2024-08-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1st September 2023 to 31[st] August 2024

Charity name: Skylarks Community Preschool

Charity registration number: 1169303

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The Charity’s aim is to advance the development and education of children from the age of 2 to 5 years by:  Offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, allowing for parental involvement.  Offering opportunities for all children whatever their race, culture, religion, means and ability
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	Providing a safe, rich, rewarding, play based environment. Recruitment, training and development of qualified staff who look after children aged 2 to 5 years including preparation for their transition to primary school. Trustees support all staff members to carry out their roles and with any decision making for the benefit of the preschool. We are an equal opportunity employer supporting families within the village.
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	Trustees have had regard to the guidance issues by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
	Para 1.38
Policy on grant making
	Para 1.38
Policy on social investment
including program related
investment

Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	Parent and Trustee fundraising work in this area helps to promote community cohesion and publicity for the preschool. Assisted in the development of the pre-school by providing funds for new equipment to benefit the children.
Other

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	The preschool is staffed by experienced and well-qualified staff. We operate with good ratios of staff to children. All staff focus on individual child development within the EYFS framework. We offer a safe, fun and stimulating environment in which children learn through play. We ensure all children have the opportunity to develop off of their learning goals. Since the start in 2021 we have contnued to support the village with pre school places and have good communicaton and interacton with the local schools and village residents, with the expansion of the village demand for places has grown and we have adapted to accommodate more children. We stll provide a multtude of actvites on a daily basis and include weekly visits from dance and exercise groups which the children enjoy and also planned visits from the fre and police service. We re-designed our outside area to include a built in mud kitchen area and water play and give more storage for new bikes and scooters for the children, music unit and mark making areas. The sof play area and sensory area has benefted all children but especially those children with SEND. We welcomed 3 new staf and developed 2 staf to become Level 2/3 trained.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41
Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	We hold reserves for contingency planning, in particular for wages/redundancy/minimum wages increases and utility costs.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	£25,000
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Constitution
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Charitable Incorporated Organisation
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Nominated by AGM

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Skylarks Community Preschool
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number	1169303
Charity’s principal address	Broadbridge Heath Village Centre Wickhurst Lane Broadbridge Heath Horsham West Sussex RH12 3LY

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	Kathleen Thomson	Chair
	Ian Thomson	Treasurer
	Rhiannon Wood	Secretary

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets held in this capacity

Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects

Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of Name Address adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Kathleen Thomson ~~ee~~ Position (eg Secretary, Chair Chair, etc) ~~ee~~ Date 09/02/2024 ~~fF~~

Skylarks Community Preschool Accounts I" September 2023 to 31" August 2024 Charity Number 1169303 Starting Balance: £62,551.70 Total Income: £256,669.36 WSCC Fees: £198.313.89 Parents Fees: £ 58,151.41 Fundraising: 204.06 Total Expenditure: £255.179.76 Activities: £ 2407.26 Arts and Crafts: £ 2932.12 Cleaning Products: 615.10 Paper Towels: 520.35 Plastic Cups 125.53 Nappies/Wipesrrissues 583.36 Snacks/Fruit £ 3447.21 Coffee/Tea 571.55

Stationery £ 1150.00 Toys £ 5255.31 New Equipment £ 12123.26 Unifom] £ 1036.35 Annual Subscriptions £ 1901.89 Phone/Printer 1956.24 WageslHMRC £ 166598.64 HMRC: £ 20817.60 Rent: £ 15600.00 Books: 446.00 Maintenance: 1815.79 Entertainment/Days Out". £ 5817.96 Gloves . 145.23 Pension: £ 5105.08 Training: 330.62 First Aid: 147.55 Funding Returned 906.46 Sage Payroll 561.60 SENCO 368.72 Staff 1337.89 Fundraising 219.09 Tapestry 336.00

End Balance: £ 64,041JO Signed as a true and accurate statement of account. Signed . Print Name . Position Date .

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustsesl members of On accounts for the year ended Charity no (if any) Il613&2. Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended 31 0 ¥ Z4y. Responsibilities and As the charity Irustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Acf). 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. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (Othe*￿ ") in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: accounting records were nol kept in accordance with section 130 of Ihe Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examiner's statsment I have no concems 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. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Dats: Signed: 2S Name: 5fp￿tr] Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address.. 111 &¥JJrfe4 sAio oTrI IER October 2018

Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highligm 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. IER October 2018