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2024-03-31-accounts

Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 March 2024

Oval Learning Cluster Charity number 1156350

Oval Learning Cluster

Status:

Oval Learning Cluster is a charity registered in England and Wales. The governing document is its Articles of Association.

Registered office: The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR

Trustees: Sola Ingram Karen Chamberlain (appointed 28 Feb 2024) Caroline Andrews (resigned 16 January 2024) Cordelia Cooper Linda Campbell

Independent examiner: Martin Brown

Lynchmere Consulting (2022) Ltd, 45 Warwick Gardens, Thames Ditton KT7 0RB.

Bankers: The co-operative bank PO Box 250, Delf House Southway Skelmersdale WN8 6WT

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2024

The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 . This is also a Trustees’ Report as required by the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements and the requirements of the governing document.

Structure, Governance and Management

Oval Learning Cluster began more than 12 years ago as a network of 13 primary, secondary and special schools, known as members. Member schools make a small annual contribution towards core costs and commit to working together with neighbouring schools and organisations to benefit children and young people and their families. The skill, energy, commitment and support of school staff, governors and parents continues to be invaluable.

The organisation registered as a charitable association in 2014.The founding trustees were headteachers from the original cluster partnership and subsequent trustees are elected by representatives of member schools.

The charity has a strategic focus on supporting schools as an effective lever to reach local children and families, improve experiences and outcomes and reduce inequalities.

through partnership agreements with schools or other partners. The organisation therefore has low fixed cost overheads and can adapt quickly to changing needs.

The core team has developed and strengthened over the last year while the charity continued to engage a team of part-time community connectors and partnership leads to develop and support projects and programmes working across schools with groups of parents, children and school staff, charities, sports, arts, science, research organisations and other partners.

The strategic partnership with Integrate Agency has continued to enable targeted fund-raising support, extensive expertise of the local VCS landscape and the development of wider partnership opportunities.

Objectives and Activities

The objectives set out in the governing document are to advance education and relieve the needs of young people and their families in and around the Oval area of London in particular but not exclusively by supporting a network of schools and other organisations to offer outstanding teaching and extra-curricular experiences, and to improve opportunities for learning, guidance, support and

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care. This is supported by our new Income Generation Strategy, Theory of Change and strategic plan for the next four years.

We operate in a densely populated urban area in one of the most ethnically, linguistically and culturally diverse parts of Britain. The majority of pupils at the schools we work with live in poverty and 85% of Lambeth pupils are from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.

We acknowledge the overwhelming impact the current cost of living crisis is having on the health and well-being of our pupils and families and the additional pressure being put on the school and wider communities we serve. We are trying to ensure that our programmes, activities, and support also respond effectively to this need within such a challenging financial context. Our objectives have been met through the charity’s activities for the year, summarised in the following table.

SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES through health and wellbeing
programmes for children and families
During the year we aimed to:
-
Continue to build good relationships between school staff,
pupils and parents in our area and connect with other
services
-
emotional health, by distributing grants to schools to
commission a network of art therapists and counsellors and
helping them share good practice
-
Invest in science, arts, maths, outdoor learning and
sports to address inequalities, develop inclusive
approaches and strengthen skills, confidence and social
connections.
-
Work with Special Educational Needs (SEN) school staff and
mental health leads to target support and activities for
families with multiple challenges of poverty and
disability
-
Identify and nurture new school/ community projects to
development and parental engagement
-
Address issues around racial equity, wellness and social
justice
Offer targeted
‘early help’
for children’s social and
support children’s
£105, 881
61% of
expenditure
during the
year
(£173,213)
SUPPORTING SCHOOLS AND THEIR COMMUNITY PARTNERS THROUGH £67,1148
fundraising, coaching, training, coordination and peer support 39% of
We aimed to build the capacity of schools and their voluntary and We aimed to build the capacity of schools and their voluntary and
expenditure
community sector partners so they are better equipped to work during the
together to offer holistic support for young people and families. year

The majority of the expenditure is allocated to programmes which support children’s health and wellbeing. We help schools go beyond their statutory duties, to give children a rich experience and broad education, and to remove barriers to learning, health, happiness and provide access to the widest opportunity for all.

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Our aim is to help develop a nurturing culture for Lambeth's young people at a household, school and community level both within the built environment and across wider statutory settings and services that support them including health and social care. Schools recognise the important role they play within the wider community supporting, engaging with, listening to and empowering the families they serve. This has been formalised through the securing of funding to develop our schools as Community Listen and Learn Hubs

The trustees confirm they have complied with the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit in section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 when reviewing the activities of the charity.

Achievements and Performance

We distributed a range of grants to 17 schools totalling £50,036 further supporting and continuing to work more closely and strategically with two wider networks of school communities (primary, secondary and special) by providing ongoing funding for the cluster lead. This is supporting enhanced partnership working / access to increased funding and enabling the widest possible impact.

