Charity registration number: 1185961
**LITTLE ACORNS PRE-SCHOOL CIO TRUSTEES' REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025**
Swift Accountancy Chartered Certified Accountants Swift Farm, Sandy Lane Ashford Kent TN26 1JN
## **Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Contents**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Reference and Administrative Details|1|
|Trustees' Report|2—3|
|Independent Examiner's Report|4|
|Statement of Financial Activities|5|
|Statement of Financial Position|6|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|7—11|
|The following pages do not form part of the statutory accounts:||
|Detailed Statement of Financial Activities|12|
**Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Reference and Administrative Details For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|**Trustees**|C Jones|
|---|---|
||S Alubaidi|
||D White|
||A Longson (resigned 19/04/2024)|
||M Pellosis (appointed 01/04/2025)|
||S Allen|
|**Charity Number**|1185961|
|**Principal Address**|Furley Park Academy|
||Reed Crescent|
||Ashford|
||Kent|
||TN23 3PA|
|**Independent Examiner**|Mr Adam Clegg FCCA BSc (Hons) - 2670702|
||Swift Accountancy|
||Chartered Certified Accountants|
||Swift Farm, Sandy Lane|
||Ashford|
||Kent|
||TN26 1JN|
Page 1
**Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Trustees' Report For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
The trustees present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
## **Objectives and Activities**
## **Aims and Objectives**
To enhance the development and education of children, primarily under statutory school age, by encouraging parents to understand and provide for the needs of their children through community groups.
The main activity of the charity is the running of a Pre-School, namely Little Acorns Pre-School.
## **Significant Activities**
The charity has been established to enhance the development and education of children under statutory school age in the Ashford area.
The Pre-School runs ten sessions throughout the week, during term time. These sessions are popular and are at full capacity for much of the time.
The Trustees have continued and are continuing to concentrate on budgeting issues and ensuring that the charity receives value for money from its expenditure. It remains the Trustees' intention that the charity should allocate funds to the improvement of the garden area that is attached to the premises occupied by the Pre-School. This includes shading and education and play value of the area, and the charity is working with the various parties involved to enable this to take place. The majority of the funding received represents fees paid by Kent County Council and parents.
In September 2025 the nursery relocated within Furley Park Primary School following the sale of Kingsnorth Recreational Centre. This has been a success with no downtime and minimal disruption.
## **Public Benefit**
The trustees have considered the Charity Commision's guidance on public benefit, including the guidance 'public benefit: running a charity (PB2)'.
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
## **Achievements and Performance**
## **Main Achievements**
The charity runs a successful Pre-School which operates at full capacity for much of the time. The Pre-School works within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework which means that it is full inclusive of all children's needs, regardless of ethnicity, culture, religion or belief, home language, family background, Special Educational Needs (SEN), disability, gender or ability. Our aim is to give all children individualized learning, development and care, to enable them to make progress at their own pace, to fulfil their potential, and give them the best possible start in life.
## **Financial Review**
## **Financial Position**
For the year ended 31 March 2025 the Charity generated income resources of £177,371, expended resrouces of £184,209, resulting in a deficit for the year of £6,838. This compared to the previous year's income of £178,832, expenses of £169,711 and surplus of £9,121.
While rates of funding have increased, staff costs continue to rise and remain the biggest cost for the charity. The deficit was anticipated due to unexpected increases in rent and utilities being charged in relation to Kingsnorth Recreation Centre. This has continued for the first six months of the new financial year, though is not anticipated to continue due to operational changes going forward.
Page 2
**Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Trustees' Report (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## **Going Concern**
After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
## **Governing Document**
Little Acorns Pre-School CIO is a registered charity, number 1185961, and is constituted under a trust deed.
## **Trustee Selection Methods**
The governing document states that every Trustee must be a natural person and above the age of 16, with at least one Trustee being over 18. There must be at least five Trustees.
Trustees must be appointed by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity Trustees. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity Trustees, the charity must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. All new Trustees must receive a copy of the current version of the constitution and a copy of the CIO's latest Trustees' Annual Report and Financial Statements.
A Trustee ceases to hold office if they; retire by notifying the CIO in writing (but only if enough charity Trustees will remain in office when the notice of resignation takes effect to form a quorum for meetings);
is absent without the permission of the charity Trustees from all their meetings held within a period of six months and the Trustees resolve that their office be vacated;
dies;
in the written opinion, given to the CIO, of a registered medical practitioner treating that person, has become physically or mentally incapable of acting as a Trustee and may remain so for more than three months;
is disqualified from acting as a charity Trustee by virtue of sections 178-180 of the Charites Act 2011 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that provision).
