THE WOODLAND PRE-SCHOOL
The Guide and Scout Centre, Coates Lane, Downley, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP13 5UX 01494 521953 (8.30am – 12.30pm)
Chair of Trustees Report to AGM 9th October 2025
Good evening. My name is Julia Rouse and I am the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Woodland Pre-School. My involvement with Woodlands goes back a long way as my children came here and then I became the Early Years leader at Woodlands - a position I loved for the values Woodlands embodies and the reason I am still involved today!
Background to CIO
Woodlands officially registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 12th February 2019. Although it had operated as a registered charity for over 40 years, the change to CIO status gave the Woodland Pre-School its own legal identity and removed the liability on the individual committee members. The tenure of the elected governing body gives the pre-school stability and continuity.
The role of the trustees
So, what do we do? Well, the trustees have the role of being "Guardians of Purpose” which means that we put the needs and best interests of Woodlands at the heart of our decisions. We have a duty to safeguard the charity's assets which include those that are physical, financial and intangible such as its reputation.
We meet half termly to discuss how the pre-school is working, whether the income covers our expenses, what action needs to be taken regarding the management of the setting and decisions are regularly taken as the rules and government guidelines change. New challenges present themselves which must be addressed and we do our best to carry out our duties conscientiously.
We are pleased to report that Woodlands is in a sound financial position. Last year the number of children attending was high. Woodlands is now welcoming 2-year-old children and this has meant some changes to the curriculum with increased staffing levels.
The Governing Body
The other trustees are:
Katy White - Katy has been the Early Years Lead Practitioner since April 2019. She was a primary school teacher for many years and brought her wealth of knowledge to the position. Katy has two children who came to Woodlands several years ago.
Karen Pearson - Karen is the administrator at Woodlands. Karen's two children have both been pupils at Woodlands.
Sam Edwards-Price
Sam joined the Board of Trustees 2 years ago following her time spent on the fund-raising committee whilst her daughter and son were at Woodlands. She is a registered childminder and runs Monday Minis at the Community Centre. Sam has responsibility as our Safeguarding representative.
Greg Head
Greg joined the trustees last October whilst his granddaughter was at Woodlands. Greg was a Maths teacher for many years so is able to help with overseeing our finances.
I should like to thank all my fellow trustees for their time and involvement in the discussions and sometimes challenging situations we have had to deal with this year. We are a small team and have collectively supported the staff at Woodlands who work fantastically hard.
The Woodland Pre-School is a Registered Charity Number 292793
THE WOODLAND PRE-SCHOOL
The Guide and Scout Centre, Coates Lane, Downley, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP13 5UX 01494 521953 (8.30am – 12.30pm)
Trustee positions
We are looking forward to welcoming a current parent, Jess Russell, to the board of trustees in the very near future. Jess is a primary school teacher with a lot of relevant qualifications and experience which we are sure will be very useful to Woodlands.
If anyone else is interested in becoming a trustee and would like to know more about the role, please speak to one of the trustees after the meeting or contact us via the Woodland’s email address. You may have a talent that will help us to ensure Woodlands continues to operate on a sound footing!
Ofsted
Woodlands was inspected in March 2022 and received a “Good” judgement in all areas. We were well prepared for the inspection and the Inspector was pleased with our setting, the children's behaviour, willingness to learn and their confidence. It takes a minor miracle to achieve an outstanding grade, and we were all very happy to receive a Good judgement.
The Fund-raising Committee
We need to continue to raise funds to support the pre-school particularly when equipment needs replacing or new resources are requested by the staff. As trustees, we appreciate the work that a fund-raising committee does and hope that we can encourage the current cohort of families to offer their time to help organise events such as the Christmas Fair. I would also point out that it can be great fun and an excellent way to get to know other families!
The Staff
Our staff greet each day and child with enthusiasm, ready to help every individual enjoy their time with us. The children's happiness and development are at the fore front of their learning as they tackle new activities "with love & laughter".
The trustees are proud of Katy, Karen, Natalie, Bea, Farzana, Lisa, Shayle, Gemma, Sarah, Emily, Lydia and Maryte who work so brilliantly together and who adapt to evolving scenarios with fortitude, commitment and resilience. We know that much time is spent planning the curriculum, devising stimulating and fun activities for the children and training to keep their skills up to date and relevant. A big part of Woodlands is the community ethos, and our staff are constantly in touch with families to ensure that Woodlands is warm, welcoming and inclusive.
Knowing how caring, enthusiastic, resourceful and dedicated the staff at Woodlands are, we are hopeful that the children will remember their time here with happy memories and a lifelong love of learning!
On behalf of the trustees, parents and children - the biggest thanks must go to Katy & Karen for their commitment, energy and amazing patience. It is because of their unstinting love for the children and their well-being that Woodlands continues to thrive. As trustees we are privileged to work with such amazing people and we are rightly proud to be part of the Woodlands community.
