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2024-07-31-accounts

Ecole des Copains

Chairman’s report – Academic year: May 2023 – Jul 2024

Rachel Wallis

1. Introduction and background

École des Copains (EdC) is a charity created in June 2016, to promote the French language and francophone culture amongst bilingual families. The school creates a community where the practice of French is made part of the families’ daily lives. A committee of volunteers, alongside the core support team (administrator & curriculum lead) support the teaching team & librarian to oversee the running of EdC. This report covers the period of the year from the date of our last AGM in July 2023 to September 2024.

2. The Academic Year 2023/2024

This year has been our first year at our new school Beechwood school in Tunbridge Wells. We have been welcomed with open arms, and the team at Beechwood has worked with us to ensure that we felt at home each Saturday.

Key highlights this year are our boosted efforts to encourage early reading and writing amongst our younger pupils as well as the introduction of Librarika which is helping the librarian and the team track our stock better, and automate reminders for the returns of books. We also increased the cultural events with a show, and increased parent participation via project exposition and the school fete.

The start of the academic year 2024/2025 has also seen some changes for our teaching and teaching assistant teams. We are always in need of teachers and teaching assistants, so please let us know if you or anyone you know can be on our list of contacts for teaching staff. We also need your help as members to promote EdC to anyone from the francophone community (or any super multilinguals!) to help us grow our numbers, as we are down on numbers compared to previous years with a rising cost base.

3. Changes to constitution of the charity

We are proposing amendments to the following resolutions at the November 2024 AGM. Our constitution, also known as a governing document, is a legal document that outlines the rules and structure of a charity. It provides for a rulebook that helps trustees and other interested parties understand how the charity is run. The constitution has not been changed since its inception in 2016, and therefore has a number of outdated clauses. The charity commission now allows trustees to provide certain paid services to the charity as long as due diligence is done to ensure that payment is in the charity’s best interest, and any conflicts of interests are identified. Therefore, we are proposing to amend Section 6.1.1 to allow trustees to propose their paid services. An example use case is where a trustee can become part of the teaching team on a long-term basis.

6.1 General provisions

6.1.1 No trustee or connected person may:

Section 6.2.2 then permits the supply of services as per section 185 to 188 of the Charities Act 2011

4. Treasurers report

EdC’s financial report is provided as an appendix to the Chair’s report. The finances of EdC are still sound, made possible by grants we received in previous years, but rising outgoing costs mean we have made an operating loss of £3,443 for 2023/2024 (excluding carry over expenses from previous years). Our budget therefore need to be reviewed more closely to ensure that our school’s future is not put in peril. We will therefore be reducing several expense lines as per the treasurer’s report. The Treasurer report goes into a lot more details with figures.

The loss is due to the introduction of the increasing costs to stationery, a decrease in the number of families and students attending the school and a curriculum review programme which was introduced to ensure smoother transition for pupils in certain years.

4.1 What can you do?

4.2 Fundraising, donations & bursaries

We have been able to raise £1129 thanks to Tonton Gilles, family donations and the book fair. We are also grateful to a private company for donating 15 laptops to our school as well as the donor who kindly helped us buy several accessories for laptops used by the teachers provided by EdC (£288).

We have also used the grants given in previous years in renew our library stock to provide a wide variety of books for all ages.

In the future, we are also considering changing bank accounts, and will update you in due course.

Bursaries are still available to families who need it, renewable on an annual basis, to ensure that we support those who need additional financial support.

5. Teaching highlights & team:

elderly pensioners living in sheltered housing in France, which really cheers them up

6. Events and other highlights:

7. Recognition and thank you’s

EdC would not exist without all the people who believe in our cause and help make it a reality – and I would like to take the time to thank all of our teams as follows:

7.1 Teaching Team – the heart and soul of EdC

We would like to thank our teaching team: (from youngest to oldest age groups) Lucy Zaug, Virginie Moore, Olivia Locicero, Hélène Moon, Caroline Van Eygen, Nadia Duros, Juliana Hernandez. Bérengère Mauduit, Leida Ouegnimaoua, Hélène Stevens (also our curriculum lead), Israël Togoh & Jacqui Nunes , for their efforts and continuous support. The teaching team has two new members: Alexia Kirk (classe Les Oursons) and Jo Adams (classe Les Tortues)

Our teachers are also supported by a team of assistants. I would like to thank all the teaching assistants for their renewed dedication and unwavering support – Alex Chammings, Stéphanie Ward, Gaëlle Déram and Pierre

Castellan-Hamon, Ella Carmarans. We have said goodbye to a number of our teaching staff, who have other commitments - Nadia Duros, Gaëlle Déram Pierre Castellan-Hamon , Anne Reed-Musset, Melanie Brenchley They have given between them many years of service to EdC, and I would like to thank them for their dedication to our children.

