REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: CE012836 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1176528
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024 FOR CHRISTCHURCH PRESCHOOL
TC Group 11 De Grey Square De Grey Road Colchester Essex CO4 5YQ
CHRISTCHURCH PRESCHOOL
CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1-2 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 3 |
| Receipts and Payments account | 4 |
| Statements of Assets and Liabilities | 5 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 6 |
CHRISTCHURCH PRESCHOOL
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024
The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) for the year ended 31 July 2024. The financial statements have been prepared under receipts and payments accounting.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims
The CIO’s object is the development and education of children and young people.
Activities
The CIO works in partnership with parents and carers to promote the learning of preschool children in a safe and caring environment. The Christchurch Preschool is managed by a Trustee led committee of volunteers and a salaried manager. It provides funded and unfunded early education for three and four year old children.
Christchurch Preschool opened in 1974 and operates from two rooms within the Christ Church hall in Colchester, with access to a secure outdoor play area. The preschool opens from Monday to Friday for 38 weeks of the year on a sessional basis, ordinarily offering 8 sessions per week. Morning sessions run from 9.00 am – 12.00 pm and full day sessions run from 9.00 am – 3.45 pm.
Public benefit
In setting objectives, developing strategies and undertaking activities the Trustees give careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and believe that the CIO’s activities this year as represented by this annual report, carry out the CIO’s objects for the public benefit.
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Christchurch Preschool started the academic year on a significantly more stable footing than recently seen. The Preschool Manager has been in post for 6 months and the Chair of Trustees in post for 1 academic year. Our intake in September saw a significant increase from recent previous years, with many parents choosing to take the opportunity of full day education for their children. The staff worked hard to settle in the new students and to implement changes into the preschool day. The preschool manager worked closely with an Ofsted Improvement Partner. The increase in number of children on roll meant that we needed to recruit more staff. (In the previous 2 years we have had to reduce the number of staff employed by the preschool).
The trustees and staff continued their development of marketing for the preschool, using social media, our website and local resources to promote the preschool.
By January, several of our morning sessions were running at almost capacity. With the greater number of staff, we decided to increase the number of children in the setting from a maximum of 24 to a maximum of 28 (still within Ofsted space requirements). We still see significantly lower numbers of children in preschool on a Tuesday morning, we believe this is due to only being able to offer the shorter hours
The year we have built closer links to the church, following a new vicar joining the parish. We have started a new project with them to revamp both ot the preschool rooms, this follows a significant building project to the rest of the church. Joint fundraising for the project will continue throughout next academic year. The building work within the church has led to conversations supporting our desire to open the preschool for more hours on a Tuesday, and will be possible from September 2024.
In February, our Financial Administrator stepped down from her role and we recruited a new administrator. The new post allowed us to further develop this role.
In April, we welcomed a local author into the preschool to run a session for both children and parents. The number of children on role was still increasing and we increased some staff hours to support this further, as well as recruiting a new bank staff team member.
Staff have been working incredibly hard to implement a new vision and educational curriculum for the setting this year, as well as supporting a significantly higher number of students on role than in recent years. We have a large number of children leaving us this July to start school, however, due to our continued marketing, the role for September 2024 and beyond is very high. We have also worked hard this year on staff development, our deputy manager has trained and taken on the role of SENCO and we now have an ENCO on our team following more training.
We are expecting a number of our trustees to step down in September 2024, we have been working hard to recruit new members. In January, we appointed 2 new trustees, including a secretary and a further trustee later in the academic year. Our recruitment process for Trustees continues.
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This financial year saw a substantial increase in income from children on role and our fundraising efforts continued. The Trustees and Preschool staff collectively managed to raise £2,723 in additional funds through a series of events for children and their families. These fundraising events were opportunities not only for the raising of much needed funds but also opportunities to bring the community around Christchurch Preschool together.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Financial position
During this period, the preschool received £112,451 in income enabling the Charity to carry out its objectives of providing effective preschool education to children in the local community. Receipts have exceeded payments creating a surplus for the year of £7,985 .
The number of children attending preschool has steadily risen since the beginning of the academic year. The Trustees have agreed a staffing budget that relies on a significant increase in the number of children attending the setting. Close monitoring of the children on roll will be required to ensure that the charity is in a position to meet its financial obligations.
The charity continues to maintain a significant sum of reserves with which it can address this shortfall in income. In the upcoming academic year it will need to demonstrate constraint in expenditure as it sees its number on roll rise and income increase in order to reach a balanced budget.
Reserves policy
The Trustees would like to continue to hold 3 months reserve in order to cover a term’s expenses, as it is preferable to give parents a term’s notice to find alternative preschool education for their child. This has been calculated as approximately £26,000 based on this year’s costs.
At 31[st] July 2024 the CIO held reserves of £67,945 in the Unrestricted Fund.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Christchurch Preschool is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The activities are governed by a CIO Constitution registered 4 January 2018, as amended 1 August 2018.
Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting of the charity to serve for a period of two years from the date of their election. They are eligible for re-election after that period.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered (Company) number
CE012836 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity number
1176528
Address
| Christchurch Preschool | |
|---|---|
| Ireton Road | |
| Colchester | |
| CO3 3NL | |
| Trustees | |
| Rachel Frost | - resigned February 2024 |
| Sophie Bacon | |
| James Bacon | |
| Rosie Sammons | - resigned September 2024 |
| Charlotte Runicles | - resigned September 2024 |
| Joanna Tollworthy | - appointed June 2024 |
| Emily Ann Roerig Scrivener | - appointed January 2024 |
| Elspeth Hammond | - appointed January 2024 |
Report of the trustees approved by order of the board of trustees on 21 January 2025 and signed on the board's behalf by:
Sophie Bacon Trustee
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF CHRISTCHURCH PRESCHOOL
Independent examiner’s report to the Trustees of Christchurch Preschool ('the Charitable Incorporated Organisation')
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation for the year ended 31 July 2024
Responsibilities and basis of report
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 Trustee’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 2011 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
(1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
(2) the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Jacqueline Frost ACA TC Group 11 De Grey Square Dr Grey Road Colchester Essex CO4 5YQ
22 January 2025
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CHRISTCHURCH PRESCHOOL
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted |
Total funds | Total funds | |
| fund | funds | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Receipts | ||||
| Donations and Commission | 613 | - | 613 | 1,618 |
| Government grants | - | - | - | 453 |
| Fundraising Events | 2,723 | - | 2,723 | 2,353 |
| Fees for Charitable Services | 106,647 | - | 106,647 | 63,161 |
| Refreshments and Milk | 1,614 | - | 1,614 | 1,046 |
| Bank Interest | 234 | - | 234 | - |
| Miscellaneous | 620 | - | 620 | 33 |
| Total Receipts | 112,451 | - | 112,451 | 68,664 |
| Payments | ||||
| Cost of Fundraising Events | 1,501 | - | 1,501 | 868 |
| Salaries and National Insurance | 83,132 | - | 83,132 | 58,759 |
| Pension Contributions | 2,990 | - | 2,990 | 1,812 |
| Rent | 9,002 | - | 9,002 | 7,704 |
| Office Expenses | 1,543 | - | 1,543 | 1,369 |
| Insurance | 550 | - | 550 | 513 |
| Cost of Refreshments and Milk | 680 | - | 680 | 860 |
| Toys and Equipment | 983 | - | 983 | 341 |
| Staff Training | 423 | - | 423 | 430 |
| Registration Fees and Subscriptions | - | - | - | 255 |
| Uniforms | 698 | - | 698 | - |
| Cleaning and Maintenance | 369 | - | 369 | 269 |
| Accountant’s fees | 1,320 | - | 1,320 | 1,912 |
| Miscellaneous | 1,274 | - | 1,274 | 986 |
| Sub-total | 104,465 | - | 104,465 | 76,078 |
| Payment for Asset and Investment Purchases | ||||
| Purchase of Fixed Assets | - | - | - | 384 |
| Total Payments | 104,465 | - | 104,465 | 76,462 |
| Net Receipts / (Payments) | 7,985 | - | 7,985 | (7,798) |
| Transfers between funds | - | - | - | - |
| Net movement in funds | 7,985 | - | 7,985 | (7,798) |
| Cash Funds Brought Forward | 59,960 | - | 59,960 | 67,758 |
| Cash Funds Carried Forward | 67,945 | - | 67,945 | 59,960 |
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CHRISTCHURCH PRESCHOOL
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 JULY 2024
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total funds | Total funds | |
| fund | funds | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Cash Funds | ||||
| Bank Accounts | 67,945 | - | 67,95 | 59,945 |
| Petty Cash | - | - | - | 15 |
| Total Cash Funds | 67,945 | - | 67,945 | 59,960 |
| Other monetary assets | ||||
| Fees due | 203 | - | 203 | - |
| Total Other monetary assets | 203 | - | 203 | - |
| Assets retained for the Charities own use | ||||
| Computer Equipment | 1,775 | - | 1,775 | 1,775 |
| Projector | 80 | - | 80 | 80 |
| Credit card payment card reader | 60 | - | 60 | 60 |
| Total Assets | 1,915 | - | 1,915 | 1,915 |
| Liabilities | ||||
| Pension contributions | - | - | - | - |
| Milk creditor | - | - | - | - |
| Fees due | - | - | - | 40 |
| Paye/NI creditor | - | - | - | - |
| DBS checks | - | - | - | - |
| Total Liabilities | - | - | - | 40 |
Approved by the Board of Trustees on 21 January 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Emily Ann Roerig Scrivener Trustee
Sophie Bacon Trustee
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CHRISTCHURCH PRESCHOOL
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2023
1. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 July 2024 or 31 July 2023.
Trustees' expenses
No (2023: Two) trustees received reimbursement for expenses totalling £0 (2023: £968), which were incurred on behalf of the Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
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