The trustees' report was approved by the board of trustees and signed on its behalf by:
C Jones
Trustee 7 November 2025
Page 3
## **Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Little Acorns Pre-School CIO For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Little Acorns Pre-School CIO (the Trust) for the year ended 31 March 2025.
## **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 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.
## **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; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and contents of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
Mr Adam Clegg FCCA BSc (Hons) - 2670702 7 November 2025 Swift Farm, Sandy Lane Ashford Kent TN26 1JN
Page 4
**Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Statement of Financial Activities For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|**Notes**
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:**
Charitable activities:
Running of a Pre-School
Other trading activities
**3**
Investments
**4**
**EXPENDITURE ON:**
Charitable activities:
**5**
Running of a Pre-School
**NET (EXPENDITURE)/INCOME**
**NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS:**
Total funds brought forward
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**
**13**|**2025**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
175,517
175
1,678|**2024**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
176,882
362
1,588|
|---|---|---|
||177,371|178,832|
||(184,209)|(169,711)|
||(6,838)|9,121|
||(6,838)
91,456|9,121
82,335|
||84,618|91,456|
The notes on pages 7 to 11 form part of these financial statements.
Page 5
## **Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Statement of Financial Position As At 31 March 2025**
|**Notes**
**CURRENT ASSETS**
Cash at bank and in hand
**Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year**
**11**
**NET CURRENT ASSETS (LIABILITIES)**
**TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES**
**NET ASSETS**
**FUNDS OF THE CHARITY**
Unrestricted Funds
**TOTAL FUNDS**
**13**
On behalf of the board
C Jones
Trustee
7 November 2025|**2025**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
85,460|**2024**
**Total funds**
**£**
93,286|
|---|---|---|
||85,460
(842)|93,286
(1,830)|
||84,618|91,456|
||84,618|91,456|
||84,618|91,456|
||84,618|91,456|
||84,618|91,456|
||||
The notes on pages 7 to 11 form part of these financial statements.
Page 6
**Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Notes to the Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## 1. **General Information**
Little Acorns Pre-School CIO is a charitable incorporated organisation registered with the Charity Commission, registered charity number 1185961. The principal address is Furley Park Academy, Reed Crescent, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3PA.
## 2. **Accounting Policies**
## 2.1. **Basis of Preparation of Financial Statements**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)", Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities Act 2011.
The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
## 2.2. **Incoming Resources**
All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when the Charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:
Running of a Pre-School Fundraising Activities
## 2.3. **Resources Expended**
Liabilities are recognised as resources expended when there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the Charity to the expenditure.
## 2.4. **Cash and Cash Equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand and deposits held at call with banks, other short-term highly liquid investments that mature in no more than three months from the date of acquisition and are readily convertible to a known amount of cash with insignificant risk of change in value, and bank overdrafts.
## 3. **Income from Other Trading Activities**
|Fundraising events
.
**Investment Income**
Bank interest receivable|**2025**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
175|**2024**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
362|
|---|---|---|
||**2025**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
1,678|**2024**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
1,588|
## 4. **Investment Income**
Page 7
**Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
5. **Analysis of Expenditure**
|Running of a Pre-School
Running of a Pre-School
6.
**Direct Costs**
Cost of goods sold:
Food purchases
Equipment purchases
Other:
Other direct costs
Cost of goods sold:
Food purchases
Equipment purchases
Other:
Other direct costs
7.
**Support Costs**
Employee costs:
Wages and salaries
Employers NI
Employers pensions contributions|**Activities**
**undertaken**
**directly**
(see note 6)
**£**
7,872|**Support costs**
(see note 7)
**£**
176,337|**2025**
**Total**
**£**
184,209
**2024**
**Total**
**£**
169,711
**2025**
**Running of a**
**Pre-School**
**£**
422
1,123
6,327
7,872
**2024**
**Running of a**
**Pre-School**
**£**
609
1,351
8,792
10,752
**2025**
**Running of a**
**Pre-School**
**£**
113,667
171
1,333
...CONTINUED|
|---|---|---|---|
||**Activities**
**undertaken**
**directly**
(see note 6)
**£**
10,752|**Support costs**
(see note 7)
**£**
158,959||
|||||
Page 8
## **Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|Trustees' salaries
Trustees' pension - defined contribution schemes
Staff training
Premises expenses:
Rent
Rates
Light and heat
Repairs and maintenance
General administration:
Hire and leasing of plant and machinery
Computer software, consumables and maintenance
Insurance
Printing, postage and stationery
Telecommunications and data costs
Independent examiner's fees
Accountancy fees
Professional fees
Bank charges
Sundry expenses
Employee costs:
Wages and salaries
Employers pensions contributions
Trustees' salaries
Trustees' pension - defined contribution schemes
Staff training
Premises expenses:
Rent
Rates
Repairs and maintenance
General administration:
Hire and leasing of plant and machinery
Computer software, consumables and maintenance
Insurance
Printing, postage and stationery
Telecommunications and data costs
Independent examiner's fees
Professional fees
Bank charges
Sundry expenses|29,667
518
841
12,250
2,740
3,321
981
967
749
1,377
650
1,346
936
1,238
1,608
488
1,489|
|---|---|
||176,337|
||**2024**
**Running of a**
**Pre-School**
**£**
104,435
2,229
27,953
833
160
9,000
2,381
4,287
1,016
989
1,055
673
921
1,182
210
393
1,242|
||158,959|
Page 9
## **Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
## 8. **Independent Examiner's Remuneration**
|8.
