## **Strathmore Pre-School Old Hale Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1XR Tel: 07593 742755 Email: preschool@strathmore.herts.sch.uk** 

## **Chair’s & Treasurer’s Report – AGM 29/03/22** 

## **School Year 1[st] September 2020 – 31[st] August 2021** 

Firstly, thank you all for attending Strathmore Pre-school’s AGM.  This a brief summary of the key points from the past year at the Pre-school. 

## **OFSTED** 

Our last Ofsted inspection was in October 2018, when the pre-school was delighted to achieve an Outstanding rating. 

The committee and myself are hugely proud of all the work that Diane and the team put in with the children and the setting to achieve and continue to maintain this level. 

## **Staffing News** 

Francesca Buggins was due to return from maternity leave back to her role as lunchtime cover, but for personal reasons she was unable to come back. 

Carrina Adams left us on 29[th] Sept 2020, after returning for a very short period of time after the summer break. 

This left the following staff for the remainder of the academic year: 

Diane Grazette - Pre School Leader Nicola Haggar - Pre-School Deputy Leonie Nicholson-Hay - Practitioner Megan Reader - Practitioner Natalie Green - Practitioner / 1:1 Support Julie Hook - Administrator 

As you are aware, Nicola Haggar left us at the end of the year, moving into a difference role at a day nursery. 

## **Finance** 

The combined cash balances of the pre-school accounts at the end of the academic year were £31,249. This is an increase of just under £700 on the previous year, consisting of £29,666 in the current account and £1506 in the reserve accounts. 

## **Income** 

Our income was around £1200 higher than the previous year due to a much higher income from fee grant funding, this is an obvious effect from the return of children to the Pre-School post covid in 2021. A large proportion of this was however offset by covid furlough payments made to the Pre-School in 2020. Fee income, as you will note, remains pretty much in line with last year. 


Registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in England & Wales. 

Registered Office: Strathmore Pre-School, Old Hale Way, Hitchin, SG5 1XR Registered No: 7274228 Registered Charity No: 1137736 




## **Strathmore Pre-School Old Hale Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1XR Tel: 07593 742755 Email: preschool@strathmore.herts.sch.uk** 

## **Expenditure** 

Overall expenditure is down by roughly £4000 on the previous year. Staff costs make up the majority of expenditure which remains roughly the same. Rent is up by £1200, a notable increase. The change in the overall expenditure figure relates mainly to the write off of £6227 last year (2019-2020), owing to previous errors by the accountant in the balance sheet, in relation to PAYE/NI contributions detailed incorrectly in previous years. This was also explained in last year’s report. 

We ended the year showing a small profit of £787 in this year’s audited accounts. 

## **O.W.L.S (Outside Wraparound Learning Strathmore)** 

The lunch club facility for all the nursery children who come to us for wraparound care this year continued to be successful. 

## **Caterpillars** 

The Caterpillars toddler group was successfully re-introduced this year and helped to bring new parents to the PreSchool setting, raising £120 towards the school income. 

## **Canopy** 

It has long been a desire of the Pre-School to have an outside canopy and I have spent some time looking into this over the past year. We had discussions with the school and council with regards to permissions and we received quotes and drawings that we were ready to go ahead with. However, following a committee meeting where we looked honestly at the costs involved and discussed the long term benefit to the Pre-School itself, it was decided that such a cost would not be in the overall interests of the Pre-School, particularly as we are tenants and would ultimately not be the owners of the canopy once it was installed. We agreed to look at alternatives to this. 

## **Summary** 

In general, it has been a good year for the Pre-school and my thanks go to all the staff for their hard work and dedication and also to Committee members for giving their time and enthusiasm to keep the Pre-school running. From a business perspective, the finances continue to be in good shape. 

As previously mentioned, the canopy was due to be a large outgoing that we have been looking into for some time, but now that money can be put to good use elsewhere in the Pre-School and benefit the children in new ways going forward. 

From a personal perspective, after 3 years serving on the Committee as Chairman I will be stepping down. I would like to say it’s been a real pleasure fulfilling my role as Chairman over the past 3 years, 3 years that have not exactly been straight forward. I hope that for the next Chair and Committee it will be much more straight forward and there will be no longer be the need to spend time considering how Covid will affect the running of the school! 

Through it all the Pre-School has continued to be a wonderful environment for our children and that is all only made possible by the dedication of all the staff and in particular Diane, whose commitment and dedication never cease to inspire. My thanks to Diane and Julie and Tim, Essie, Rachel, Shelley and Michelle and all the Committee members who have served a part over the past 3 years. A new Chair is now required and hopefully some new committee members, who share a view of continuing to move the Pre-School forward.  The onus is on current parents of children at the Pre-school to show interest in these volunteer roles, so the Pre-school can continue. 

Registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in England & Wales. 

Registered Office: Strathmore Pre-School, Old Hale Way, Hitchin, SG5 1XR Registered No: 7274228 Registered Charity No: 1137736 




## **Strathmore Pre-School Old Hale Way, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1XR** 

## **Tel: 07593 742755 Email: preschool@strathmore.herts.sch.uk** 

We will be having a coffee morning at the Pre-School on Thursday so anyone interested in volunteering can talk to myself and Diane then if they are able to attend. 

## **Thanks and all the best,** 

## **Chris Jones** 

## **Chair** 

Registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in England & Wales. Registered Office: Strathmore Pre-School, Old Hale Way, Hitchin, SG5 1XR Registered No: 7274228 Registered Charity No: 

1137736 



## 

## 

## 

||2027|2020|
|---|---|---|
|FIXEDASSETS|399|399|
|Depreciation|(3ee)|(3ee)|
|CURRENTASSETS|||
|CASH FUNDS|||
|Bankdepositaccount|||
|Bank|29,666|29,069|
|Bank Reserve|77|0|
|Bank Reserve|1,506|1,500|
|Cashinhand|0|0|
|Reserve Acc31826506|0|0|
|Add Prepayments|0|0|
|TOTAL CTSH FUNDS|37-,249|30,568|
|CURRENTIIABILITIES|||
|ACCRUALS|0||
|CREDITORS|||
|Creditors|0|0|
|Salaries Control Account|0|0|
|OtherCreditors||0|
|PAYE/NI|0|0|
|NETLIABILITIES|0||
|NET CURRENTASSETS|3t,249|30,558|
|Representedby|||
|P&L ReservesOB|||
|P&L|31355||
|PYReservesAdj|-106||
|Profit/Loss|37,249|30,568|





## 

||2021|2020|
|---|---|---|
|INCOME|||
|Feeincome|27,399|27,294|
|Fundraising income|261||
|FeeGrant Funding|44,528|35,429|
|Gaterpillars|121|0|
|Uniforms||79|
|Donation||10|
|Furlough||8,307|
|Other|'162|97|
|Total lncome|72,471|71,206|
|EXPENDITURE|||
|Wages|49,438|49,632|
|Admin Staff|3,829|3,671|
|Pension|1,338||
|Rent offacilities|6,294|5,029|
|Maintenance, Repairs and Renewals||0|
|Equipment and materials|2,623|1,190|
|lnsurancesandsubscriptions|866|853|
|Printerink||44|
|Bank charges|92|'|20|
|Photocopying|567|71',l|
|Printing,sbtioneryand postage|1,593|1,229|
|Training|576|3s9|
|Accountancy charges&ProfFees|360|360|
|Refunds|168|I ,130|
|Payroll|73'.l.|978|
|Other|496|891|
|Publicity||29|
|HMRC|2,009|2,372|
|Depreciation||119|
|Legal & Professional|704|559|
|Writeoffs||6,227|
|Total Expenditure|71,684|75.501|
|ProfiU(loss)|787|(4,29s)|
|Balbroughtforward|30,568|34,863|
|Adjustnent|-106||
|SURPLUS CARRIEDFORWARD|31,249|30.568|






## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** 

**Section A                        Independent Examiner’s Report** 

**Report to the trustees/ members of** 

Charity Name 

## STRATHMORE PRE SCHOOL 

> **On accounts for the year** 31 AUGUST 2021 **Charity no ended (if any)** 1137736 

**Set out on pages** 

(remember  to include the page numbers of additional sheets) 

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended **DD / MM / YYYY** . 

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

I report in respect of my examination of  the Trust’s 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** [ ~~The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified t~~ o **examiner's statement** ~~undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert n~~ ame ~~of applicable listed body]].~~ ~~_Delete_ [ ]~~ ~~_if not applicable._~~ 

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: 

 the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or  the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or  the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ v iew 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. 

* _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._ 

**Signed: Date:** 02/02/22 **Name:** SHAUN O’REILLY 

**Relevant professional** MAAT **qualification(s) or body** 

**Oct 2018** 

1 

**IER** 



## **(if any):** 

## **Address:** ~~66 Bedford Rd SG52UD~~ 

## **Section B                           Disclosure** 

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). 

**Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . 

**Oct 2018** 

2 

**IER**