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2022-08-28-accounts

TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED

(LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 28 AUGUST 2022

COMPANY NUMBER 07941847 CHARITY NUMBER 1151902

TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Financial statements for the year ended 28 August 2022

Contents

Page
Legal and administrative information 3
Report of the governors 4 - 7
Independent Examiner’s Report 8
Statement of financial activities 9
Balance sheet 10
Notes to the financial statements 11 - 13

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Financial statements for the year ended 28 August 2022 Legal and administrative information

Governors

Chair Mr J Charles Others Rev N Jeffers Miss A Caldwell Mr A Singh Mr T Balsom Mrs N Moorcroft

Secretary

Mr J Charles

Registered Office

Sunbeam, Bere Court Road, Pangbourne, Reading, England, RG8 8JY

Bankers

Barclays Bank PLC, 2-4 Church Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 7AE

TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Report of the Governors for the year ended 28 August 2022

The governors of Trinity Christian School Limited (company number 07941847) present their report, together with the financial statements for the year ended 28 August 2022.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 8 February 2012 and registered as a charity on 3 May 2013. The company was established under a Memorandum 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. The total number of such guarantees at 28 August 2022 was six.

Recruitment and appointment of board of governors

The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law and under the company's Articles are known as members of the board of governors.

The trustees who served during the period were as follows:Rev Neil Jeffers Mr J Charles Miss A Caldwell Mr A Singh Mr T Balsom Mrs N Moorcroft

No new trustees have been appointed since 28 August 2022. New members of the board of governors are appointed on the decision of the board of governors.

Trustee induction and training

It is our policy to appoint trustees (also known as school governors) from individuals already supportive of the charity. As a result, they will already be familiar with the history and aims of Trinity Christian School Limited. They are also often involved practically on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, new governors have a meeting with the chair of governors or one of the other governors, in which the role, responsibility and obligations of governors are discussed. We perform DBS checks on all governors.

Risk management

The governors examine the risks to the charity on an annual basis. As part of this the probability of the risk event occurring and the impact to the charity if the risk event did occur are considered.

Organisational structure

The charity has a board of governors who meet periodically and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. As at 28 August 2022 the board has six members.

Objectives and activities

The object of the charity is the establishment and ongoing provision of a school in the Reading area. The school will teach children from a curriculum designed around a Christian understanding of who we are and whose world we live in. The school will seek to bring glory to God by working with parents to teach their children about God and his world. The school will provide an understanding of the world from a biblical perspective and will aim to equip its pupils to live in a way which honours God and serves other people. The school welcomes children from both Christian and non-Christian backgrounds.

In setting our objectives the governors have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit and in particular to its supplementary public benefit guidance on advancing education and on fee-charging.

It is important to us that access to the education we offer is not restricted to those who can afford our full fees and that our fees are set at a modest level to maximise access.

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Report of the Governors for the year ended 28 August 2022

Achievements and performance

The school opened on 1 September 2013, in the year 2013/2014 there were three pupils. In November 2013 the school was inspected by Ofsted and awarded a “Good” rating in all areas. In May 2017 the school was inspected by Ofsted as part of the regular cycle of inspections and again received a “Good” rating overall with an “Outstanding” in relation to Personal development, behaviour and welfare. In January 2022 the school was inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (“ISI”) as part of the cycle of compliance inspections and judged to be in compliance with the Independent School Standards.

Trinity Christian School continues to be an active and subscribing member of the Christian Schools’ Trust, a national charity, which supports and facilitates co-operation between Christian schools. In November 2016 the school became a member of the Independent School Association (“ISA”) and in October 2017 the school transferred to the ISI from Ofsted.

Pupil numbers and fees. The total number of full time pupils in the school by the end of the 2021-22 academic year was 17 (2020-21: 17). Pupil numbers increased following the end of the period under review and as at September 2022 there were 19 full time pupils on the roll. Our annual fees for the year under review were £4,950 per annum (2020-21: £4,900). These fees are less than half of the general level of fees for independent primary schools in the area.

Community Involvement

We believe our pupils benefit from learning within a diverse community. A great deal of learning occurs through social interaction, conversation and shared experiences which helps our pupils develop an understanding of the perspectives of other people that will be vital in their adult lives. Our school is a part of a wider community and we are keen that our staff and pupils participate. Pupils have regularly visited a lunch club for older people to sing and talk to the residents. People who work in the local community regularly visit the school to tell the pupils about their work.

Financial review

The results for the period are set out on pages 9 to 10. The School’s general reserves decreased by £3,876 from £14,410 to £10,534. In the following period pupil numbers have increased with a small increase in staffing levels and the governors expect income to exceed expenditure in the year 202223 by a small amount.

Principal funding sources

In the year to 28 August 2022 the school was supported by a combination of pupil fees and voluntary gifts. The sources of income are set out in the statement of financial activities. The charity is also heavily dependent on volunteers for their donations of time, facilities, goods and fund raising efforts.

The governors are grateful for all the support and sacrifices made in serving the charity in the period. But above all the charity is again grateful to God for His goodness over the past year and we remain confident in Him for the year to come.

Investment policy

The governors consider that it is appropriate for the funds of the charity to be retained in the bank current and savings accounts to meet the daily requirements of the charity's expenditure. They do not consider there are funds in excess of this requirement available for investment.

Reserves policy

The governors have established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets ('the free reserves') held by the charity should be three months of the resources expended. This would enable the charity to continue operating at the same level of activities in the event of a significant drop in funding, or major expenses becoming imperative, allowing time for alternative funding to be secured.

