Sevington Wictorian School Trusteeg Annual Report for the period 1° September 2023 to 31° August 2024 Charity Name: Sevington Victorian School Charlty Reglstratlon Number: 1178337 Objectlves and Activlties The purposes of the charlty are twofold: to provlde an authentic experience of Wictorian school Ilfe for chlldren and adults and to conserve the herltage of the Sevin8ton school buildings and 8ardens for present and future 8eneratlons to experlence and enjoy. The first of these aims is delivered throu8h a programme of visits for primary school and adult groups, as well as open events for the 8eneral public. The second is managed by the trustees who plan and supervlse a pro8ramme of repalr and maintenance. Visits, both by children and adults, are conducted on a non-profft-makin8 basls and the trustees understand and have re8ard to the Charity Commission's 8uidance on public beneflt. Achlevements and Perforniance School booklngs In the Autumn term 2023 there were 23 visiting schools. booking a total of 31 school days. In the Spring term 2024 22 schools visited, bookin8 a total of 34 school days. In the Summer term 2024 there were 16 schools, booking a total of 24 school days. The overall totsl of school booked (891 shows an impressive increase of 43.5% on the number of bookings in the previous school year (62). The number of individual schools making bookings1611 also increased very pleasingly by 32.6% on the previous year {461. As there were only two schools new to Sevington, this year evidences the return of many Schools which have traditionally made an annual booking. Work will continue in promotin8 Sevington more widely amon8St schools which have not yet visited. 79 of the 89 school days booked this year were by state schools and 10 by independent school& Of the 89 days booked, 61 were Key Stage 2 classes and 28 Key Stage I classes, showing a slight rise in the ratio of KS2 to KSI on the previous year. It seems that schools have gone to some lengths this year to meet the rising costs of coach transport, thou8h this is undoubtedly still an issue. The construction of the solar farm at
Leigh Delamere, anticipated to cause some disruption to school bookings, was again delayed and is now scheduled for 2025, although exact dates have not yet been set. After keeping the daily booking fee unchanged for many years, the trustees decided in April to increase It from £250 to £300 wlth effect from September 2024 In order to keep pace with rising costs. They will monltor closely any effect thls mlght have on numbers of bookln8S. The trustees would like to thank Sue Dann, Booking5 Secretary, for her efficiency and for the excellent relationships she has buih with visiting schi)ols. The Teachlng Team and School Vlslts: Report by Nlkkl Wrl8ht Thls will be my final report as Teachin8 Team Leader. as Jennifer Adams is taking on the role for 2024-2025. The teaching team welcomes trustee Jenny Jones, a qualffied classroom teacher, as one of our MS55 Hannah Squlres durSng the new academlc year. We have had another successful year in the schoolroom. Reading Miss squire's dlary which is written up after every school vlsit, the professionallsm of the teachin8 team shines throuth. This professionallsm starts with the bookings process and our very experiented Booklngs Secretary, Sue Dann. Many evaluations note this: -The Information whlch Is emalled to the school Is detaSled and helps u5 to prepare for the visit.. and "The booking pack is very clear and Informative - nothing can really be missedl" Despite this we have frequently encountered the visiting teacher who has not read their briefin8 notes and turns up without register, wlthout copybooks. whose adult helpers are dressed inappropriately (hoodies and le8gin8sl and whose children are all carrylng plastic bottles of water. All are accommodated and sorted, as noted by one of these teachers in her evaluation: "kind all0vnCeS We made for our lack of preparation". As a team we have had to deal with a variety of other issues which arlse durin8 school vlslts. A recurrln8 theme has been problems wlth transport, usually coaches. Coach drivers rarely plan how to get to us and Consequent many schools arrive late. As schools are only with us for four hours on avera8e, any loss of time requires the two Miss Squires to adapt the day to incorporate thls. The weather of course can have an Impart on the day and rain and cold have been recurring themes during this academic year. Poor weather means adjustments to all of our outside activities, such as eating lunch in the schoolroom, providing children with jackets and shawls and indoor rather than outside recreation. The professionalism extends to making sure that the many special needs that the thildren bring with them do not affert their enjoyment and potential to learn during the day. This is often noted by teachers in their evaluations, such as. "{our} SEN chIldn all played alon8 and were engaged and happy Witho having to change the offer for them." °Miss Squire and her sister were aware of any {special) needs and were sensitive to these."
