## **CHAIR’S REPORT FOR YEAR 2024/25** ## **THE ROLE OF FRIENDS OF HARPENDEN ACADEMY (FOHA)** The role of FOHA is to develop effective relationships between staff, parents and others associated with the school and wider community in order to facilitate activities and provide resources which support the school and advance the education of its pupils. The FOHA Core Committee comprises six roles: **Chair(s)** - Acting Chair is Gwendoline Manley (2023-24 Chair Ellie Ratliff is on mat leave) **Secretary** - out-going secretary is Jackie Clode-Dickens **Sub-Secretary** - Lauren Hughes **Co Treasurer** – Niki Jones **Event Manager(s)** – Sarah Elderton Everyone in the school community is automatically a member of FOHA. Our Charity registration number is 1159562. The trustees registered with the Charity Commission are out of date and will be updated following the election of the new committee. We adhere to the Parentkind Constitution. At the AGM, all committee positions are up for election/re-election, and anyone in the school community can put themselves forward for a committee role. ## **DECISION MAKING** Decisions regarding fundraising and spending of funds are made by committee members by a majority of votes. FOHA has regular contact with the school in relation to the spending of funds. **FUNDRAISING -** in the year 2024/25 FOHA successfully raised over **£13,000.** - **Christmas Tree Deliveries** – We sold over 200 trees, raising £3,000 for Harpenden Academy and £1,660 for other local schools and nurseries. A call has gone out to all class Whatsapps for an event manager for 2025 Xmas trees fundraiser. - **Quiz & Chips Night** – Our first ever Quiz and Chips Night was a huge success, filled with laughter, good spirits, and a touch of healthy competition. In total, the event raised over £1,500 - We sold 66 tickets including a teachers table. The majority of tickets were purchased with a Godfrey’s ‘chippy’ tea. - The bar was run by Platform Wines and contributed £250 to the fundraised total. - In addition, we also delivered a very successful raffle with tickets sold online in advance and also on the night. - **Easter Egg Hunt** – Held on Good Friday, this event was FOHA’s most successful event this year with over 600 tickets sold & £3,300 raised! - We slightly amended the layout of the hall, bringing the bar into the main hall, introduced a bouncy castle, and a cake stall. Harpenden Building Society continued to sponsor this event, increasing their contribution from £300 to £500. - Fizzbug were only available to stay for part of the day, a big thanks you to Mrs Davies and her daughter for stepping in with their excellent facepainting skills. - The pizza van was more successful than in previous years selling c.60 pizzas, but the kick back is relatively low at 10% so worth considering alternative options for next year. - This year we released more tickets nearer the event day which meant that some families who purchased tickets early didn’t get their first choice of slot – we agreed that we needed to give some consideration to comms around this for next year. - **Movie Nights** – We wrapped up the year with two fun-filled Movie Nights this week, giving children a chance to relax and enjoy a cinema-style experience with friends. Co-op kindly donated all the drinks and snacks. Overall this event was well attended (113 tickets were sold which is over half of the school). In addition, the movie license we purchased lasts for the whole year. - We successfully submitted the outstanding gift aid claims to HMRC and received £4,400 relating to prior year donations. All accounts have now been filed with the Charity Commission and are now up to date. - The preloved uniform shop has continued to be a success, helping both families and our sustainability drive. Nearly 250 pieces of uniform have been sold during the year. We took some uniform up to SJL and sold it at sports day, did a uniform sale outside school towards the end of the summer term & also sold pre-loved uniform at the new Ladybird parents evening. **PARENT ENGAGEMENT** - Parent engagement continues to be a challenge, although we have continued to be able to run all planned events. We have found that it is often the same small number of parents who offer their time. Replies to the engagement survey which was sent out were very low (less than 20 responses received) - FOHA attended the February parents evening, provided tea and coffee, handed out ‘About FOHA’ leaflets & encouraged parents to fill out the engagement questionnaire. - Mrs