We continue to develop our core strategic partnerships to build capacity and reduce inequalities across the system. We are well placed to bridge the gap between funders, schools and community-based delivery partners to triangulate shared objectives to benefit pupils, and help to amplify the voices of children, parents, school staff and families

Oval Learning continued to be part of Impact on Urban Health's (“ IUH ") Children’s Mental Health Advisory group whose remit is to influence IUH's current work, strategy and to consider how power might be shifted across its portfolio of programmes. This role is in ongoing recognition that Oval Learning and the schools it represents, work in a locally embedded way, understand the issues experienced by children and families in Lambeth and are working to provide solutions to tackle some of these issues and their impact.

As always, thanks to our generous donors as well as the volunteers who make our work possible.

New partners / projects / funding this year:

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In partnership with Centric, Stockwell Partnership and Thriving Stockwell we distributed a funding to support cost-of-living initiatives in Stockwell for organisations such as school parent groups, that serve the Stockwell community

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This project has involved 3 OLC schools working with Van Gogh house and the project's resident artist to co -create a work that will be eventually displayed at the gallery over a final weekend. The project will be delivered by the artist via pupil workshops in the classroom and at Van Gogh House who will co-produce a piece of artwork with the children

Continuing financial support received from:

As reflected in the Charity Excellent Quality Mark self-assessment profile and in recognition of the need to communicate, connect and influence widely in order to improve impact we have been working hard to amplify the voice of our schools, families and communities and share the work we do. This has been enabled through the continuing development of our website (showcasing projects / signposting families to useful support and resources / highlighting funding and other opportunities to schools etc) and a more pro-active social media strategy supported by dedicated web-design and support. As noted, Oval Learning now also sits on the IUH Advisory panel representing our schools and

Financial Review

During the year the charity raised £248,821 income. The needs this year and in future years are increasing (particularly in the context of the current cost of living crisis) so fundraising is an ongoing challenge. Payments to schools have also reduced reflecting a loss in some of the funding secured for direct grants from individual organisations and funders who have supported a range of projects for OLC schools over a number of years and are now providing corefunding to secure the charities sustainability.

Expenditure on core management, fundraising and admin reflects the engagement of external accountants (including an independent examiner), website and media support, the formal relationship with the cluster lead at Windmill and Brixton Learning Collaborative and the executive team including the Director and Director of Partnerships. The four-year anchor partner funding from Impact on Urban Health continues to ensure a more sustainable future for the charity and which provides essential core-funding enabling a flexible agile response to

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local need. This relationship is built on a series of jointly agreed milestones which are building on the work we do while helping shape our strategic direction

We continue to focus our efforts on working with and developing strong and trusted partnerships with local and national organisations and bodies to direct funding to our schools where it can make most difference, whether or not Oval Learning is a direct beneficiary. This is reflected in the diverse range of new, developing and submitted grant applications within our funding pipe-line and the varied projects that schools have been involved in this year.

G Grants rants t to o s schools chools

As part of our work we distribute funds and advice to schools to enable them to commission interventions and support for children and families which go beyond the statutory requirements.

In the current year ending 31 March 2024, Oval Learning allocated 4 grants totalling £50,036 to 17 separate schools. as we have we supported more schools to connect directly with charitable funders. We have advised on, levered and influenced further additional funds direct to schools administered by different organisations with Oval Learning acting as bid and programme support, investment adviser, broker and facilitator rather than physical intermediary and grant maker. These types of direct grants to schools are from the IUH Universal Free School Meals support grant via Walcot Foundation and Walcot Foundation Schools grants. During the year, the charity supported applications which secured a total of £323,429 (2023 £565,000) for such grants. This includes applications made in the year which were approved by the grantor after the year end.

Member schools and others value our role in distributing much needed charitable funds. Over the last two years we have directly supported more than 20 schools with cash donations.

wellbeing programmes. The additional funding beyond standard education budgets is possible thanks to the efforts we have made to build strategic alliances with endowed charities and local and national delivery partners.

We are a trusted partner changing attitudes and practices for charitable funders, giving them greater confidence to invest directly in schools as a way of delivering valuable front-line support for children and families.

