2025-08-31-accounts - The St Mary's Pre-School

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The St Mary's Pre-School

Minutes

AGM Meeting Via Zoom Monday 23[rd] June @8pm

Present: Kim Oakley (KO), Mark Treliving (MT), Louise Harrington (LH), Tina Hillson (TH), Pippa Bennett (PB),

Welcome from the Chair

Apologies

Matters arising from November 2024 meeting (PB) – not discussed in April meeting

ACTION: LH – LH to check if Virgin merging with Nationwide – UPDDATE: they have merged. But Nationwide doesn’t do the account type that we need. ACTION: LH contact to Virgin to setup new online account.
ACTION: TH - Kim – netball – financial advisor - Could seek advice. UPDATE: TH spoke to contact at Mole Valley Asset Management MVAM suggested put in bonds for a year will make 3.5-4% and would cost 0.5% as charges. ACTION: LH to speak to Virgin about earning interest potential.
ACTION: TH/LH – looking to stream line ‘stuff’, get more organised. UPDATE: Shed has been sorted, some streamlining has taken place but more to do. PB to remove from actions as ongoing.
ACTION: TH/LH – plan to clear up storage place (North Holmwood) due to all the paperwork there. ACTION: LH/PB to look at digital storage options. Currently pay £700-800 per year for storage. Paperwork needs to be kept for 7 years.
ACTION: LH/PB – LH to investigate a better bank account with a local branch. LH/PB to investigate banking which can be done through the Post Office. UPDATE: Natwest and Nationwide don’t do community accounts any more. Cheque received from South Holmwood charity occasionally – these have to be sent recorded delivery up to London to be processed by CAF bank. PB to close action as investigation Virgin accounts action above already in place.
ACTION: LH/TH to consider staff pay increases once finances are known for this academic year. UPDATE: LH/TH to consider in the Autumn term.
ACTION: MN (Maz) to organise quiz night. UPDATE: no progress, close action and perhaps revisit in future.
ACTION: AP/LH/TH to review all policies and procedures. Safeguarding policy in progress. UPDATE: Safeguarding P&P in progress.
ACTION: All – discuss plans post LH/TH retirements. UPDATE: TH/LH assure Trustees that plenty of notice will be given. PB to close action
ACTION: PB/LH/TH to ensure we hold termly Trustee meetings (on Weds evenings) Achieved , continue, but close action.
ACTION: TH - Safeguarding training – all trustees should do – TH to look at most appropriate. UPDATE: Need to reregister on Olive training system. ACTION: AP/LH.

Matters arising from April 2025 meeting

ACTION: LH/TH to send out DofE guidance notes to Mark and Kim so they can read it. ACTION: LH/TH. UPDATE: Complete
ACTION: PB to change photo on Facebook page. UPDATE: LH has idea for photo. ACTION: LH to liaise with PB over idea for photo
ACTION: LH – next meeting before May half term. Then AGM after May half term. Complete
ACTION: LH said rent will go up by 5%, KO – suggested 3% in line with current inflation. ACTION: LH/TH to negotiate with church. UPDATE: No negotiation achieved on rate but rate does include elec, oil, water and Surrey feel we are getting a fairly good deal.

Chair’s Report

The 2024/25 academic year has again been successful and extremely busy!
Relations with the PCC remain good and we are still working well with both the vicar, Jane, and the church warden, Sally, which is good and so helpful to us.
Even though our numbers are not as high as in previous years, due to a drop in the birth rate, the take up of sessions is good and we are now to capacity for the Summer term. We remain popular for the next academic year and currently have 55 confirmed children on our lists.
The Working Families funding entitlement has been a positive this year and allowed, particularly the younger children, to attend more sessions. The earlier drop off at 8.15am has been successful with anywhere between 3 and 8 children daily attending throughout the week.
The new government changes to the funded entitlement for both universal and working parents’ children from September 2025 will see a change to our ‘funded’ offer for families. The impact of this is on us as a setting is undetermined at this time.
Using DAF money from 5 children and a ‘bright futures’ grant, we have been able to build an outdoor learning area with a covered structure at the side of the Vicar’s garden. This space is being used for planting and many other learning opportunities in small groups. We have been very fortunate that Tiffany’s brother, who has a construction company, has been able to help us out with this project which has greatly reduced the cost. Also, in agreement with the PCC and for safeguarding reasons, we have been able to erect some picket fencing along the disabled rails to the wall with a gate which is still to be added, again this has been constructed by Tiffany’s brother at a reduced cost.
Our Open Morning on 18[th] June was well attended with several new families from the village coming along which was great to see. Our annual outing to the SSME trains in Leatherhead was well attended and enjoyed by families both existing and new.
The Trustees would like to thank all the staff for their, continued, dedication and the staff and children look forward to the next academic year.

