**Charity registration number 1193125 (England and Wales) Company registration number 12630609**
# **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED ANNUAL REPORT AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION**
## **Trustees**
C Gammon P Atkinson M Russell S Desai
**Secretary** P Atkinson **Charity number (England and Wales)** 1193125 **Company number** 12630609 **Registered office** Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School West Park Road Blackburn Lancashire BB2 6DF **Independent examiner** Azets Audit Services Fleet House New Road Lancaster United Kingdom LA1 1EZ
**QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **CONTENTS**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Trustees report|1 - 2|
|Statement of Trustees responsibilities|3|
|Independent examiner's report|4|
|Statement of financial activities|5|
|Balance sheet|6|
|Statement of cash flows|7|
|Notes to the financial statements|8 - 13|
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes 1 comply to the Companies Act 2006 and "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).
## **Objectives and activities**
The Charity's objects are to advance the education and wider development of children by establishing, maintaining, managing and supporting nurseries, schools and other educational establishments, predominantly in Blackburn and the surrounding areas.
The Charity delivers the aims through the operation of a nursery provision at a school, QEGS Blackburn Academy Trust.
## **Achievements and performance**
## _Significant activities and achievements against objectives_
The most recent Ofsted Inspection took place In September 2024 resulting in a ‘Good’ judgement. The Nursery has a continuous improvement plan to ensure readiness for the next Ofsted Inspection.
The day-to-day capacity is 96 children. During the year the Nursery had 110 children registered with it. The average occupancy was 68% (68% in 2024). The Nursery employs 19 members of staff. In addition, it receives support services from QEGS Blackburn Academy Trust. These services are outlined in a Service Level Agreement, and include finance and administration support, child safeguarding, building maintenance and educational support.
## **Financial review**
During the year the Nursery generated a deficit of £11,395.
## _Reserves policy_
It is the intention of Trustees to hold sufficient unrestricted reserves to pay the redundancy costs of its employees and ensure the orderly winding down of the Nursery in the event of its cessation as a business. This equates to approximately 3 months of payroll costs which is approximately £98,000.
The Charity held unrestricted reserves as at 31 August 2025 of £31,304 and all are considered to be free reserves. Over the next 2 financial years, Trustees forecast that unrestricted reserves balances of £98,000 will be achieved.
## **Structure, governance and management**
QEGS Blackburn Academy Nursery Limited is a private charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 28 May 2020 and registered as a charity on 15 January 2021. The company was formed under a memorandum of Association which established the powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.
The Trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
C Gammon P Atkinson M Russell S Desai
## _Recruitment and appointment of trustees_
Trustees are appointed in accordance with the Charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Trustees as Charity Trustees have control of the Charity.
- 1 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
## _Remuneration policy_
The Trustees consider the board of Trustees as comprising the key management personnel of the charity, as they are in charge of directing and controlling the charity. All Trustees give their time freely and no Trustee remuneration was paid in the year. A management charge is made from QEGS Blackburn Academy Trust where the Trustees are remunerated to cover the administration of the charity.
## **Public benefits**
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
## **Major risk and management of those risk**
The Trustees continue to examine the principal areas of the charity's operntious and consider the major risk faced in each of the areas. It is the opinion of tbe Trustees that the charity has established resources and a review system whioh, under normal oonditions, should allow these risks to be mitigated to an acceptable level in its day to day operation.
The Trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
.............................. P Atkinson
## **Trustee**
Date: .............................................
- 2 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITIES**
## _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
The Trustees, who are also the directors of QEGS Blackburn Academy Nursery Limited for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charitable Company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charitable Company will continue in operation.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charitable Company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charitable Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
- 3 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT**
## **TO THE TRUSTEES OF QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of QEGS Blackburn Academy Nursery Limited (the Charitable Company) for the year ended 31 August 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the Trustees of the Charitable Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the Charitable Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the Charitable Company’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
Since the Charitable Company’s gross income exceeded £250,000, the independent examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ICAEW, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no 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 Charitable Company as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
- 2 the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
- 3 the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
- 4 the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
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 financial statements to be reached.
## **Susanna Cassey (Chartered Accountant) Azets Audit Services**
Fleet House New Road Lancaster LA1 1EZ
Date: ............................
- 4 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT**
## _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
|||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**funds**|**funds**|
|||**2025**|**2024**|
||**Notes**|**£**|**£**|
|**Income and endowments from:**||||
|Charitable activities|**3**|606,916|607,345|
|Other income|**4**|-|1,108|
|**Total income**||606,916|608,453|
|**Expenditure on:**||||
|Charitable activities|**5**|618,311|642,033|
|**Total expenditure**||618,311|642,033|
|**Net expenditure and movement in funds**||(11,395)|(33,580)|
|**Reconciliation of funds:**||||
|Fund balances at 1 September 2024||42,699|76,279|
|**Fund balances at 31 August 2025**||31,304|42,699|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
- 5 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **BALANCE SHEET**
## _**AS AT 31 AUGUST 2025**_
|**2025**
**Notes**
**£**
**Current assets**
Cash at bank and in hand
47,399
**Creditors: amounts falling due within**
**one year**
**10**
(16,095)
**Net current assets**
**The funds of the Charitable Company**
Unrestricted funds
**12**|**£**
31,304
31,304
31,304|**2024**
**£**
50,412
(7,713)|**£**
42,699|
|---|---|---|---|
||||42,699|
||||42,699|
The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 August 2025.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on .........................
