**REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07079369 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1136923**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND**
**UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
**FOR THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
McCabe Ford Williams Chartered Accountants Invicta Business Centre Monument Way Orbital Park Ashford Kent TN24 0HB
**THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
## **CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
|||**Page**||
|---|---|---|---|
|**Report of the Trustees**|1|to|2|
|**Independent Examiner's Report**||3||
|**Statement of Financial Activities**||4||
|**Balance Sheet**||5||
|**Notes to the Financial Statements**|6|to|10|
**THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL (REGISTERED NUMBER: 07079369)**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 July 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).
## **OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES**
## **Objectives and aims**
To enhance the development and education of children primarily under statutory school age in particular but not exclusively by:
i) offering appropriate play, education and care facilities and training courses and by
ii) creating a happy and caring and inclusive environment in which children can explore and develop and to nurture their self esteem and work alongside parents and prepare them for their transition to school.
## **Public benefit**
In carrying out the Charity's objectives the Trustees have had due regard for the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
## **ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE**
## **Charitable activities**
This charitable company was set up on 18 November 2009 and subsequently achieved registered charity status on 15 July 2010.
The charity has continued to strive to meet its objectives which have been assisted by fundraising activities, initiatives and staff training.
An Ofsted inspection was carried out in March 2023 and we were very proud to achieve the grading of 'Outstanding'. We continue to review our practices to ensure that we maintain our standards.
## **FINANCIAL REVIEW**
## **Overview**
The Little Ark has had another successful year and continues to maintain a good reputation in the local area, which has also been boosted by our Ofsted grading. The waiting list remains consistently healthy.
The figures for the year show a surplus of £13,204 (2024: £23,093).
Increases to fees were implemented from September 2024 and will also be increased again from September 2025 to keep fees in line with other local settings. The majority of children are now funded by the Government and so there are fewer families paying childcare from their own pocket.
We employed a new Apprentice from June 2024, she had previously attended the Little Ark when she was young and had come in for work experience from her school. She is continuing her studies for a second year whilst we have a member of staff on maternity leave. We are using surplus funds from the current account to fund her wages.
## **Reserves policy**
The charity monitors its funds and funding requirements informally on a regular basis and is still looking to adopt a more formal reserves policy which will be presented to the Committee in November 2025.
## **FUTURE PLANS**
We continue to be part of a large collaboration of 22 settings in Ashford, and two of our staff continue to hold key roles within this group (Chair and Treasurer). The group is thriving by sharing good practice.
Next year: The Collaboration are giving each setting up to £950 to spend on items to benefit the children in the setting, this should be available from October. The focus this year is "building on effective strategies for partnership with families and STEAM provision within settings - this is to include requirements for updating technological facilities, outdoor provision, working with EAL, healthy eating and S&L.
Setting Improvements: We are replacing the kitchen area in the main setting and converting a toilet to storage during August 2025.
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document**
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
Page 1
**THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL (REGISTERED NUMBER: 07079369)**
## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT**
## **Recruitment and appointment of new trustees**
The policy of the charity is to appoint trustees from the following positions within the school: Head Teacher, School Governor, Office Manager.
## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS**
## **Registered Company number**
07079369 (England and Wales)
## **Registered Charity number**
1136923
## **Registered office**
The Little Ark Wesley School Road Cuckoo Lane Ashford Kent TN23 5LW
## **Trustees**
P G Spragg Mrs C A Clark Miss R S Harrington Mrs P M Wood (resigned 13.11.24)
## **Company Secretary**
C Rae
## **Independent Examiner**
McCabe Ford Williams Chartered Accountants Invicta Business Centre Monument Way Orbital Park Ashford Kent TN24 0HB
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 20 November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
P G Spragg - Trustee
Page 2
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
## **Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Little Ark Preschool ('the Company')**
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 July 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).
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.
Mark C Greenwood FCA
McCabe Ford Williams Chartered Accountants Invicta Business Centre Monument Way Orbital Park Ashford Kent TN24 0HB
20 November 2025
Page 3
## **THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
|Unrestricted
fund
Notes
£
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
**Charitable activities**
Income from charitable activities
184,927
Operation of the preschool
-
Other trading activities
2
1,952
Investment income
3
1,104
**Total**
187,983
**EXPENDITURE ON**
**Charitable activities**
Operation of the preschool
174,757
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
13,226
**Transfers between funds**
13
442
**Net movement in funds**
13,668
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
184,985
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
198,653|Restricted
funds
£
900
22,032
-
-
22,932
22,953
(21)
(442)
(463)
463
-|2025
Total
funds
£
185,827
22,032
1,952
1,104
210,915
197,710
13,205
-
13,205
185,448
198,653|2024
Total
funds
£
170,414
18,573
1,450
1,230|
|---|---|---|---|
||||191,667|
||||168,574|
||||23,093
-|
||||23,093
162,355|
||||185,448|
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 4
## **THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL (REGISTERED NUMBER: 07079369)**
## **BALANCE SHEET 31 JULY 2025**
|Unrestricted
fund
Notes
£
**FIXED ASSETS**
Tangible assets
9
1,519
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Stocks
10
615
Debtors
11
369
Cash at bank and in hand
200,325
201,309
**CREDITORS**
Amounts falling due within one year
12
(4,175)
**NET CURRENT ASSETS**
197,134
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**
198,653
**NET ASSETS**
198,653
**FUNDS**
13
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Restricted
funds
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|2025
Total
funds
£
1,519
615
369
200,325
201,309
(4,175)
197,134
198,653
198,653
198,653
-
198,653|2024
Total
funds
£
2,355
671
1,665
185,981
188,317
(5,224)
183,093
185,448
185,448
184,985
463
185,448|
|---|---|---|---|
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 July 2025.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 July 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for
- (a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
- (b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 20 November 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:
P G Spragg - Trustee
R S Harrington - Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 5
**THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
## **1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES**
## **Basis of preparing the financial statements**
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
## **Statutory Information**
The Little Ark Preschool is a charitable company, Limited by guarantee and registered in England. The charity's registered number, principal address and nature of operation can be found within the Report of the Trustees.