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The Woodland Pre-School is a Registered Charity Number 292793
The Woodland Pre-School For the year ended 31 August 2025 Profit and Loss
INCOME
Incoming Resources from Charitable Actvites Bucks County Council Funding Parent Fees Milk Refunds Bank Interest Donations Gift Aid Uniform Sales Commission Committee Registration fees Grants Other
Subtotal
Incoming Resources from Fundraising Fundraising activities
Total Incoming Resources
EXPENDITURE
Resources expended for charitable acttvies Salaries PAYE & NI & pensions Rent Equipment Milk Subscriptions and Licences Insurance Printing and Stationery Postage Training Bank Charges Other DBS Checks Legal & Professional Charges Gifts/cards Consumables Snacks Broadband Connection/telephone Uniform To committee Account Website Advertising Extra curricular activities
Resources Expended on Fundraising Actvites Misc Christmas fair Quiz night
Total resources expended
Profit/Loss Profit/Loss from fundraising Profit/Loss excluding fundraising
Fundraising report 2024-25
| Funds raised from: | Income | Expenditure | Proft/Loss | playground repairs £160.35 for christmas fair expenses from 2023 transferred in 2024 £150.30 for card payments transferred in september 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Fair | £1,013.17 | £204.35 | 808.82 | |
| Quiz night | £494.30 | £56.00 | £438.30 | |
| Downleyday | £370.00 | £0 | £370.00 | |
| Sponsored Bounce | £1,265.70 | £0 | £1,265.70 | |
| Wycombe Loto | £148.00 | £0 | £148.00 | |
| Your School Lotery | £219.60 | £0 | £219.60 | |
| Interest | £115.84 | £0 | £115.84 | |
| Misc (parent donaton) | £150.00 | £529.30 | -£379.30 |
£2,986.96
Regist8r8d Charity Number. 1181991 THE WOODLAND PRE-SCHOOL (DOWNLEY) CIO UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025
Table of Contents Report of the Trustèos Pago 3 Independent Examinerfs Roport Page 6 Recoipt and Payments Accounts Page 7
Woodland Pre-school {Downley) CIO Report to the Trustees For the Year Ended 31 August 2025 The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of the Charty for th8 31-Sept-2024 to 31-Aug-2025. Objectlves and Actlvities The obj8ctNes of the charity as per its goveming document are: The charity w0S for the public benefit having as its objects the development and education of children and young people in particular by.. {1) promoting their care and safety; (2) promoting their education and promoting parental involvement: (3) promoting their health and wellbeing., {4) providing servicès to support them and their families and carers., {5) providing servlc8S to individuals holding membership of the CIO. and {6) furthering the aims of the Pre-school Learning Alliance In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by the Charity Commission relating to public ben8fiL including the guidance 'Public benefit: running a charity (PB2)'. Activities Undèrtaken achlev• objectlves Our aim is to ensure that when ¢hildr8n leave us to go to school, they are happy, confident, sociable individuals. eager to wnlinue the leaming process. This is achieved through a variety of activities focused around the areas of the Earty Years Foundation Stage Main activitles undertaken to further the charity's purposes for the public benefit The charity operates a pres¢h¢201 whose purpose is lo advance edu¢ation and promote the welfare and development of young children for the public benefrt. The preschool provides high-quality early years education in a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment. helping children to develop socially, emolionally, physically. and Intellectually during their crucial earty years.
Achlevements and performanco During the year, the charity continued to provide high-quality èarly years education in a safe. inclusNe, and supportive environment. The preschool helped childran develop key social, emotional, physical, and early learning skills, improving confidenc8 and readiness for primary school. The charity supported children from a rang8 of backgrounds, including those accessing fundéd chiklcare and children wilh additional needs. Early identification and support help8d improve individual outcomes and énsured children were able to participate fully in preschool activities. The preschool also benefit8d families by providing affordabl8 childcare. enabling parents and carers to work, train, or seek employment, and by offering guidan to support children's leamirKJ and wellbeing at home. Flnancial Review At the end of the year 2024-25 The Woodland Preschool made a profit of £6.7k . Going Concern The Woodland Presch¢)ol is a going concem as we have children on our waiting list for upcoming temis and we are one of only a few providers offering term time only provision. R8serves Policy We have reserves to cover redundancy for any eligible staff plus 3 months operating costs. Structure. governance and management Constftutlon The charity is a Charitable Incorporate Organisation, ¢onstituted under the CIO Association model register8d with the Charity Commission on 12th February 2019 with charity number 1181991. Methods of appolntment or electlon of Trustoas Potential trustees are asked to complete an application form and provide hvo references which are taken up prior to the decision to appoint them to the board of trustees. The decision is made by the current board of trustees.
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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Th•Woodland prChool DOWNL ro Recei ts and ments accounts CC16a Forth• PBrlod from 0110912024 3110812025 Section A Receipts and payments Unr8Stricl8d fund• Rc8trict¢d funds Endowment fund$ Tolal fvnd$ L••ty•ar toth•ffl•Ar•£ kttye nEarFstt t•lh•nMre•t£ tothe nMr8•t £ A1 Receipts DonaUon$ ChanlBNe lTrAos OthErtr¥dity activit¢s Inv•$lments ate Item c¢irtorne 9,52B IW22 9,528 111522 147.398 26$ 1777 214 176AO6 216 4A92 214 Sub total(Gros$ income forARJ 17 A2 A##tt and Inbwtmgnt 8alg8,1•è• tablo}. Sub tolal 171,Y16 A3 Payments R8i$inyfvnd5 hantable BtbleS £8,122 £161 J96 161.396 137J1J Sub total 119 A4 Asset and Investm•nt ur¢ho$e#, Sub total 169517 119 17 N•t of relPs/(payffientsJ A5 Transfers botween funds A8 ¢a$h lund8 last y•ar •nd Cash funds this year •nd 14 75 113 2SS
C6160000-C82F-2EC7-2ADC-08DEA517EFA6 Julia C6160000-C82F-2EC7-2ADF-08DEA517EFA6Rouse 27/05/2026C6160000-C82F-2EC7-2AE2-08DEA517EFA6