Thank you also to our librarians, Sophiann Ruaud-Glenn, who has run our library this year. Candice Machtus was also key to setting up the Librarika system, and I would like to thank her for her contributions to EdC at the start of the 2023/2024 academic year.

7.2 Volunteers and Support Team

Thank you to all of you who volunteer your time to help in various ways – whether it’s the team of reading angels supporting our pupils or all those who volunteer to help us during our events. And a warm thank you to our parent volunteers who have stepped in at very short notice to replace teachers and teaching assistants when they were absent, sometimes at very short notice, amongst many We need more volunteers to join our ranks next year, to allow us to implement new projects – please do read our newsletter where this will be communicated in due course

I also want to include a special note of thanks to Koko, our administrator, & Hélène Stevens, who both work tirelessly (and volunteers their own time above and beyond) to ensure that the school is run smoothly - from answering all email queries, student subscriptions, coordinating the teaching rota and taster sessions, enhancing our newsletters to members, best practices, preparing teaching resources, ensuring safeguarding policies are updated just to name a few, as well as keeping our records such as our safeguarding policies, to name just a few. Thank you, Koko & Hélène !

7.3 Trustees and committee members (the Committee)

Our team of trustees work behind the scenes, and share the load, together with the administrator (Koko) and the curriculum lead’s (Hélène Stevens) with matters such as: finances, policies, ensuring compliance with charity commission requirements, insurance, website maintenance, hire agreement, organising events for the Galettes des rois, easter and the school fete as well as safeguarding arrangements including DBS checks.

The following trustees have carried on supporting the daily functioning of the EdC

I, Rachel, am happy to remain Chair for the next academic year Should anyone wish to be on the list of candidates for any position, they are welcome to email president@ecoledescopains.com

Adrien is happy to remain the Treasurer for the next academic year

Gail will step down from her position as secretary, but is happy to remain as trustee (Events Lead) for the next academic year. The role of secretary is therefore vacant (1 candidate has been co-opted by the other trustees until the official vote at the AGM)

Aurelie is happy to remain trustee for the next academic year

Emilie will step down EdC from her position as trustee. Thank you, Emilie, for your many years of service

Stephanie will step down EdC from her position as trustee. Thank you, Stephanie, for your many years of service. Stephanie has been trustee since EdC’s inception in 2016 and has a wealth of stories about our organisation.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the trustees for their hard work and dedication to keep EdC functioning as a well-oiled organisation. Joining EdC as a trustee continues to be a great opportunity to support our wonderful teachers and teaching assistants who are the soul of the school.

8. School community and summary

By the end of 23/24, the EdC community included 76 families - 114 children and 5 adults, attending 11 classes and a teacher-led playgroup every Saturday. The team comprises 12 teachers, 4 assistants, a librarian, an administrator, a curriculum lead and the Committee.

9. Conclusion

The EdC is a unique community that aims to promote the use and love of the French language and French culture. Thanks to the work of the Committee, the teachers, support team and, critically, the support of our Members, the EdC has had a good year, despite some key challenges.

10. Treasurer Report for the year 2023/2024 and comments on the start of 2024/2025

Refer to landscape provisional budget vs actual spend in next pages.

General comment on last year,

Although this looks like a large loss, the actual operating loss was only £3,443 for 2023/24.

To explain, our opening bank balance was £32,786. £13,879 was owed from the previous year for outstanding rent and teachers’ invoices. This means a net starting bank balance of £18,907 . We ended the 2023/2024 year with a bank balance of £19,464. This did not account for one rent invoice for £4,000, due to Beechwod but received late. “ ” The final cash position of the school is £15,464 .

Important notes

This extra expenditure corresponds to the charity’s objectives and contributes to the correct functioning of the school.

It is disappointing to note that we had expected more families and more children to attend the school, therefore it has reduced the actual income expected from £56,236 to only £51,674 (a reduction of over 4,500 or 8%). It is therefore even more important to note that for 2024/2025, we have further reduced the number of registered children by 30. This poses a few difficulties for balancing the books and actions have already been taken and further may be required to reduce the expenditure of the school.