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Cash grants direct to schools Year 23/24
Year 22/23
Year 23/24
Year 22/23
TOTALS £50,036
£138,713
Archbishop Tennison School
~~a~~
£2,156
Ashmole Primary School
~~a~~
£1,861
£1,446
Christ Church Streatham
~~a~~
£599
ARKEvelyn Grace Academy
~~a~~
£1,312
Henry Fawcett Primary School
~~a~~
£2,494
£4,920
Herbert Morrison Primary School
~~a~~
£1,525
£1,446
Holy Trinity Primary
~~a~~
£599
Jessop Primary £599
Jubilee Primary School
~~ee~~
£12,000
(Includes Windmill
Cluster Lead support)
Lansdowne
~~a~~
£1,312
£847
Lilian Baylis
~~a~~
£2,837
£45,989
Loughborough Primary
~~a~~
£599
Orchard Primary School
Reay Primary School
~~a~~
~~a~~
£599
£150
£17,476
Richard Atkins Primary £599
Saint Gabriel
s College
~~oe~~
£13,312
(Includes Brixton
Learning Collaborative
Lead support)
£3,900
(Includes Brixton
Learning Collaborative
Lead support)
St Andrew
s C of E Primary
~~a~~
£15,847
St John
s Angell Town
~~a~~
£1,953
£599
St Jude
s Primary
~~a~~
£1,198
St Luke
s
~~a~~
£599

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Cash grants direct to schools
~~ee~~
Year 23/24
Year 22/23
Year 23/24
Year 22/23
St Mark
s CofE Primary School
£1,525
£2,476
St Saviours Primary School
~~a~~
£599
ST STEPHENS PRIMARY SCHOOL
~~a~~
£1,525
£1,446
Stockwell Primary
~~a~~
£599
Sudbourne Primary
~~a~~
£3,900
The Michael Tippett School (now
Heron Academy)
~~a~~
Trinity Academy
~~a~~
£1,312
Turney
~~oe~~
£1,312
£847
Van Gogh House
~~a~~
Vauxhall Primary School
~~a~~
£1,446
Walnut Tree Walk Primary School
~~a~~
£1,525
£16,588
Wyvil School
~~a~~
£1,925 £12,946

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Cash grants secured by OLC but
paid direct to schools from
funders
Year 23/24
Year 22/23
Year 23/24
Year 22/23
TOTAL £323,429
£565,000
Archbishop Sumner Primary
~~a~~
£3,000
ARKEvelyn Grace Academy
~~a~~
£30,000
Ashmole Primary
~~a~~
£18,000
Christchurch Streatham
~~a~~
£2,600
Christchurch SW9
~~a~~
£3,000
Henry Fawcett Primary School
~~a~~
£48,000
£50,000
Herbert Morrison Primary
~~a~~
£18,000
Hill Mead Primary
~~a~~
£3,000
£30,000
Holy Trinity Primary
~~a~~
£3,000
£25,000
Jessop Primary
~~a~~
£3,000
Jubilee Primary School
~~a~~
£2,999
Lansdowne
~~a~~
£10,000
Lilian Baylis
~~a~~
£15,000
£40,000
Loughborough Primary
~~a~~
£2,947
£40,000
Orchard Primary School
~~a~~
£25,000
Reay Primary School
~~a~~
£15,000
£20,000
Richard Atkins Primary
~~a~~
£3,000
St Andrew
s C of E Primary
~~a~~
£18,000
£20,000
St John
s Angell Town
~~a~~
£3,000
£25,000
St John the Devine C of E Primary
~~a~~
£3,000
£20,000
St Judes Primary
~~a~~
£2,983
St Luke
s
~~a~~
£20,000

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Cash grants secured by OLC but
paid direct to schools from
funders
Year 23/24
Year 22/23
Year 23/24
Year 22/23
St Mark
s CofE Primary School
£18,000
£20,000
St Saviours £3,000
ST Stephens Primary School £48,000
£20,000
Stockwell Primary £3,000
Michael Tippet School (Heron
Academy)
£15,000
Trinity Academy £30,000
Turney £15,000
Van Gogh Primary School £30,000
Vauxhall Primary School £18,000
£20,000
Walnut Tree Walk £48,000
Wyvil School £17,900 £30,000

Reserves Policy

on core activities in free reserves (being liquid unrestricted reserves), given that the majority of the charity’s income is restricted to programmes. This is reviewed annually. Currently, the reserves requirement is forecast to be £103,5766. At the year end, unrestricted reserves were £145,814 which the trustees are comfortable meets the reserves policy requirement.

Going Concern

The trustees are satisfied that the charity will continue as a going concern for the foreseeable future.

financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales 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 charity and of the incoming resources and

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application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Thanks to our funding partners and volunteers

We are grateful for the generosity of our donors and funding partners, and the impact and support of our volunteers. Most of our volunteers are young people, teachers, school staff, parents, carers, members of the wider school community who help to deliver programmes and share resources and ideas across the local schools network.

This report was approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on its behalf.

