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2022-08-31-accounts

Association of French Speaking Parents

Trustees’ Annual Report and Receipts and Payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022 Registered Charity number 1151991

Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

Index
Page
Trustees’ Annual Report 3-7
Report of the Independent Examiner 8
Receipts and Payments accounts 9
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 10-11

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

Trustees’ Annual Report

The trustees of the Association of French-Speaking Parents (“the charity”) have the pleasure of presenting their annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The objects of the Charity are to advance education for the public benefit in the West Midlands in the subjects of the French language and French culture for children of French-speaking families and children who have gained sufficient proficiency in French.

The Charity achieves its objects by the following activities, and in planning such activities, the Trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit:

Our Charity runs a Complementary French Language school for primary school-age children. The school teaches French-speaking children to read and write French, including spelling and grammar, enriches their vocabulary, and improves their proficiency in French. Children are taught by carefully selected teachers, in classes of no more than 20, supported by teaching assistants when numbers exceed 10 per class. The school also promotes French culture thanks to the topics used for teaching and by celebrating traditional French festivals. It also gives the children an opportunity to socialise with other French-speaking children in and around the school.

The Charity also runs a French-speaking parent and child playgroup for young children under four and babies. The group provides these children with further exposure to the French language outside of the home while allowing isolated parents to meet other French-speaking parents.

The children of the school and toddler group can borrow books from our library, containing more than a thousand French-language fiction and non-fiction books for children.

The school and parent and child playgroup run by our Charity benefit French-speaking families primarily. It provides them with an education in French literacy that is otherwise unavailable in the West Midlands. While our service is not free, it is a competitive alternative to private tutors. It is also a friendlier environment where French-speaking children and their families meet.

All French-speaking children are accepted regardless of their nationality or ethnic background. While many of the children using our service are French or have dual nationality, other nationalities are also represented. They include British children who have become fluent in French following a stay in a French-Speaking country or through intensive tutoring at home. The only restriction is that children must understand enough French to feel comfortable in a French-speaking environment and understand our teachers’ instructions.

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

Report of the trustees (continued)

While paid staff teach our classes, it is important to stress that volunteers run the library. The dedication of our staff and volunteers is commendable, and we have to thank them for the successful running of the library when the school is open for face-to-face teaching.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

We are still settled at Bordesley Green Girls School, in Birmingham.

Enrolments, recruitment and Classes

In 2021-22, we opened 8 classes in September, and a 9[th] one was opened later in October after the half-term holiday when the association managed to recruit new teachers.

One of the classes (Nantes) started with an unexperienced teacher, as recruitment was difficult in June-August 2021. This teacher resigned before half-term, and a new teacher was then recruited.

Another teacher resigned mid-January for family reasons and a member, a qualified secondary teacher, applied to teach this class.

There were 107 pupils enrolled in September, and a total of 42 babies, toddlers and their parents were on the Toddlers’ Group register (12-14 attended regularly) at the end of the school year in July.

School reports: it was voted among contracted teachers that observation of each pupil would be communicated via a form prepared by the SG, the teaching and learning coordinator. Reports are generated on demand only from the parents. Parents-Teachers short meetings were offered and only 3 families requested one in January.

Recruitment took place mainly between June and October 2021.

In June 2021, the Committee had agreed in launching the recruitment campaign for the 2021-22 school year.

Recruitment proved challenging after Brexit, and by 31 August 2021, our school did not have the required number of contracted teachers.

Administration, GDPR, Safeguarding and Safety

All administrative tasks are now digitised.

From April 2021, enrolment for 2021-22 was carried out online by SG, a volunteer administrator, with her subscription to an online application form.

We communicated with members via our communication platform (Mobilize.io), which allowed one of the Trustees to manage communication efficiently with families during the pandemic. Contracted teachers followed safeguarding procedures to ensure child safety during their online classes.

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

Report of the trustees (continued)

Finally, the general meeting and votes were carried out via an online form in May 2021 and prepared voluntarily by Sophie Gavrois.

