable company qualifies as a small charitable company.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be qualified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to categories of income.

Voluntary income is received by way of grants, donations and gifts and is included in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable.

Investment income is included when receivable.

Incoming resources from grants are recognised in full in the statement of financial activities in the year in which they are received subject to grant pre-conditions and consideration by performance.

Other incoming resources are included when receivable.

Resources Expended

Expenditure is included on an accrual basis as the liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be recovered and is reported as part of the expenditure to which it relates.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for the beneficiaries.

Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the independent examiners fees and costs linked with the strategic management of the company.

Resources are expended are allocated to the activity where the cost relates directly to that activity (direct method).

Website

The website is amortised, on a straight-line basis, over its estimated useful life of three years.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over 3 years.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS-CONTINUED FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES-continued

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund Activity

Unrestricted funds are incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.

Restricted funds are to be used for the specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund, together with a fair allocation of management and support costs where applicable.

Funds transfers to support restricted funded projects via additional funding from unrestricted funds as agreed by the directors.

2. ACTIVITIES FOR GENERATING FUNDS

2023 2022 £ £ Membership Fees/Charitable Resources 41,790 83,168 ====== ======

3. NET INCOMING/(OUTGOING) RESOURCES

2023 2022 £ £ Independent Examiners Fees 720 720 === ===

4. TRUSTEES REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees’ remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 August 2023.

5. STAFF COSTS

The charity does not have its own payroll, it seconds labour from member schools as requiredreimbursing schools accordingly. No Directors/Trustees, from member schools, have received personal payment.

Such secondments include Directors/Trustees, from member schools, in the provision of their services across various projects.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS-CONTINUED FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2023

6. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2023 2022
£ £
Trade Debtors - -
VAT Refundable 914 5,795
-------- ---------
914 5,795
7. CREDITORS:AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
2023 2022
£ £
Trade Creditors 3,232 3,402
Accruals
 1,440 720
Deferred Income 7,975
----------- ----------
12,647 4,122
======= ======

8. CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

There were no known contingent liabilities at the Balance Sheet date.

9. CAPITAL COMMITMENTS

There were no capital commitments at the balance sheet date.

10. ULTIMATE CONTROLLING PARTY

The charity is ultimately controlled by the Board of trust

11. Restricted Funds

As at the 1 September 2021, Restricted Funding from GCC of £46,479 was carried forward into the current year. During the year, GCC funding specifically for the Emotion Coaching Project spent £11,266 leaving a balance of £3,213

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