_________________________________,

Trustee

Date

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Independent examiners report to the trustees of Ov31 Learning Cluster Responsibilities and basis of report rppnrt. tn the charity trustp.es on my pxamin4tion of thp arcounrs of the abnvp charjty for the year ended 31 March 2024. As the charlty's trustees. you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordanee with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 "the Act" l. I report In respect of examlnation of the Trust. s accounts carrled out under section 145 of the 201IAct and in carrying out ry examination. I have followed all the appllcable Dlrections given by the Charlty Cfmlssion under sectlon 145{51{bl of the Act Indepp.ndent p.xaminer' s statp.trn).nt I have completed w examlnation. I confirm th3t no nFterial matters have come to Try attention in cannection with the examinatlon 'hhich gives me cause to believe that In, any material respect '. the accounting rpcord% were not kept in arcordance with Secti￿ 130 of the. Charities Act- or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply with the applicable reqv1reff￿lltS coneernlng the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requlrement that the accounts glve a ' true and fair. view whlch is not a matter considered as part of an independent examinaticn. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the exarninatioii to which attention should be draw1 in this report in order to enable a proper understanding ot the accounts to be reached. Signpd., Ilartin Bruvm FCA for Lyrily￿re Consulting {?a?fj 14 Pe8lstered in En8lJnd Wales Tth7. 138566fl) • Re8lSteTed oifKe: 45 waT￿t￿G•¥d¢fiS. Tl¥mes KT70RB tthreclor. MartbTh 8rown FCA

Oval Learning Cluster Statement of financial activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account) as at 31 March 2024

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Oval Learning Cluster Balance Sheet

As at 31 March 2024

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Oval Learning Cluster Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

1 Accounting policies

a) Basis of preparation

These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 and with the Charities Act 2011.

b) Public benefit entity

The charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

c) Going concern

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. There are no key judgements that the charity has made which have a significant effect on the accounts.

The trustees do not consider there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

d) Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and that the amount can be measured reliably. Income from government and o ther grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

Income from the supply of consultancy services is recognised when the contracted services are delivered.

e) Donations of gifts, services and facilities

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item or received the service, any conditions associated with the donation have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), volunteer time is not recognised so refer to

On receipt, donated gifts, professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

f) Interest & dividend receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank. Dividend is recognised as and when received or when the right to receive has arisen.

g) Fund accounting

h) Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following headings:

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Oval Learning Cluster Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Expenditure on charitable activities includes the costs of Grant making and related activities undertaken to further the purposes of the charity and their associated support costs

Support costs include the cost of overall direction and administration of the charity's activities

i) Debtors

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

j) Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

2. Taxation

The charity is exempt from Income tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes.

3. Details of certain items of expenditure

Details of certain items of expenditure
31 Mar 2024 31 Mar 2023 31 Mar 2024 31 Mar 2023
£ £
Fees paid to Independent examiner
for Independent Examination 1,000 £1,000 1,000 £1,000
other assurance services
accounts preparation
750 750 750 750
Governance costs - - Governance costs - - Governance costs - -
Total £1,750 £1,750 Total £1,750 £1,750 Total £1,750 £1,750

The charity had no employees during the year (2023: Nil)

4. Related party transactions

The charity trustees were not paid or received any benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2023: Nil). No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity (2023: Nil).

No payments or reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs were made to any trustees for trustee meetings during the year (2023: Nil). No other amounts were reimbursed to Trustees (2023: £172).

No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contractor transaction entered into by the charity during the year (2023: Nil). The trustees delegated day to day running of the Charity to a manager, Anne Roots

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Oval Learning Cluster Notes to the financial statements

For the year ended 31 March 2024

5. Expenditure analysis

The related donated meeting spaces income is included in Donations and legacies income in the SOFA. This relates to meeting spaces used at no cost to the charity.

6. Debtors

6. Debtors
6. Debtors 31 Mar 24 31 Mar 23 31 Mar 24 31 Mar 23
£ £
Grant funding receivable 94,461 35,000
Trade Debtors 1,700 0
Prepayments 218 1,615
Accrued trading income 3,250 0
£99,629 £36,615 £99,629 £36,615
7. Creditors
31 Mar 24 31 Mar 23
£ £
Trade creditors 8,804 3,370
Accruals 1,750 12,250
Prepaid income - 8,501
£10,554 £24,121
8. Deferred income
31 Mar 24 31 Mar 23
£ £
Balance at beginning of year 8,501 -
Released to income in year - - - -
Deferred in the year - 8.501
Balance at end of year £8,501 £8,501

.

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Oval Learning Cluster Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

9. Restricted Funds movements

The transfer in respect of the TSIP Parental Engagement funds is considered to be consultancy income rather than restricted funding.. The other transfer has been made to align historic expenditure by fund as shown within the financial statements to the organisation’s books and records which show that all funds had been expended.

Purpose of restricted funds

The restricted funds are made up of funds received from donors that are restricted for certain charitable activities for school communities in the Oval area, and wellbeing activities for children (these include music programmes, sport programmes, creative therapies and activities around mental health).

10 Grants to institutions

11 Volunteers

The work of the charity benefits from support of volunteers who are young people, teachers, governors, school staff and parents. These volunteers help to deliver programmes and share resources and ideas across the local schools network.

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