BIRLEY COMMUNITY PRE SCHOOL
History and development
Birley Community Pre-School (the Company limited by guarantee) was registered in June 2013 and opened its doors to children and their families in September 2013.
Based in the same building as Birley Community Nursery School and under the leadership of the Birley Federation of Schools, it was formally known as Birley Children's Centre and received the sure start grant. It was announced that the grant was to cease making the provision unsustainable and therefore causing the closure of many Children's Centres. The staff and parents/carers were informed in April 2013 that our childcare provision would have to close at the end of term (July 2013), which would result in the loss of 10 jobs and over 60 families having to find alternative childcare places elsewhere. These families included some children with additional needs and some from vulnerable families. This would also have caused safeguarding concerns as the nursery children who access wrap-around care with us before and after their nursery sessions would have to find alternative care outside of the school building. A situation which would have proved very difficult for families with children in the Nursery and Primary school on the same site.
Parents/carers demanded a meeting with the schools Head teacher, expressing their feelings and concerns about losing a quality childcare provision where their children thrived and felt very settled. There had just been an Ofsted inspection in February 2013 with an outcome of Good. After lots of research and several staff and parent/carers meetings, it was agreed that the staff would take on the Childcare provision as a separate enterprise operating outside the school framework, with support from outside organisations, the school Head and parents/carers. We sourced several organisations who helped us with the initial set-up and Birley Community Pre-School was launched in June 2013.
The separation was managed carefully, retaining and restructuring our staff with regards to roles and responsibilities along with a salary re-structure. We agreed a peppercorn rent for the premises for the first 3 years (rent to be negotiated after this period) which enabled us to become established. Due to the uncertainty of the first year we set a very prudent budget and restricted spending to essentials resulting in a very positive first year surplus enabling Trustees to develop their Reserves policy. Our first year was very successful with staff settling into new routines and child place capacity running at between 80 and 90 percent each day.
Our ethos has always been to provide high quality, affordable, inclusive and accessible care for all children and their families and this ethos is still at the heart of our provision. We continue to create a thriving family environment where children develop and learn through a balanced and broad range of activities and experiences. Our experienced and dedicated staff team provide good role models and support for both parents/carers and children encouraging each individual child's development, enabling each child to reach their full potential giving them a positive start to their journey through school. We also look at each individual family enabling us to sign post parents/carers to various groups and other professionals to support and meet their needs. As the building is purpose built we have disabled facilities and wide doors all on a single level enabling us to offer a more inclusive and accessible childcare for all children. We also worked in partnership with other professionals to meet the wide range of needs of the children and their families.
In 2015 the Directors decided that rather than retain the company and apply for charitable status, that they would seek to incorporate as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and dissolve the company. The building is now part of the Birley Primary Academy which is now under the leadership of the Lead Academy.
BIRLEY COMMUNITY PRE SCHOOL
We have continued to develop partnerships with parents and the community. We have maintained running at 90% -95% capacity during this 5 year period and still have a waiting list. We also continue to offer a free place short term to identified families needing support.
The Lead Academy whom we rent our preschool room from gave us notice earlier in the year and so we have been working hard to secure alternative premises to enable our preschool to continue as our parent/carers have voiced that they do not want to take their children to another provision. We have now secured our local community hall which is currently undergoing major renovations in order to make the hall a safe, comfortable and wonderful learning environment for our children and families to access.
Structure, governance and management
The charity was incorporated on 5 August 2015 and its constitution governs it. Its legal status is that of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Charity number 1163022. Overall management of the Charity is the responsibility of the trustees who are elected and co-opted under the terms of its constitution. Day to day operations are delegated to a team of employees led by the Pre-School Manager.
Charitable Objectives
The charity works for the public benefit having as its objects the development and education of children and young people in particular by
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1) Promoting their care and safety
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2) Promoting their education and promoting parental involvement
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3) Promoting their health and wellbeing
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4) Providing services to support them and their families and carers
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5) Providing services to individuals holding membership of the CIO and
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6) Furthering the aims of the Pre School Learning Alliance
Summary of main activities
The charity continues to provide a trusted and stable service to families living in the local community and surrounding areas. A welcoming and enriched learning environment is provided for our families and their children, supported by a long-standing team of dedicated and qualified professional staff. Children are enabled to successfully explore and experiment in a safe and welcoming environment to develop their skills within the Early Years Statutory Framework.
Summary of main achievements during the period
This year we have continued to run at an average of 95% capacity each term. We have been able to offer places to children from around 65 families each week. This includes children who receive government funding for a 2-year-old place and also those children who receive government funding for 3-year-old 30 hours place, taking their universal 15 hours in the school nursery and then the extended 15 hours back with ourselves. We also cater for several children with additional needs. These can vary from visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical disabilities and children who are being assessed and may be on the special educational needs spectrum. Some of these children are signposted to us by other professionals that we work with such as Sheffield Inclusion Team. Some of these children stay with us for their 15 universal hours when they become 3 years old as the adjoining nursery school cannot support their needs. We also offer a free place for a short period of time if we identify a family in severe hardship whilst we work with other professionals and agencies to develop a support package. This is dependent on the availability of spaces at the time.