Staff Report (LH)

Our numbers have built steadily throughout the academic year, we finish with 60 children on roll, 24 of which are leaving in July to go to school. We currently have 55 children on role for the next academic year.
This year has again seen a high number of SEN children on roll, several of which will be going to school in September with EHCP’s. We finish the year with 18 children on an SSP (support plan). Tina, Marie and the SEN team have again worked extremely hard to ensure that every one of these children have been given the opportunity to thrive and make progress in their development.
The government has again changed the way in which we are able to offer our funding entitlement, and from September 2025, the main change is that we will no longer be able to charge children who attend all day a ‘lunch service’ fee. Instead, we will be able to charge an amount for the end of the day if a child is collected after 3pm.
Staff have again enjoyed being able to carry out non-contact time during their working hours in setting (the office). Staff with key children are allocated time each week to do this work.
Gorgia Putnam gained her level 3 qualification earlier this year which we congratulate her on however, she has decided to leave us in July to hopefully go traveling. We will be sorry to lose her and wish her all the best for her adventures.
Tiffany Harden joined St Mary’s in September 2024 and is a great addition to our team. She is currently studying for her level 3 qualification.
We would like to thank all the staff for their hard work this year and continued dedication to St Mary’s.

Treasurer’s Report (LH)

Accounts as at 20/6/2025
CAF Current Account - £117,967.16
CAF Fundraising Account - £500
CAF Gold savings - £37,947.74
Virgin Saver - £50,301
A profit of £5,949 was made in the academic year 2023/24.
We are currently in profit by approx. £80,000 for this academic year but salaries, employers NI, pensions and any other running costs are still to come for June, July and August.
NI increased again in April which has had an impact on staff salaries with some qualified staff being paid the same hourly rate as unqualified staff.
The PCC have again decided to increase our rent by 5% to £57.88 per day (£289.40 per week).
We currently remain in a good financial position however with all the coming changes to fees and funding we are unsure how this will affect us over the coming year.

Fundraising (LH):

Nothing to report currently.

General discussion between trustees / AOB:

LH explained late pick up charge (£6.50) will be strictly enforced if children not collected at 3pm. Others will choose to pay the £6.50 charge for a later 3:45pm pick up.
MT asked how the admin of late charges will be managed. LH suggested fining people on the same day it occurs. LH expecting that this will upset some parents. It needs to be communicated carefully to parents. LH suggested giving out hard copies of these rules. MT suggested presenting a sum up machine to late parents (tongue in cheek!).
KO suggested sending the draft communication to someone else to judge the wording. LH suggested sending to Emma for her feedback. ACTION: LH to draft and send.
Losing £18k approx due to end of lunch charge.
Our target market now is 2027+ leavers.
Three days are now fully booked from September.
Two-year-olds eligible for 30 hours from September.
LH stated it’s been a hard year but a good year. There’s so much work to be done.
AP has nearly finished the safeguarding policies.
TH has to do a lot of work chasing Surrey re SEN paperwork etc.
TH stated there are also quite a few Children’s Services children which is quite a responsibility.
LH/TH would like to do a pay rise for staff. Conscious that non-qualified staff being paid same as qualified. Conscious can earn more in Waitrose!
Chatterbox Nursery in Dorking closing down.
Some primary school numbers are low. Mickleham due to have 6 start in reception, Scott Broadwood has 12 starting, Newdigate has 18, whereas North Downs has 26 on each site.
Gorgia leaving and not being replaced, plus adjustments to the number of families should help us close the gap created by the loss of lunch payments. Plus two staff losing a day of work each (one wanted to drop hours, the other didn’t want to drop hours but not on a fixed contract (SEN team)). SEN children bring in a lot of funding.
Need to keep a close eye on our spending. DAF payments have to be used on things that will benefit that child (although can also benefit other children). Brighter futures grant and DAF payments used to create the new outdoor learning space in vicar’s garden.
Forest School – LH/TH discussed how we don’t know the future of the land. May have been a change of tenant. Rumour that there may be plans for the field, perhaps sheep. Using the outdoor learning space helps to free up the room when it’s a bit busy, a group of 8 children can go out there in any weather.
PCC are organising the roof to be re-felted. This will be done over the summer. They have not contacted preschool for a contribution.
PCC Treasurer is stepping down.
KO suggested paying TH or LH for an extra week to give them time to work through some of the outstanding actions such as storage, policies etc which have been listed as actions for some time now. MT asked if there is anyone else that can work through some of these actions? LH felt it takes too long to have to explain/delegate to another member of staff. KO suggested putting a date in the diary each month so