To monitor this better, you will notice we have started to include a lot more detail in our budget and analysis of accounts. By doing this, we will be able to have a better handle on expenditure and allow us to better target reductions as and when needed.

We have resolved last year’s issue with our accountancy software and the direct debit company, which required many hours of voluntary work and we are pleased to report that the problems have been resolved and we are on track this year, with only two families yet to make their payment and one family with a small catch up from last year. The delay had no financial impact on the school.

In 2023/2024, we had to increase the teachers' rates to ensure a stable teaching team and limit the disruption to the pupils who already had to adapt to a new school. In parallel, there was a limited increase of the fees as we are conscious of the financial burden for some families. This may have to be reviewed for 2025/2026 if the financial situation does not improve.

The accounts were recently independently audited and validated by an external auditor, without a single question being raised, showing the good stead of our new accounting system. The accounts are public but do not include as much details as we have shared with our members. Sharing this extra information allows us to openly present the accounts and ask for your renewed and increased support if you are able to afford it.

As some may wonder with news on Value Added Tax (VAT) on private school fees, we are currently below the threshold (£90,000 per annum) and do not anticipate that this will be an issue this year or the one after. However, we are keeping an eye on developments and will keep you informed.

A word on the year ahead:

We have significantly less children and families than previous years, in contrast, most of our expenditure is on fixed costs regardless of how many families attend the school.

As a first step, we have reduced or will be reducing the lines in orange above. For example, we have suspended the curriculum review, despite it being needed.

We need to increase the number of families attending or we will have to take other actions, such as regrouping classes and reducing the number of teachers and assistants.

Charity Name
Ecole des Copains
Charity Name
Ecole des Copains
Charity Name
Ecole des Copains
Charity No
(if any)
1167503 CC39a
Annual accounts for the period
Period
start date
1-Aug-23 To Period end date 31-Jul-24
Section A Statement of financial activities
Note
Incoming resources (Note 3)
Donations, legacies and Grants
Other income
Total incoming resources
S01
Resources expended (Notes 4-7)
cost of charitable activities
Total resources expended
S02
S03
Gross transfers between funds
S04
S05
S06
Gains and losses on investment assets
S07
Net movement in funds
S08
Total funds brought forward
S09
Total funds carried forward
S10
Descriptions by natural
category
Income resources from
charitable activities
Donations adjust from previous
years
Governance cost management
and administration cost
Net incoming/(outgoing) resources
before transfers
Net incoming/(outgoing) resources
before other recognised gains/(losses)
Other recognised gains/(losses)
Gains and losses on revaluation of fixed
assets for the charity’s own use
£
£
£
£
£
F01
F02
F03
F04
F05
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
income
funds
Endowment
funds
Total this
year
Total last
year
- - - - -
1,129 - - 1,129 479
51,966 - - 51,966 47,799
- - - -
449 - - 449 6,965
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
53,545 - - 53,545 55,244
- - - - -
43,620 - - 43,620 30,005
23,247 - - 23,247 6,961
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
66,867 - - 66,867 36,966
- 13,322 - - - 13,322 18,278
- - - - -
- 13,322 - - - 13,322 18,278
- - - - -
- - - - -
- 13,322 - - - 13,322 18,278
- - - - -
- 13,322 - - - 13,322 18,278

Section B Balance sheet

Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets (Note 8)
B01
B02
Investments (Note 9)
B03
Total fixed assets
B04
Current assets
Stock and work in progress
B05
Debtors (Note 10)
B06
(Short term) investments
B07
Cash at bank and in hand
B08
Total current assets
B09
B10
Net current assets/(liabilities)
B11
Total assets less current liabilities
B12
B13
Provisions for liabilities and charges
B14
Net assets
B15
Funds of the Charity
Unrestricted funds
B16
Designated funds
B17
Total unrestricted funds
B18
B19
Total funds
B20
Signature
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
(Note 11)
C ed to s a
ou ts a
g due a te o e yea
(Note 11)
Restricted income funds (Note 12)
Endowment funds(Note 12)
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the
trustees
Note
Fixed assets
Tangible assets (Note 8)
B01
B02
Investments (Note 9)
B03
Total fixed assets
B04
Current assets
Stock and work in progress
B05
Debtors (Note 10)
B06
(Short term) investments
B07
Cash at bank and in hand
B08
Total current assets
B09
B10
Net current assets/(liabilities)
B11
Total assets less current liabilities
B12
B13
Provisions for liabilities and charges
B14
Net assets
B15
Funds of the Charity
Unrestricted funds
B16
Designated funds
B17
Total unrestricted funds
B18
B19
Total funds
B20
Signature
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
(Note 11)
C ed to s a
ou ts a
g due a te o e yea
(Note 11)
Restricted income funds (Note 12)
Endowment funds(Note 12)
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the
trustees
Total this year
Total last year
£
£
F01
F02
Total this year
Total last year
£
£
F01
F02
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
19,465 32,787
19,465 32,787
- -
19,465 32,787
19,465 32,787
- -
- -
19,465 32,787
19,465 32,787
19,465 32,787
- -
- -
19,465 32,787
Signature Date of approval