BIRLEY COMMUNITY PRE SCHOOL
We work closely with other professionals to ensure we identify, sign-post and support all our families as a unit, not just the children. All staff attend regular training to develop their continuous professional development as well as attending in-house training and moderation several times a year. All staff hold up-to-date paediatric first aid and food hygiene. The manager and deputy manager all hold advanced safeguarding certification and all staff have undergone safeguarding training and regular refresher training.
Through the pandemic, we have so far, been able to stay open to support out children and families, retain all our valuable staff and stay financially stable to secure our future.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit
In making decisions and exercising powers or duties in connection with the above activities, the trustees have had regard, where relevant, to the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
Future activities
We have worked hard over the past few years to be able to purchase a variety of new equipment and resources to enable us to provide a wealth of activities and experiences for all the children to encourage and support a broad learning base. This now gives us an excellent bank of appropriate resources to deliver the Early Years Statutory Framework.
Due to the covid pandemic and the government wanting Early Years to stay open to all children, we also had to purchase 2 large portable hand-washing stations to go alongside the small portable one we obtained last year. These ensure that all children have access to hand-washing stations immediately on arrival to preschool and also at several other points during the preschool day whilst remaining in bubbles.
Due to our impeding move in August, this year we have concentrated on building up our fund for improving the outside area of our new premises before we move into them in September 2020.
We usually hold parent/carer evening 3 times a year and encourage all parents/carers to attend to celebrate and share in their children’s development, milestones and next steps. Parents/carers are asked to complete a questionnaire and on evaluation we take appropriate action to improve our services and setting for both the children and their families. Due to Covid-19 we have had to suspend these until it is deemed safe to have anyone other than staff access the building. We have however replaced them with an individual written report to each parent/carer and also followed these up with telephone call. Staff have remained available to parent/carers via email, telephone and also short socially distanced meetings outside.
All staff have re-taken their Level 3 Paediatric First Aid to support good practice and child safety and continue to develop their skills to maintain high quality teaching by undertaking a series of training.
All of the above together with our dedicated staff team contributes to us upholding our Ofsted Inspection judgement of “Outstanding” on 4[th] July 2018.
BIRLEY COMMUNITY PRE SCHOOL
Financial Review
From September 2013 and prior to its incorporation as CIO in September 2015, Birley Community Pre School operated as a Limited Company and the reserves accumulated from this operation £50,000) were received as a donation in 2017.
In the financial year under consideration charitable activities have generated a surplus of £8,304 (2018 £12,522) resulting in total of reserves carried forward of £105,824 (2018 £97,520).
Since becoming a separate legal entity from Birley Community School in 2013, the Pre School had an agreement to retain its premises within the school at a peppercorn rent for a period of 3 years. In September 2016 the CIO agreed revised terms with the School and will paying an annual rent of £5000 .
The Lead Academy have now advised that they will not renew or extend the lease agreement with them past 31[st] August 2020, which is the end of next financial year. With the help and backing of our local MP Mr Clive Betts and 3 councillors we have potentially secured a move to our local church hall to enable us to continue to provide our community with our valuable services. The church association are awaiting the approval of a funding application to be able to continue with the improvements needed ahead of us moving. We are now hoping that the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t put the schedule back that far that it won’t be possible to be ready by the end of August 2020, which would leave us with nowhere to go and face possible closure.
Policy on Reserves
The trustees have developed a reserves policy which recognises the issues to be considered in assessing future liabilities. They have identified an amount equal to six months operating costs as giving a suitable buffer. Given total operating expenses for the year ending 31/8/19 were £133,171, 6 months would equate to £66,585. Current reserves stand at £105,824, in excess of the required amount. The policy will be reviewed every other year, at minimum, by the Trustees, or sooner if warranted by internal or external events or changes.