that there is a day when LH/TH can work through some of the longer-term actions. ACTION: LH/TH to trial this in the autumn term.

PB commented that apart from the banking actions, the list of outstanding actions is not too long and can be simplified. MT suggested asking Emma to look at the banking actions but LH says she’s too busy.
LH/TH said Annette could help clear some of the actions – eg trustee training, policies etc. ACTION: TH/LH to ask Annette if she can manage any more hours.
LH thanked Trustees for their time and support. KO thanked LH/TH and all staff for their hard work.

Date of next meeting: after October half term (half term begins 27[th] October) ACTION: PB to organise nearer the time

Actions from this meeting:

ACTION: LH contact to Virgin to setup new online account.
ACTION: LH to speak to Virgin about earning interest potential.
ACTION: LH/PB to look at digital storage options.
ACTION: LH/TH to consider staff pay increases in the Autumn term.
ACTION: AP/LH/TH to review all policies and procedures.
ACTION: AP/LH safeguarding training for trustees.
ACTION: LH/PB LH to give PB photo idea for Facebook header. PB to organise.
ACTION: LH/PB – LH to draft communication about fines for late pickups from September, send to someone for checking careful wording (perhaps Emma), then distribute paper copies to parents. PB to set up Microsoft form so parents can confirm they’ve received it and read it.
ACTION: LH/TH to trial one day a month/half-term spent on longer term actions in the autumn term to help clear list of actions.
ACTION: TH/LH to ask Annette if she can manage any more hours to help clear HR/policy actions outstanding.
ACTION: PB to organise next Trustee meeting after October half term.

- The St Marys Pre School 12 month Accounts as @ 31st August 2025

Fees	78,857.01
Surrey County Council & EYPP	247,967.08
Other Income	3,676.00
Fundraising	1,072.35
Interest Income	1,679.17
	333,251.61
Rent	11,478.96
Salaries	280,797.46
General Expenditure	27,446.11
Fundraising Expenditure	964.00
	320,686.53
Profit/(Loss)	12,565.08
Bank Accounts
Petty Cash	1,430.46
Current Account	0.00
Fundraising Acct	0.00
Prepayments	-33,774.40
Virgin Account	50,301.50
Debtors - Accruals	333.99
CAF Current Account	85,636.87
CAF Fundraising Account	376.08
CAF Gold Savings	38,137.68
	142,442.18 (129,877.1 @ 31.08.2

The St Mary's Pre School Charity Number 1171309 ACCOUNTANT'S CERTIFICATE In accordance with instructions received. we have prepared and audited these Financial Statements for the period ending 31" August 2025 from the records, inforniation and explanations supplied to us. Emma Minter of South Holmwood, Dorking, this 3 day of November 2025. I approve these accounts and confinn that I have made available all relevant records and inforniation for their preparation. Mrs Louise Harrington. St Mary's Pre School, this Sd day of ,2025. Only valid when signed by an authorised representative of the Pre School and by Emma Minter of 40 Warwick Close, South Holmwood, Doiking, Surrey, RH5 4NL.