Cells highlighted in Blue contain formulas in protected cells. The protection can be removed from the tools menu

Section C Notes to the accounts

Note 1 Basis of preparation

This section should be completed by all charities .

1.1 Basis of accounting

These accounts have been prepared on the basis of historic cost (except that investments are shown at market value) in accordance with:• Accounting and Reporting by Charities – Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2005);

• and with* ü Accounting Standards; or Financial Reporting Standards for Smaller Enterprises (FRSSE);

[** except for the following].

Give details in this box if a different standard has been followed.

· if all relevant disclosures shown in the pack have been given then please tick “Accounting Standards”;

· if disclosures completed in these accounts have been restricted to those required by the FRSSE, then please tick ** - If no departures from the chosen standards have been made then delete these words; otherwise give details of any changes in the boxes. 1.2 Change in basis of accounting

There has been no change to the accounting policies (valuation rules and methods of accounting) since last year (§ Give details in this box of an except for the following). y material changes that have been made.

1.3 Changes to previous accounts

No changes have been made to accounts for previous years (§§ except for the following).

Give details in this box of any material changes that have been made.

§§ if no changes have been made to accounts for previous periods then delete these words.

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 3 Analysis of incoming resources

Incoming resources may be further analysed if this would help the reader of the accounts.

Analysis Unrestricted
£
Unrestricted
£
restricted
£
This year
Last year
£
£
This year
Last year
£
£
This year
Last year
£
£
Donations frompreviousyears - -
Other donations -
Fundraising 1,129 - 479
Gift Aid -
Total 1,129 479
Membership 5,886 - 4,070
Tuition fees 46,032 - 43,676
Other(bank interest) 49 - 54
-
Total 51,966 47,799
Sponsorship - 6,421
Partnership 449 - 543
-
449 -
Total - 6,965
-
-
-
-
-
Total -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Total - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Total - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Total - -

Section C Notes to the accounts (cont)