Approved by the trustees on 29 June 2021 __ and signed on behalf of the trustees by
| ub | ub | CHARITY COMMISSIOI{ FOR ENGLANDANDWALES |
CHARITY COMMISSIOI{ FOR ENGLANDANDWALES |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recei | andpa | ents accounts | CC16a | |||||||
| Fortheperiod from |
01t09t2019 | lo | 31t08t2020 | |||||||
| Section ARecei ts and payments | ||||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowment funds |
Tota!funds | Last year | ||||||
| to the nearest t |
to the nearest€ | to the nearest€ | to the nearest € | to the nearest€ | ||||||
| A1Recei | ||||||||||
| Sales | (Funds) | 147,897 | 147,897 | 140,615 | ||||||
| Donations | 294 | 294 | 860 | |||||||
| Sub | total (Gross income | 148,{9{ | 148,191 | 141,475 | ||||||
| A2Asset | andinvestmentsales,(see | |||||||||
| table). | ||||||||||
| Totalreceipts | 1 | 191 | I | ras,rgrI | 141,475 | |||||
| A3 | ||||||||||
| 1 | 114,229 | 112,699 | ||||||||
| 4,424 | ||||||||||
| , | 1 | |||||||||
| Room | Costs | 3,777 | 777 | 3,832 | ||||||
| lnsurance | 995 | 995 | 983 | |||||||
| & | 153 | 153 | 68 | |||||||
| & Professional | 1,792 | |||||||||
| renewals, maintenance rent |
564 | 8,884 | ||||||||
| Bank | 202 | 202 | 228 | |||||||
| Baddebts | 146 | 146 | ||||||||
| Subtotal | 1 | 35,062 | 135,062 | 133,171 | ||||||
| A4Asset | andinvestmentpurchases, | |||||||||
| (see | table) | |||||||||
| Subtotal | ||||||||||
| Totalpayments | 135,062 | 135,062 | 133,171 | |||||||
| N | etofreceipts/( payments) | 13,129 | 13,129 | 8,304 | ||||||
| A5Transfersbetweenfunds | ||||||||||
| A6 Cashfundslast year end | 105,824 | '105,824 | 97,520 | |||||||
| Cashfundsthis year end | 1 | 18,9s3 | 1 | 18,953 | 105,824 |
| Unrestricted | Restricted | funds | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | funds to nearest € |
to nearestf | |||
| BlGashfunds | Bank | 118,715 | ||||
| Cash | 238 | |||||
| Total cashfunds | 118,953 | |||||
| (agree balances with receiptsandpayments | ||||||
| account(s)) | ||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | |||||
| funds | ||||||
| Details | to nearest€ | tonearestE | ||||
| 82Other monetary assets | ||||||
| Fund to which asset | Cost (optional) | |||||
| 83Investment assets | ||||||
| Fundtowhichasset | Cost (optional) | |||||
| 84Assetsretainedfor the charity's | ||||||
| ownuse | ||||||
| Fund towhich | Amount | due | ||||
| Detai | ||||||
| 85 Liabilities | Clients receipts in advance | Unrestricted | 2,218 | |||
| Trade Creditors | Unrestricted | 313 | ||||
| PAYE | Unrestricted | 462 | ||||
| Pension | Unrestricted | 709 | ||||
| Signed by one or the trustees |
twotrustees onbehalf ofall | Signature | Print Name | DAT€ oF Mftvrc |
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| lQ+Ks"lM(GcNail | zN1[2t | |||||
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGMD AND WAIES Independent examinefs report on the accounts I IidL'I)ei)dent F.x,Iiiiinoi s Report R•port to tho trustO081 m•mb•r• of (:hari'.y Birl8y Communty Pre Sthool On •c¢ounts for th• yoar •nd•d 31.08.2020 Charity no Ilf any) 1183022 Sot out on pag•• Irern.ember tg iiliide the paod nurrbtyTs ol sheets! I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above d)arity (Ihe Tw8t') for the year ended 31.08.2020. As the charity's trust8es, you are responsible for the weparatlon of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charitie8 Act 2011 {'th8 Ad.) I report in respect of my examination of the Tru8t'8 account8 carriod out under seflion 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Direction8 gNan by tho Charity Commi8slon under 88cion 145(5)(b) of the Ad. R••ponslbitti•• and ba•h of r•port Ind•p•nd•nt •xamln•rf• •tAt•m•nt I have complet8d my examination. l Confinn that no material mattern have come to my attention in connection wtth the examlnation which give8 me cau8e to bellève that in, any mat8rlal ré8pe¢t: the accounting record8 wère not kept in accordanco with 8•Ctlon 130 of the Charrti88 Ad., or the account8 did not accord with the accountlng record8,' or the account8 did not comply with the applica8 requirements conceming the fom and content of accounts set out in the Charitie8 (Accounts and Report8) Regulation8 2008 other than any requirement that the a¢count8 glve a Irue and fairf view whit 1$ not • m•tt•r considered as part of an Independent examination. I have no concems and have come aGros8 no other matter8 In connedlon with the examination to which attention should be drawn in thi8 r•port ¢xder to enable a propar urKJer8tanding ol the accourrts to bo reachgd. 81gn•d: D•t•: 2&0&2021 Salman Ali Moazzam R•l•vant prol•••lonl qlIfiCaOn(s) or body FCCA #1932250 Addr•ss: Henn888ey & Co 309 High Road, Benfleet SS7 SHA Juna-2020