The accounts are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charitable company.
## **Income**
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
## **Expenditure**
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
## **Tangible fixed assets**
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.
Fixtures, fittings & equipment
- 20% on a straight line basis
It is the policy of the Charity to capitalise items that will be used for more than one year. These items are initially recognised at cost.
## **Stocks**
Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value, after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.
## **Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.
## **Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
## **Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits**
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
## **Debtors**
Debtors (including trade debtors and loans receivable) are measured on initial recognition at settlement amount after any trade discounts or amount advanced by the charity. Subsequently, they are measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be received.
## **Creditors**
The charity has creditors which are measured at settlement amounts less any trade discounts.
Page 6
continued...
**THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
## **2. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES**
## **3.**
## **4.**
|**OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES**|||
|---|---|---|
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Fundraising events|1,952|1,450|
|**INVESTMENT INCOME**|||
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Deposit account interest|1,104|1,230|
|**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**|||
|Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):|||
||2025|2024|
||£|£|
|Depreciation - owned assets|836|1,019|
## **5. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS**
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 July 2025 nor for the year ended 31 July 2024.
## **Trustees' expenses**
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 July 2025 nor for the year ended 31 July 2024.
## **6. STAFF COSTS**
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
## **7.**
|All staff
No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
Unrestricted
fund
£
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM**
**Charitable activities**
Income from charitable activities
169,664
Operation of the preschool
-
Other trading activities
1,450
Investment income
1,230
**Total**
172,344
**EXPENDITURE ON**
**Charitable activities**
Operation of the preschool
149,046
**NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)**
23,298
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
161,687|2025
10
Restricted
funds
£
750
18,573
-
-
19,323
19,528
(205)
668|2024
9
Total
funds
£
170,414
18,573
1,450
1,230|
|---|---|---|
|||191,667|
|||168,574|
|||23,093
162,355|
Page 7
continued...
**THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
|**7.**
**COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued**
Unrestricted
fund
£
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
184,985
**8.**
**INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REMUNERATION**
During the year the following fees were incurred for the examination of the accounts.
Independent examiner’s fees
Accountancy services fees paid to the independent examiner
**9.**
**TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS**
**COST**
At 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025
**DEPRECIATION**
At 1 August 2024
Charge for year
At 31 July 2025
**NET BOOK VALUE**
At 31 July 2025
At 31 July 2024
**10.**
**STOCKS**
Stocks
**11.**
**DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
Trade debtors
Other debtors|Restricted
funds
£
463|Restricted
funds
£
463|
|---|---|---|
||||
||||
|||2025|
|||£|
|||630|
|||1,000|
||||
||||
Page 8
continued...
**THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
## **12. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR**
|Trade creditors
Social security and other taxes
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income|2025
£
456
429
10
3,280
4,175|2024
£
1,986
333
10
2,895|
|---|---|---|
|||5,224|
The deferred income is in relation to deposits received for the following school year.
## **13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**
|**MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Net|Transfers|||
|||movement|between||At|
||At 1.8.24|in funds|funds|31.7.25||
||£|£|£||£|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||||
|General fund|184,985|13,226|442|198,653||
|**Restricted funds**||||||
|System Leadership Supplement|17|(21)|4||-|
|Contain Outbreak Management Fund|446|-|(446)||-|
||463|(21)|(442)||-|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**|185,448|13,205|-|198,653||
|Net movement in funds, included in the above|are as follows:|||||
|||Incoming|Resources|Movement||
|||resources|expended|in funds||
|||£|£||£|
|**Unrestricted funds**||||||
|General fund||187,983|(174,757)||13,226|
|**Restricted funds**||||||
|System Leadership Supplement||22,932|(22,953)||(21)|
|**TOTAL FUNDS**||210,915|(197,710)||13,205|
## **Comparatives for movement in funds**
|**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
**Restricted funds**
System Leadership Supplement
Contain Outbreak Management Fund
**TOTAL FUNDS**|At 1.8.23
£
161,687
-
668
668
162,355|Net
movement
in funds
£
23,298
17
(222)
(205)
23,093|At
31.7.24
£
184,985
17
446|
|---|---|---|---|
||||463|
||||185,448|
Page 9
continued...
**THE LITTLE ARK PRESCHOOL**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025**
## **13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued**
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
|**Unrestricted funds**
General fund
**Restricted funds**
System Leadership Supplement
Contain Outbreak Management Fund
**TOTAL FUNDS**|Incoming
resources
£
172,344
19,323
-
19,323
191,667|Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(149,046)
23,298
(19,306)
17
(222)
(222)
(19,528)
(205)
(168,574)
23,093|
|---|---|---|
The System Leadership Supplement from Local Government was contributed to the Ashford Early Years Collaboration in accordance with the terms under which this supplement was awarded.
The Contain Outbreak Management Fund is funding from KCC for initiatives that support proactive containment and intervention measures in relation to COVID-19.
## **14. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES**
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 July 2025.
Page 10