SG has checked that all platforms used for running the Charity were GDPR compliant. Only members themselves can modify their email addresses on the communication platform. Besides, this platform allows us to remove swiftly members who withdraw their enrolments so that they do not receive unwanted emails. Members renew their consent to be on the platform and for their personal information to be used on third party platforms (QuickFile, Jotform, etc.) each year via the online registration form.

Teaching and class management

Curriculums are adjusted yearly to accommodate our pupils’ needs and their bilingualism. We take into account the Common Literacy components taught in primary and secondary schools in English to lighten our curriculum and allow more consolidation of the specificities of the French language literacy.

The main difficulty was to have the new teaching team on board and to cover for absentees when they were off sick because of COVID.

Library

Our library is very popular, and our book collection counts more than 1500 books. A group of parent volunteers took turns, as librarians and French school receptionists.

All teaching resources were added to a second library system. Teachers must borrow all resources via the librarians from now and not just help themselves. This change contributed to a better management and better localization of resources.

Wider French-speaking circle

Our Charity is still a member of the umbrella charity “Parapluie FLAM”, which supports schools like ours in the UK. This support includes training our teachers and our volunteers and sharing best practices for the school’s teaching and running.

One of the Teaching Assistants, Lauriane Djermani, took advantage of several training sessions in various aspects of Teaching and Learning in 2021-22.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Charity’s primary sources of funds are the school fees paid by our pupils’ families. Members also pay a membership fee of £55 per annum.

Most of the funds have been used to pay the teachers’ wages, the classrooms rent, the insurance, books, and stationary supplies.

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

Report of the trustees (continued)

From May 2017 , 2 Trustees are also contracted as Literacy Teachers for the school and as School Administrators during school terms. As such, they are paid the usual Teacher Consultant Fee of £25/hour for 2.5 hours of work a week for each contract.

We use a system of pre-payment for the Toddlers Group sessions. Parents need to pay prior to attending (they previously paid monthly after the sessions by bank transfer). Since the COVID outbreak, we no longer accept cash payments. Session cards can be bought as well (5 – 10 – 15 – 20 sessions cards). We use a register, like a canteen register, where administrators and receptionists keep weekly track of the number of sessions paid for by families.

All payments were carried out through BACs in 2021-22.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, we no longer accept cash payments.

We usually collect funds through fundraising activities , such as selling class photos and secondhand books. There were book sales and a School fête as fundraising activities in 2021-22.

In April 2021 , our Charity had applied successfully for a bursary with the AEFE (an association of abroad-based French people) and the Institut Français in London. We had received €2800 (£2,354) in August 2021 to purchase Early Years and early readers resources, textbooks and fiction books, and COVID-19 disinfecting products. We bought these resources and equipment during autumn 2021, and they are now available for teaching and pupils.

Since the AFSP did not need to pay for any extra disinfecting products, we had to refund part of the grant in September 2022.

Membership and School Fees Payments

Following guidance received, our school did not send 2021-22 membership invoices to members during the summer so that this income will appear in the 2021-22 accounts.

To respond to the economic situation following several lockdowns, the Committee agreed in continuing to allow 90 days for members to pay memberships and school fees and staggered payments of invoices within these 90 days for the 2021-22 accounts.

Finally, the Committee agreed in suggesting School Fees donations to members on invoices for fundraising. These donations have raised to more than £2,100 this year thanks to extra school fees donations.

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

The Association of French-Speaking Parents is a registered Charity governed by its Constitution dated 20 March 2010 and amended on 8 September 2012.

Members of the Charity are our school pupils' and playgroup toddlers' parents (one vote per family) and all the contracted teachers and teaching assistants and volunteers working for the Charity.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Trustees:

Anne-Sophie Akil Sophie Gavrois Rollon Leraistre Resignation: Anne Coquin, October 2021

Charity Number: 1151991

Registered Office:

18 Coniston Close Birmingham B28 9DD

Independent Examiner:

Karen Hanlan Independent Examiner Limited 1 Saracen Close Ettington CV37 7SZ

Bankers:

Barclays Bank UK PLC 8 Colmore Row Birmingham B3 2QX Approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:

Sophie Gavrois

Date: 02/02/2023

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of the Association of French Speaking Parents on the receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022.