Davies has advised that the Trust have a piece of work planned on parent engagement and FOHA have been asked to participate when this work begins. - We would like to continue to be present at parents evening but this will depend on whether committee members can attend. - We have been offered a display board in the main hall for this coming year which will be visible at Parent’s evening and to those parents who attend the weekly assemblies. - The turnout for the Parent Summer Social in July was very low – we will consider an alternative event for next year. - Created a “raised and spent” graphic to share with parents to raise awareness of support FOHA provides to children. ## **FOR THE CHILDREN** - FoHA arranged a visit from ‘Steel’ the Gladiator. This was a really exciting day for the children and staff. The children were thrilled to meet him and hear his inspiring story. He was incredibly kind to our children and took his time to listen and answer their questions. Steel shared his personal journey of overcoming childhood struggles with weight and low confidence, revealing that he once ate sweets and chocolate every day. Now a top athlete, Steel is passionate about promoting a healthy mindset amongst young people. During his visit, he encouraged the children to make healthier choices and build selfesteem, proving that with determination and the right mindset, anything is possible! - The class gift contributions remained at £500 per class. How this gift is used is up to each class teacher, and many choose to put it towards class trips out or bringing a specialist workshop to the school. For example, Ladybirds put the full amount of their gift towards a Victorian seaside workshop which was thoroughly enjoyed by the children. - It was noted that not all classes used the entirety of their class gift. We have advised school that the remaining amounts need to be spent on the relevant year groups by half term at the latest. £200 outstanding for last year’s yr2 / this year’s yr3 & £75 outstanding for last year’s yr 3 / this year’s yr4 - Supported the school with a number of requests for funding, including - financial support towards events such as the whole school Christmas trip to the Odyssey cinema, the Peter Pan Panto Workshop - financial support towards subscriptions including Times Tables Rock Stars subscription, communication widget software & funding the Science Week activities - providing new books for every new Ladybird, - Books to support the transition from KS1 to KS2 & support the essential writing framework - Entrance decorations for Chinese New Year - FOHA covered the final instalment for the _2025–26_ subscription year of the Reading Cloud library software. This completes our previously agreed commitment to fund three years of the subscription. - Provided refreshments for all of the children at Sports Day, as well as arranging for an ice cream van to attend at the end which raised some money for the school. ## **OTHER** - A group of volunteers decorated the school hall ready for Christmas celebrations. - Many families enjoyed a heavily discounted trip to Legoland on an inset day, which also raised some ‘kickback’ money for FOHA. - FOHA continues to build a successful and supportive working relationship with the School. - Sold tickets to the Harpenden Rugby & Football Club fireworks event & received 50% kickback on tickets sold via our unique link. Chair’s Report for 2024/25 submitted by Gwendoline Manley, Acting Chair from July 2025 ## **Treasurer’s Report 2024–25** Friends of Harpenden Academy (FoHA) During the 2024–25 financial year, FoHA continued to deliver a busy and successful calendar of fundraising activities, generating total income of £27,769. After total expenditure of £24,242, this resulted in a net surplus of £3,527, increasing our reserves to £15,065 at year end (up from £11,538 the previous year). ## **Income and Fundraising Highlights** FoHA ran a wide range of events and initiatives throughout the year, with many delivering strong net contributions to the school. After accounting for costs, the most successful fundraisers were: - Easter Egg Hunt – £3,225 profit, a standout success both financially and as a much-loved family event. - Christmas Tree Sales – £2,868 profit, a key part of our annual fundraising. - Quiz & Chips Night – £834 profit, plus an additional £676 raised from the raffle, together generating over £1,500 for the school. - Uniform Sales – £870 raised at no direct cost, providing steady year-round funds. - Summer Movie Night – £228 profit, offering a new addition for the children at the end of the school year. - Legoland Trip – £79 profit, not run for profit but highly valued as a family experience. - Fireworks and Sports Day Sales – modest additional contributions of around £318 combined. In addition to event fundraising, FoHA benefited from £4,149 in Gift Aid, £61 from EasyFundraising, and £61 in bank interest, which together provided valuable supplementary income. Overall, total income across all activities reached £27,769, with a net surplus of £3,527 for the year — another strong outcome thanks to the dedication and generosity of our parent community and volunteers. ## **Expenditure and Support for the School** Over £8,970 was spent directly on school activities and enrichment. This included funding for class gifts, books, theatre visits, Science Week, learning resources such as Widgit software and the Reading Cloud system, and other educational enhancements. FoHA also contributed to projects including the Gladiators workshop, KS1 reading nooks (Jewsons wood), and Ladybird Welcome Books for new starters — clear examples of how donations are channelled into meaningful improvements in pupils’ learning and school life. Operational costs remained modest, with £350 spent on maintaining the website and £787 on parent–teacher relationship activities. ## **Financial Position** At year end, FoHA held £15,065 in net assets across our accounts — a healthy and sustainable position. This reserve provides flexibility to fund upcoming school initiatives and ensures FoHA can continue to support the school effectively. The committee remains committed to operating prudently, ensuring that funds raised are quickly reinvested for the benefit of all pupils. ## **Looking Ahead** The coming year will see a continued focus on events that both strengthen our school community and deliver valuable funds. We have approximately £5,435 in costs that we have already committed to for the 2025-26 academic year, the bulk of which is a £500 gift to each year group. Therefore, current available spend for the next academic year is just under £9,700. Prepared by Nicola Jones, Treasurer for FoHA CHARrrY COMMISSION FOR ENGL4ND AND WALES Ch*ty Friends of Harpenden A¢ademy {rtakwI Receipts and payments accounts Forthe perlod from CC16a OV1012024 To Sectioii A Receipts and payments Unrestricted fvndflestricied fUnds=nd0￿nenlfynd: Totsj funds tothpr¢wE5¢£ bjthe neArèstE k>the ￿eB￿SEE Last year thewrest£ Al R•eeipts Events 10.073 10,0 7,72 Unrforn7 her fundfWSIryJ ¥ants 12,63 12,6 12,937 tk)nattons linduding GittAidl Bank imerest 4,14 61 4.149 61 Sub total {GroM Incomefor AR 27,7 21. Sub to Total Y•¢ei 27. 27.7 2L Events expenses (Xher lU￿r&I￿r￿ expense5 Donalons Membetship fees 3,221 10,437 30,32 1.147 9,588 8,972 8.972 1,138 Sub A4Asset and Investment pur¢hase5 see table Sub TOW payme 24 Net of ￿te&PtsI[p￿Yments A5 Transfers beiween funds A6 Cash lunds lastyear erkl Cash funds thls yeaf e .U47 11.5 35,01 Nore. wty of£74(2024 £I￿)iS heklln Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period tonR•É Bl Cash funds Treasury Ac¢ovnt Instant Access Account 363 14,245 Pay oial cash funds (agree balanees with recel and Nonè None B4 AssÈts retalned lor the charws tr•dn use None B6 Llobllities None sIgn￿ by or tffi trustees on behalf of l the irustteg Signature Prirn Name tyll LQLN JONIES oil26 Date of approv ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Section A Independent Examiner's Report
Report to the
Charity Name
trustees/ members
Friends of Harpenden Academy
of
On accounts for the
30/09/2025 Charity no (if any) 1159562
year ended
Set out on pages 1 to 2
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
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## **Responsibilities and basis of report** I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 30/09/2025. As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the 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 the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 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 which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Signed:
Date: 17/07/2026
Name: Adam Badi
Relevant
Chartered Institute of
professional
Management
qualification(s) or
Accountants
body (if any):
Address: 1 Cassidy Close
Luton LU2 7FW
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## **Section B Disclosure** _Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight 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.** None.