We look fonvard to more happy visits during 2024-25. The trustees would like to thank Nikki Wright, Teaching Team Leader. for the above report and for her outstandingwork in this role overthe last seven years. We also thank all member5 of the teaching team for their dedicated and inspirin8 work. Adult vlslts There were no adult 8roup visits this year, althou8h a few enquiries were received. With the support of Dinah Starkey, retired trustee and organiser of the aduft 8roup visits, we now plan to undertake a promotional drive aimed at local groups and societies. A speclal celebratlon Spring 2024 marked 175 years since the school first opened its doors to pupils on Sunday 15 th April 1849. Trustees decided therefore to celebrate this with an event on Sunday 14 Aprll, to which all those with a connection to the school- Friends, supporters, funders and all our nelghbours In Sevlngton and Lei8h Delamere- would be invited. Or8ani5ation of the event bè8an In Autumn 2023 and continued throu8h the wlnter, several attracOnS were booked and activities organised. Research was done on the architect and his initial desi8ns forthe school, to be presented in the form of a dlsplay, and the booklet on the history of the school was updated and reprlnted. However, in early April the extended period of very heavy raln meant that V could not hold the event In our gardens, as planned, and were forced to postpone it to Sunday 9 June. Disappointin8ly, the change of date meant that only 65 of the original 94 guests were able to attend, nevertheless the event went very well and was enjoyed by all who were there. Open Days Followin8 the 17>year celebration. the school opened to the public on two further Sunday afternoons, one In Au8USt and one as part of Heritsge Open in September. The events were well publicised and more than 120 visitors attended. The schoolroom lesson and afternoon teas were as popular as ever and comments in the Vlsitors, Book were very complimentary. In addition, in July the school also hosted. as it does annually, around 120 visitors as part of an event organised by a local farmer to give foster famllies and carers a fun day in the countryside. The trustees are very grateful to all the volunteers who helped make our celebrations and open events so successful this year. They would also like to thank the nei8hbours kindly offered parking facilities for our open events.
Malntenan¢e of bulldlngs and garden Thankfully. only minor repairs to the buildings have been necessary th15 year. A leak In the upstalrs costume room was repaired. the water heater in the kitchen was replaced and the problem of tsps causin8lloodin8 round the top of the basins in the toilets was addressed. The replica key for the schoolroom was completed, providing us with a valuable spare for emergencies. Our gardens continue to look attractive at all times of the year, thanks to the skills and dedication of our gardener. This year we have made a feature of the garden for open events and information about the different Victorian plants has attrncted a lot of Interest. We were not successful in our bid for funding for more garden furniture and are looking at other ways of acqulring this. Followlng a conversation with our neighbour about exactly where our boundaries are, we discovered that a door blocked by nettles, vthich we thought belonged to our nei8hbour's shed, in fact opens into a small shed on ovr land, which we will now clear and use for storage. Heatln8 prolert Work on our projert to Improve the cost-effethveness and appearance of the sch¢x)I's heatin8 continued this year. A member Company of the Chartered Institute of Bullding Services En8lneers made an Inltial vlslt free of charge, but even the cost of a full survey for a buildlng of this kind was felt to be prohibitlvely expenslve. It was decided instead to maintain the heating systems we have, replacing the radiant heaters in the schoolroom and updating the stora8e heaters in the school house. Flnanclal Revlew Treasurerfs Report for the Flnanclal Year 202312024 Income and Expendlture Statement Thls year we invested in a new accountlng package Xero to simplify the accounts system and future proof It so that it can be handed on to whoever takes over in the future. I have met with the accountant each month to make sure we are maximi5ing use of the system. Thi5 was at no cost to Sevin8ton. Income In thls school year we hosted 89 school whith is an increase since 22123.