**Independent Examiner's Remuneration**|||
|---|---|---|
|Independent examination of the financial statements
9.
**Staff Costs**
Staff costs were as follows:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs|**2025**
**£**
936
**2025**
**£**
143,334
171
1,851
145,356|**2024**
**£**
1,182|
|||**2024**
**£**
132,388
-
3,062|
|||135,450|
No employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) for the reporting period of more than £60,000.
10. **Average Number of Employees**
Average number of employees during the year was: 17 (2024: 16)
11. **Creditors: Amounts Falling Due Within One Year**
|Taxation and social security
Accruals and deferred income|**2025**
**£**
602
240
842|**2024**
**£**
-
1,830|
|---|---|---|
|||1,830|
## 12. **Pension Commitments**
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.
During the year the charge to the statement of financial activities in respect of defined contribution schemes was £1,851 (2024: £3,062).
At the statement of financial position date contributions of £NIL were due to the fund.
## 13. **Movement in Funds**
|**Unrestricted funds**
General:
General unrestricted fund
**Total funds**|**As at 1 April**
**2024**
**£**
91,456|**Income**
**£**
177,371|**Expenditure**
**£**
(184,209)|**As at 31 March**
**2025**
**£**
84,618|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||91,456|177,371|(184,209)|84,618|
Page 10
## **Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|**Unrestricted funds**
General:
General unrestricted fund
**Total funds**|**As at 1 April**
**2023**
**£**
82,335|**Income**
**£**
178,832|**Expenditure**
**£**
(169,711)|**As at 31 March**
**2024**
**£**
91,456|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||82,335|178,832|(169,711)|91,456|
## 14. **Transactions with Trustees**
None of the trustees received any remuneration or any other benefits from an employment with the charity or a related entity during the current or previous year.
No trustee expenses have been incurred.
## 15. **Related Party Disclosures**
There have been no related party transactions in the reporting period that require disclosure.
Page 11
## **Little Acorns Pre-School CIO Detailed Statement of Financial Activities For The Year Ended 31 March 2025**
|**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:**
**Charitable Activities:**
**Running of a Pre-School**
Income from charitable activities
**Other trading activities**
Fundraising events
**Investments**
Bank interest receivable
**EXPENDITURE ON:**
**Charitable Activities:**
**Running of a Pre-School**
Food purchases
Equipment purchases
Other direct costs
Wages and salaries
Employers NI
Employers pensions contributions
Trustees' salaries
Trustees' pension - defined contribution schemes
Staff training
Rent
Rates
Light and heat
Repairs and maintenance
Hire and leasing of plant and machinery
Computer software, consumables and maintenance
Insurance
Printing, postage and stationery
Telecommunications and data costs
Independent examiner's fees
Accountancy fees
Professional fees
Bank charges
Sundry expenses
**NET (EXPENDITURE)/INCOME**|**2025**
**Total**
**funds**
**£**
175,517|**2024**
**Total**
**funds**
**£**
176,882|
|---|---|---|
||175,517
175|176,882
362|
||175
1,678|362
1,588|
||1,678|1,588|
||177,371
(422)
(1,123)
(6,327)
(113,667)
(171)
(1,333)
(29,667)
(518)
(841)
(12,250)
(2,740)
(3,321)
(981)
(967)
(749)
(1,377)
(650)
(1,346)
(936)
(1,238)
(1,608)
(488)
(1,489)|178,832
(609)
(1,351)
(8,792)
(104,435)
-
(2,229)
(27,953)
(833)
(160)
(9,000)
(2,381)
-
(4,287)
(1,016)
(989)
(1,055)
(673)
(921)
(1,182)
-
(210)
(393)
(1,242)|
||(184,209)|(169,711)|
||(184,209)|(169,711)|
||(6,838)|9,121|
Page 12