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Report of the Governors for the year ended 28 August 2022

Plans for future periods

Pupil numbers decreased slightly in the years 2020-21 and 2021-22. In the year 2022-23 pupil numbers have returned to full capacity. This growth in pupil numbers has allowed the new head to achieve the school’s long term intention of a three class model for the school. This has lead to some increased staffing costs but has significant benefit for pupils and teachers of a smaller spread of ages in each class which is particularly beneficial in the teaching of English and maths.

The governors are looking at options to increase the maximum pupil numbers through finding larger premises giving the school greater scope to grow and better balance income and costs.

The governors see a need to increase the size of the governing body and are seeking to identify individuals to become governors who have the appropriate skills and a vision for the development of the school.

It is difficult to assess what the financial effect of cost of living increases. Whilst all parents have continued to be able to pay fees, increased costs of living could contribute to parents not choosing a fee paying school. The possibility of VAT being charged on school fees is of significant concern and it is expected that many parents would not be able to afford a 20% increase in fees.

As noted above, in the current period pupil numbers have increased with only a small increase in staffing levels to manage this. This has resulted in a small forecast surplus for the current year to 28 August 2023. This is a significant improvement for the school. The governors have looked ahead and consider it is reasonable to prepare the accounts on a going concern basis.

Responsibility of the board of governors

Company law requires the governors to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the governors should follow best practice and:

The governors are responsible for maintaining 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. The governors 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.

Members of the board of governors

Members of the board of governors, who are directors for the purpose of company law and trustees for the purpose of charity law, who served during the period and up to the date of this report, are set out on page 3.

In accordance with charity law, as the trustees, we certify that:

As the trustees we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant accounting information.

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Report of the Governors for the year ended 28 August 2022

Small company rules

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice — Accounting and Reporting by Charities and in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime and with the Financial Reporting Standard for smaller entities.

Approved by the board of governors on 11 May 2023 and signed on its behalf by:

Mr J Charles Trustee

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Independent Examiner’s Report for the year ended 28 August 2022

I report on the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 28 August 2022 which are set out on pages 9 to 10.

Respective responsibilities of the board of governors and the independent examiner

As described on page 6 the company’s governors are responsible for the preparation of the report of the governors and the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom law and accounting standards, and they consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility to

Basis of Independent Examiner's Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission.

An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the financial statements presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the governors concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in a full audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the financial statements present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matters have come to my attention

  1. which give me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements

  2. to keep accounting records in accordance with s.130 of the 2011 Act; or

  3. to prepare accounts which accord with these accounting records have not been met; or

  4. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

15[th] May 2023

Chris Taylor, BSc

23 Hawthorn Close, Oxford

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 28 August 2022

The notes on pages 11 – 13 form part of these financial statements.

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Balance sheet as at 28 August 2022

For the year ended 28 August 2022, the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of accounts.

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.

Signed on behalf of the board of directors 11 May 2023:

Mr J Charles Chair of Governors

The notes on pages 11 – 13 form part of these financial statements.

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 28 August 2022

1 Accounting policies

The principal accounting policies are summarised below. The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout the period.

Basis of accounting

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities (effective April 2008), the Companies Act 2006 and the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

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 quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:

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

Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully 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 its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

Governance costs include those costs associated with meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include accountancy and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity.

Fixed assets

The cost of tangible fixed assets is their purchase cost, together with any incidental expenses of acquisition. Items of equipment are capitalised where the purchase price exceeds £200.

Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, at rates calculated to write off the cost or valuation of each asset, over its expected useful life, the annual rates are as follows:

Furniture and fixtures 33.3% of cost Plant and equipment 33.3% of cost

Pensions

The charity makes defined contributions into the pension scheme managed by National Employment Savings Trust for each of its employees. Costs are charged against income on the basis of contributions payable to the schemes in respect of the financial period.

2 Staff costs and numbers

Staff costs includes the following:

2 Staff costs and numbers
Staff costs includes the following:
2022 2021
£ £
Salaries 48,885 50,879
Social security costs Nil Nil
Pension costs 2,003 1,370

No employee received emoluments of more than £50,000 in the current or preceding accounting period.

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 28 August 2022

The average weekly number of employees of the company during the period, calculated on the basis of full time equivalents was as follows:

time equivalents was as follows:
2022 2021
Teaching and administration 2.6 2.6
3 Net (outgoing)/incoming resources for the period
This is stated after charging:
2022 2021
£ £
Depreciation Nil Nil
Board of governor's remuneration Nil Nil
Accountancy 420 1,008

4 Taxation

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

5 Tangible fixed assets

Cost
At 29 August 2021
At 28 August 2022
Depreciation
At 29 August 2021
Charge for the year
At 28 August 2022
Net Book Value
At 28 August 2021
At 28 August 2022
6 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Taxation and social security
Other creditors and accruals		 Plant &
Equipment
Total
£
£
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
2022
2021
£
£
591
638
6,367
528
6,958
1,166		 Plant &
Equipment
Total
£
£
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
1,022
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
2022
2021
£
£
591
638
6,367
528
6,958
1,166
6,958
1,166

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TRINITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIMITED (LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 28 August 2022

7 Analysis of net assets between funds

General Designated Restricted Total Restricted Total
£ £ £ £
Tangible fixed assets - - - -
Current assets 17,492 - - 17,492
Current liabilities 6,958 - - 6,958
Net assets at 28 August 2022 10,534 - - 10,534
8 Movement in funds
At 28 Aug Movement in resources Transfer At 28 Aug
2021
£		 Incoming
£		 Outgoing
£		 £ 2022
£
Unrestricted funds:
General 14,410 70,732 (74,608) - 10,534
Total Funds 14,410 70,732 (74,608) - 10,534

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