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Association of French Speaking Parents (‘the charity’) for the year ended 31 August 2022 which are set out on pages 9 to 11.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’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 2011 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

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.

Karen Hanlan, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales Date: 2/2/2023 Karen Hanlan Independent Examiner Limited 1 Saracen Close, Ettington, CV37 7SZ

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

Receipts and Payments
RECEIPTS
Grants – Agency for French Teaching Abroad
Membership Fees
School Fees
Toddler Group Fees
Fundraising activities
Sale of books & book deposits
Total receipts
PAYMENTS
Rent
Stationery & supplies
Hosting fees, IT & subscriptions
DBS fees
Tutors fees (note 4)
Exam fees
Independent Examiners fees
Bank & Paypal charges
Insurance
Sundry expenses
Total payments
NET OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS
Purchase of assets (note 2)
Bank & cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end (note 1,3)		 Unrestricted
funds
2022
Restricted
funds
2022
Total
funds
2022
Total
funds
2021
£
£
£
£
-
4,103
4,103
2,354
4,235
-
4,235
3,433
38,327
-
38,327
2,367
1,156
-
1,156
-
2,161
-
2,161
35
417
-
417
-
46,296
4,103
50,399
8,189
8,003
-
8,003
-
1,776
15
1,791
612
747
28
775
632
1,132
-
1,132
-
38,264
-
38,264
5,870
890
-
890
-
-
-
-
550
4
-
4
28
612
-
612
-
2,080
-
2,080
41
53,508
43
53,551
7,733
(7,212)
4,060
(3,152)
456
(737)
-
(737)
-
11,333
1,846
13,179
12,723
3,384
5,906
9,290
13,179

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

1) Cash funds

1) Cash funds
Current account
Tutoring fees paid in advance
PayPal account
Petty Cash
Invoices due for payment
Cash at bank and in hand
2) Assets retained for the charity’s own use
At original cost:
Office Equipment (purchased 2019)
Office Equipment (purchased 2020)
Office Equipment (purchased 2021)
Furniture (purchased 2019)
Total assets retained for charity’s use		 2022
2021
£
£
8,982
16,914
(149)
(937)
148
242
209
198
100
(3,238)
9,290
13,179
£
£
248
248
26
26
737
-
267
267
1,278
541

3) Restricted funds

Restricted funds comprise the following:

Agency for French Teaching Abroad
2020/21
Agency for French Teaching Abroad
2021/22
Total		 Balance
at
beginning
of year
£
Income
£
Expenditure
£
Balance
at end
of year
£
1,846
-
(15)
1,831
-
4,103
(28)
4,075
1,846
4,103
(43)
5,906

The remainder of the 2020/21 grant was repaid on 5 October 2022 as it was no longer required for the purpose for which it was granted.

The 2021/22 grant will be spent during the 2022/23 financial year and was provided for use on books & equipment, teaching resource and subscriptions.

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Association of French Speaking Parents Receipts and payments accounts for the year ended 31 August 2022

4) Tutors fees

Tutor fees include the following amounts paid to Trustees :

4) Tutors fees
Tutor fees include the following
amounts paid to Trustees :
2022
Sophie Gavrois
Anne-Sophie Akil
2021
Sophie Gavrois		 As tutor
£
As
administrator
£
Expenses
reimbursed
£
Total
£
3,780
2,470
31.69
6,281.69
2,000
2,425
-
4,425.00
As tutor
£
As
administrator
£
Expenses
reimbursed
£
Total
£
3,891
-
-
3,891

Anne-Sophie Akil was Chair from 20 May 2017 and Sophie Gavrois was Secretary and then Treasurer from May 2018. The figures stated above are payments made during the period of which the individual served as Trustee.

In accordance with Section 185 of the Charities Act, which gives a limited power to pay trustees for providing services to a charity, trustees are paid for their services provided as administrators/tutors to the school. Payments are made at the same rates paid to all other tutors at the school and are made with the approval of the other trustees (contracts signed by 2 other trustees).

Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

S. Gavrois, Trustee

Date: 02/02/23

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