Note 4 Analysis of resources expended

Resources expended may be further analysed if this would help the reader of the accounts.
Unrestricted
restricted
This year
Last year
£
£
£
£
Tuition fees
35,300
- 27,467
Premises rent
14,300
- 500
Teachingand learningmaterial
2,528
- 981
Events
844
- 1,556
Library (New Books)
638
-
Teachers(late invoices)
4,310
-
-
-
57,920
- 30,505
Governance
Head of teachingand learning
2,450
- 1,200
2,450
- 1,200
Administrator costs
5,454
- 3,489
Insurance
426
- 362
Bank charges
60
- 66
Subscriptions(Membership)
161
- 284
Marketing&promotion
- -
Printingand stationery
- -
Postage
- -
Professional Fees
396
- 1,060
6,497
- 5,261
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost of charitable
activities
Management and
administation costs
Resources expended may be further analysed if this would help the reader of the accounts.
Unrestricted
restricted
This year
Last year
£
£
£
£
Tuition fees
35,300
- 27,467
Premises rent
14,300
- 500
Teachingand learningmaterial
2,528
- 981
Events
844
- 1,556
Library (New Books)
638
-
Teachers(late invoices)
4,310
-
-
-
57,920
- 30,505
Governance
Head of teachingand learning
2,450
- 1,200
2,450
- 1,200
Administrator costs
5,454
- 3,489
Insurance
426
- 362
Bank charges
60
- 66
Subscriptions(Membership)
161
- 284
Marketing&promotion
- -
Printingand stationery
- -
Postage
- -
Professional Fees
396
- 1,060
6,497
- 5,261
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost of charitable
activities
Management and
administation costs
Resources expended may be further analysed if this would help the reader of the accounts.
Unrestricted
restricted
This year
Last year
£
£
£
£
Tuition fees
35,300
- 27,467
Premises rent
14,300
- 500
Teachingand learningmaterial
2,528
- 981
Events
844
- 1,556
Library (New Books)
638
-
Teachers(late invoices)
4,310
-
-
-
57,920
- 30,505
Governance
Head of teachingand learning
2,450
- 1,200
2,450
- 1,200
Administrator costs
5,454
- 3,489
Insurance
426
- 362
Bank charges
60
- 66
Subscriptions(Membership)
161
- 284
Marketing&promotion
- -
Printingand stationery
- -
Postage
- -
Professional Fees
396
- 1,060
6,497
- 5,261
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost of charitable
activities
Management and
administation costs
Resources expended may be further analysed if this would help the reader of the accounts.
Unrestricted
restricted
This year
Last year
£
£
£
£
Tuition fees
35,300
- 27,467
Premises rent
14,300
- 500
Teachingand learningmaterial
2,528
- 981
Events
844
- 1,556
Library (New Books)
638
-
Teachers(late invoices)
4,310
-
-
-
57,920
- 30,505
Governance
Head of teachingand learning
2,450
- 1,200
2,450
- 1,200
Administrator costs
5,454
- 3,489
Insurance
426
- 362
Bank charges
60
- 66
Subscriptions(Membership)
161
- 284
Marketing&promotion
- -
Printingand stationery
- -
Postage
- -
Professional Fees
396
- 1,060
6,497
- 5,261
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost of charitable
activities
Management and
administation costs
Resources expended may be further analysed if this would help the reader of the accounts.
Unrestricted
restricted
This year
Last year
£
£
£
£
Tuition fees
35,300
- 27,467
Premises rent
14,300
- 500
Teachingand learningmaterial
2,528
- 981
Events
844
- 1,556
Library (New Books)
638
-
Teachers(late invoices)
4,310
-
-
-
57,920
- 30,505
Governance
Head of teachingand learning
2,450
- 1,200
2,450
- 1,200
Administrator costs
5,454
- 3,489
Insurance
426
- 362
Bank charges
60
- 66
Subscriptions(Membership)
161
- 284
Marketing&promotion
- -
Printingand stationery
- -
Postage
- -
Professional Fees
396
- 1,060
6,497
- 5,261
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost of charitable
activities
Management and
administation costs
Resources expended may be further analysed if this would help the reader of the accounts.
Unrestricted
restricted
This year
Last year
£
£
£
£
Tuition fees
35,300
- 27,467
Premises rent
14,300
- 500
Teachingand learningmaterial
2,528
- 981
Events
844
- 1,556
Library (New Books)
638
-
Teachers(late invoices)
4,310
-
-
-
57,920
- 30,505
Governance
Head of teachingand learning
2,450
- 1,200
2,450
- 1,200
Administrator costs
5,454
- 3,489
Insurance
426
- 362
Bank charges
60
- 66
Subscriptions(Membership)
161
- 284
Marketing&promotion
- -
Printingand stationery
- -
Postage
- -
Professional Fees
396
- 1,060
6,497
- 5,261
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost of charitable
activities
Management and
administation costs
Tuition fees 35,300 - 27,467
Premises rent 14,300 - 500
Teachingand learningmaterial 2,528 - 981
Events 844 - 1,556
Library (New Books) 638 -
Teachers(late invoices) 4,310 -
-
-
57,920 - 30,505
Head of teachingand learning 2,450 - 1,200
2,450 - 1,200
Administrator costs 5,454 - 3,489
Insurance 426 - 362
Bank charges 60 - 66
Subscriptions(Membership) 161 - 284
Marketing&promotion - -
Printingand stationery - -
Postage - -
Professional Fees 396 - 1,060
6,497 - 5,261
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Independent examiner's report on the accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

Report to the trustees Charity Name
Ecole des Copains
On accounts for the year 31st July 2024 Charity no 1167503
ended (if any)
Set out on pages
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended DD / MM / YYYY .

Responsibilities and basis As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the of report 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 all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's [The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of [insert name of applicable listed body]]. Delete [ ] if not applicable.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

● the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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.

Signed: Date: ~~Po~~ Name: Relevant professional

1

Oct 2018

IER

qualification(s) or body (if any):

Address:

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material 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 .

2

Oct 2018

IER