.............................. P Atkinson **Trustee**
Company registration number 12630609 (England and Wales)
- 6 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
|**2025**
**Notes**
**£**
**Cash flows from operating activities**
Cash absorbed by operations
**16**
**Net cash generated from investing activities**
**Net cash generated from financing activities**
**Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
**Cash and cash equivalents at end of year**|**2024**
**£**
**£**
**£**
(3,013)
(40,821)
-
-
-
-
(3,013)
(40,821)
50,412
91,233
47,399
50,412|
|---|---|
- 7 -
**QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Charity information**
QEGS Blackburn Academy Nursery Limited is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, West Park Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 6DF.
## **1.1 Accounting convention**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's articles of association and memorandum, the Charities Act 2011 and "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)". The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Statement of Recommended Practice for charities applying FRS 102 rather than the version of the Statement of Recommended Practice which is referred to in the Regulations but which has since been withdrawn.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the Charitable Company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
## **1.2 Going concern**
At the time of approving the financial statements, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charitable Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
## **1.3 Charitable funds**
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
## **1.4 Income**
Income is recognised when the Charitable Company is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the Charitable Company has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
## **1.5 Expenditure**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
- 8 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **(Continued)**
## **1.6 Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
## **1.7 Financial instruments**
## _**Basic financial assets**_
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
## _**Basic financial liabilities**_
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
## **1.8 Employee benefits**
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the Charitable Company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
## **1.9 Retirement benefits**
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
## **2 Critical accounting estimates and judgements**
In the application of the Charitable Company’s accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
- 9 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)**
## _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
## **3 Income from charitable activities**
|||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**funds**|**funds**|
|||**2025**|**2024**|
|||**£**|**£**|
||**Nursery fees**|||
||Nursery provision|557,233|567,175|
||Catering services|46,099|38,357|
||Other income|3,584|1,813|
|||606,916|607,345|
|**4**|**Other income**|||
|||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|
|||**funds**|**funds**|
|||**2025**|**2024**|
|||**£**|**£**|
||Other income|-|1,108|
|**5**|**Expenditure on charitable activities**|||
|||**Unrestricted**|**Unrestricted**|
|||**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||**2025**|**2024**|
|||**£**|**£**|
||**Direct costs**|||
||Staff costs|371,916|399,386|
||Expenditure from Nursery school operation|58,521|50,579|
|||430,437|449,965|
||**Share of support and governance costs (see note 6)**|||
||Support|184,093|188,499|
||Governance|3,781|3,569|
|||618,311|642,033|
||**Analysis by fund**|||
||Unrestricted funds|618,311|642,033|
- 10 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
## **6 Support costs allocated to activities**
|Nursery school operation
Other support costs
Governance costs
**Analysed between:**
Unrestricted Funds|**2025**
**£**
181,668
2,425
3,781
187,874
187,874|**2024**
**£**
178,933
9,566
3,569|
|---|---|---|
|||192,068|
|||192,068|
Governance costs includes payments to the independent examiners of £3,700 (2024 - £3,500) for the independent examination of the financial statements.
## **7 Trustees**
None of the Trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the Charitable Company during the year.
## **8 Employees**
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
|Nursery staff
**Employment costs**
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs|**2025**
**Number**
19
**2025**
**£**
337,491
20,979
13,446
371,916|**2024**
**Number**
21|
|---|---|---|
|||**2024**
**£**
363,930
21,309
14,147|
|||399,386|
There were no employees in the current or prior year whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000.
## **9 Taxation**
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within section 505 of the Taxes Act 1988 or section 252 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
- 11 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
## **10 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
|**10**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|||
|---|---|---|
|Other taxation and social security
Trade creditors
Other creditors
**11**
**Retirement benefit schemes**
**Defined contribution schemes**
Charge to profit or loss in respect of defined contribution schemes|**2025**
**£**
6,958
640
8,497
16,095
**2025**
**£**
13,446|**2024**
**£**
424
2,775
4,514|
|||7,713|
|||**2024**
**£**
14,147|
The Charitable Company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the Charitable Company in an independently administered fund.
## **12 Unrestricted funds**
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
||**At 1**|**Incoming**|**Resources**|**At 31 August**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**September**|**resources**|**expended**|**2025**|
||**2024**||||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|General funds|42,699|606,916|(618,311)|31,304|
|**Previous year:**|**At 1**|**Incoming**|**Resources**|**At 31 August**|
||**September**|**resources**|**expended**|**2024**|
||**2023**||||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|General funds|76,279|608,453|(642,033)|42,699|
|**Analysis of net assets between funds**|||||
||||**Unrestricted**|
**Unrestricted**|
||||**funds**|**funds**|
||||**2025**|**2024**|
||||**£**|**£**|
|Fund balances at 31 August are represented by:|||||
|Current assets/(liabilities)|||31,304|42,699|
||||31,304|42,699|
## **13 Analysis of net assets between funds**
- 12 -
## **QEGS BLACKBURN ACADEMY NURSERY LIMITED**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025**_
## **14 Operating lease commitments**
## **Lessee**
At the reporting end date the Charitable Company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
||**2025**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|**£**|
|Within one year|30,000|30,000|
## **Lessor**
The charity leases the building, in which it operates, from QEGS Blackburn Academy Trust. The lease shall terminate with immediate effect on termination of the Service Level Agreement, which is renewed on an annual basis.
## **15 Related party transactions**
During the year QEGS Blackburn Academy Nursery Limited made payments for services as part of the Service Level Agreement to QEGS Blackburn Academy Trust amounting to £214,555 (2024: £215,872).
|**16**|**Cash absorbed by operations**|**2025**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|
||Deficit for the year|(11,395)|(33,580)|
||**Movements in working capital:**|||
||Increase/(decrease) in creditors|8,382|(7,241)|
||**Cash absorbed by operations**|(3,013)|(40,821)|
## **17 Analysis of changes in net funds**
The Charitable Company had no material debt during the year.
- 13 -