After a discussion with the teachers, it was decided the shop would close but there have been several successful events held during the year which again have contributed to the overall income. We have also received several donations which include one from Park Fami. Expendfture Increase in expenditure includes buildin8 maintenance work which has been carried out. The tost of garden maintenante and lawn and cleaning continues to be a sizable proportlon of our expendlture, as well as the cost of enew. Balance sheet At the end of the financial yearthe charlty had a cash balance of £36,409.23 whlch Includes a ring-fenced amount of £IO,IXI) for Building Repair and Maintenance. Karen McCormad¢. Treasurer Structure, Governance and Management The Sevington Vlctorlan School charity is an association Charitable Incorporated Organisation ICIO). Durin8 2023-24 It had a membership of 38 Friends who support the charity and have voting ri8hts. The charity has a constitutlon as its governin8 document. The charlty VRS managed In 2023-24 by 7 trustees. In August 2024 Davld Wltt retlred for health reasons and the trustees would Ilke to express thelr appreclation for hls conslderable contribution durln8 many years of Involvement wlth the school. The trustees operate as a closfrknlt 8roup, wlth indlvidual trustees havln8 different areas of responsibility, A Treasurer and a Secretary have been appointed from among the trustees. New trustees are generally selected by personal recommendation and are often people who already have some a5sociatioTr with the charity; their appointment is approved by the members. Reference and Admlnlstratlve detalls Charlty name: Sevington Victorian School Re8lstered charlty number: 1178337 Charlrfs addres Sevington Victorian School Sevington Chippenham Wiltshire SN14 7LD
Names of the Charl$ trustees: TIM Cradock Jennyjones Karen Mccormack (Treasurer) Isobel Moore {Secretary) Lesley Palmer Sylvla Townsend David Witt (now retired) Dedaratlon: The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees, report above. Signed on behalf of the charlty's trustees: Sl8nature Full name Isobel Moore Posltlon 5ecretsry 07.11.2024
ooding CCOUNTS EMPOWERING YOUR FUTURE www.goodixkgccount8.co.uk Report to the member8 OE Sevingtoo Victorian School On ac¢ount8 for the year ende&. 31 Augusi 2024 Re8pe¢tive re8pon8ibilitie8 of The Trea$tsrer as appointed by Sevington Victorian School tTrtee8 and examinet is responsiblc for the pryaration of the accounts. The Charity consider th%t in depth audit is not WUAred fot this year and thAt a thorough indepthdent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: exthirt the ccounts. confim] that the figures pres¢Tht a trne 2nd fair view of the position. to State vknether parttcu]ar matteTr have come to my attentiotL Ba8i8 of Ind¢peftdent exAmlnee8 My examition was carticd Out in accurdancc with general 8tatement Dircctiorts given by the S¢vington Victorian School and Accountancy bo(lies. An examination indudes 2 review of the accounttng records kept by the Charity and compatison of the accounts presented with those records. It also indudes considcrauon of any unusual ktcms or disclosures in the counts and seeknng explanations from the Treasurer concerning any such matters. The ptocedutes undertAken do not provide au the evidence that would be r4uired in gn 2udi4 and consequendy no opioion is given as to whether thc accounts prcsent a 'true #nd fsir, view and the teport is limited to those mattus set outin the sratcmcnt belnw. partnEt5' 5anl C11¥ FM44TPW4TTWM Kati. WxFtA CornpanyN¢Y. IA)h74.v gistsreokn Erknj3r W5•& Lrd Re8i5teredOffKe. 74 Wjmiiiiqtt BAI_I 3PE ICAEW CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
Independent examiner'8 In conncttion with my etyjJitiO4 no Jnattet hgs Come to my Statement attention l. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect. the tequircmeThts: to keep accOUntts records io accordance with rcgulat Accountitig procedurtt. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and compty with the nec£ssw accounting r4uircments of the Sevtngton Victollan Sch(K)L have not been me¢ or 2. to which, in my OpiAt0 attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be 3. which would give rise to any concern in relation the ft disclosure nf all financial m%trers in rdauon t() the vingtoft Vtctoiiati SchooL S*n¢d: D#te: 0711112024 Name: Relevant profe88lonAI qualification(8) ot b(y. ICAEW Addre88: G(x)dmg Accounts Ltd 24 Warminstet Road. Westbury Wiltshire BA13 3PE
CHARITY COMMISSION F041 ENGLANO AND WAIES 1178337 Receopts and payments accounts 01109r223 CC16a To 311W24 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds Restricted Endowment nd8 Total fund• Lttt ymr R•c¢ipts Substhplon6 Donatbns 415 Schoc4 Sho 2.670 Schod ViBits X+,110 20,110 10,710 570 Grou Vlstts Fundrel Evenl8 595 Glft Rofunds 282 Ch• Don8tl¢o• 1500 AR) 24.625 15.895 Total r•¢•lpts 15,89S P•yTh•nts l)ffie4 Equplmnt Offir Exper Website 174 147 159 551 651 320 Admin Expen0•• Hou8ekooplng Heal & Llghllng Repair5 & Renew Rat0$ & In$ur8 1.422 1,910 283 783 718 710 3.505 1,349 Garden M81nl•nar Buildlng wo8 S¢lKxJ ShDP Booking Swgtary T•8chSTrJ Toam Teachiro Resourc 185 10,710 18 1.218 264 Alsc &aff TralnlThJ T0ph & Intfjrrnl 240 573 28,035 57Y 28.035 Sub total 23,936 24035 28,035 23,936 Net olr•¢8lpts/(paym8ntsJ Transfors lJ•tw•trn lunds Cash funds last yr •nd Cash funds thls ye•r end 3,410 3A10 8,011 39,819 39,619 36M09 47,860 39,81 CCXX R1 arwJTrts ISSI 07n112024
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unr05trictod Endowm•nt Categor1•9 D•tslls funds fvnd8 t•n••r••¢£ Calh funds General FuThJ 11000 Tolal ¢ash fun(ts Ft0hCh DÉtall$ Co•t(opU0 cUrr•ntYi• Assats f•taln•d for the charit• own u Snod by ono or tr1001 on turn Date ol approval tri(c+_ ¢CXX R2 nIS ISSI 0711112024