## **Great Chart and Singleton Pre-School Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on Friday 7th October 2021 9.15am** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Name of attendee Name of child at Pre-school
Gemma Crompton Georgina Crompton
Michelle Beerensson Staf
Cally Andrews Caleb Andrews
Caroline Brookshaw-Robinson Committee
Syed Shehid Rayyan Ahmed
Kezia Newman Committee
Tracy Gorham-Brown Staf
Jasmine Hawkes Frankie Tanner
Simrat Rait Kavan Rait
Hayley Petts Committee
Amanda Oliver Committee
Charlotte Swallow Louie Brough
Jeanice Hymers Millie Hymers
Emma Kolsteren Erin Kolsteren
Ellie Axon Ruben Fell
Phoebe Banyard Sienna Morgan
Tasneem Chaudry-Azam Ikhlas Azam
Rachel Clark Committee
Jessica Heasman Harry Heasman
Megan Head Harrison Head
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Welcome:** The Co-Chair, Caroline Brookshaw-Robinson, welcomed everyone, reminded everyone of the need for confidentiality, introduced existing members of the committee and briefly described the role of the committee: **Role of the Committee:** The preschool requires a committee to act as the Charity Trustees and is generally made up of parents of attending children. The committee is responsible for the overall management and smooth running of the setting. This includes recruiting, training & development of staf, as well as improving the preschool resources through fundraising activities. ## **Chair Report: Read by Co-Chair Hayley Petts:** Overall, our 2nd year as co-chairs for the preschool has been more settled than the first year. We have continued to support the management team and staf. We have participated in all of the staf appraisals and held informal well-being talks with staf individually, which allowed us to get to know them better and gain a better understanding of their roles within the preschool. A staf-committee communication box has also been introduced so that staf members can contact us in confidence. We were actively involved in the recruitment of 3 new members of staf, who under the guidance of their mentors, have settled really well. As a committee, we gave all staf a pay rise that was in line with the National Living Wage increase. The committee are required to undertake Safeguarding training, which has been completed by all committee members. Committee presence at registration has also been re-introduced which has enabled staf to focus more on the children when they arrive in the morning. It has also given us the opportunity to engage with the families of the preschool every day. This year it was decided to update the preschool website as it was felt it wasn't very user friendly. This is still currently under construction, and we hope to have it finished soon. Although, as you will hear, we have ended the financial year at a loss, we have still held successful fundraising events, such as clothes recycling, a Christmas raffle and an enjoyable quiz night, and with thanks to Natalie at Barclays Bank for their fund matching, we have raised an overall total of £2203.82, after expenses were deducted. ## **Staf Report - Read by Michelle Beerensson:** We’ve had another busy year with lots of new children and staf. W employed three new staf last November Lorraine, Susanna and Lisa. They have started their level three qualifications earlier this year and from September have taken on key children. Our qualified staf are here to support them every step of the way to ensure they attain the high standards we expect. Tash returned from maternity leave just a few weeks ago and has settled back in well. Tash hopes to start her qualification in the new year. We have lost two members of staf during the last academic year Nicola who was our deputy left in January to take up a full-time position and Lindsey an EYP retired in May. Jane who was one of our senior practitioners took over Nicola’s role as deputy and has been a great success. I have contributed to be an active member of the largest early years collaboration in Ashford which provides support both in person and finically, training and an useful networking system to settings within Ashford. Our staf to attended many online course to update with developments within safeguarding and early years in general and we continue to ensure all staf are paediatric first aid trained. The team are looking forward to the coming year and are always available to answer any questions you have . I would like to take this opportunity to thank our co-chairs and the rest of the committee for all the work they do to support the setting. ## **Treasurer’s report – read by Amanda Oliver:** **Income Fees:** The amount of fees paid decreased significantly (£2,877) from last year’s figures! We were unable to maximise the number of children in each sitting as we felt we needed to train the 4 new employees first so there is a marked reduction in both fees and funding received. The low fee figure was not helped by the higher than usual amount of children receiving Free for 2 funding that we did not charge fees for and claimed funding instead. **Funding:** Free Early Education funding from the KCC is the Preschool’s main source of income, with 6 payments received each year and the hourly rate for 3 and 4year old funding increased in April. Due to the lower number of children, we received £12, 614 less in funding this year. Unlike previous years, we did not receive any SENIF or DAF this year despite having children who did need additional support although we did receive Early Years Pupil Premium for quite a few children, particularly in the summer term. **KCC payments:** We received an additional £3187 as a Covid support payment which was used to buy resources. **Parties:** We only held one party at Christmas this year as we held a leaver’s show in July which was free for parents to attend. We sold £175 worth of Christmas party entrance tickets but overall, the party ran at a loss due to the hiring of a children’s entertainer and money spent on books to give as a Christmas gift. However, it is felt this is always a nice thing to do for the children at Christmas. **Fund Raising and donations:** Fundraising eforts raised a fantastic £2217 and we only spent £13.50 on fundraising expenses as uniform stock was purchased in the previous financial year. This income has been raised by holding a Christmas show, uniform sales, sponsored letter find, textile recycling and a quiz night. Thank you to the committee for their fundraising and Barclays for Fund Matching the fundraising totals. **Donations:** We received donations of £2905 from Little Acorns Preschool in High Halden following its closure in May. We also received £450 for enrichment projects from the Ashford Early Years Collaboration. **Interest:** The interest rate has increased in the last few months of this financial year and the savings account monthly interest payment now shows an increase on last year. **Other income:** We received a payment of £4500 for having 3 apprentices. £1300 is the total of £50 deposits each new family paid to secure the places for September 2022. These deposits will be returned to funded children in September or £50 will be taken of the invoice for fee paying children. We also received £80 from the Ashford Early Years Collaboration for First Aid training. **Expenses Wages:** The wages figure is higher than the previous year by £3929 due the increase of National Living Wage and associated pay rises such as NI and the company pension scheme. This is to be expected as we apply the same pay increase across the whole staf structure to maintain salary boundaries. **Rent:** The rent rate has not increased this year and there is a small increase in annual spend as we returned to holding fundraising events in the hall after Covid. **Craft & Equipment / Café / Phone/ Gardening/ Waste collection/ Photocopying:** General running costs show a huge reduction from last year but that is because we purchased artificial grass last year however, we have saved a lot on gardening costs this year! We have spent £1794 more on equipment this year as we had grants and KCC payments which we had to show receipts for! We have saved a lot on gardening costs this year. We have purchased a new laptop and an Ipad to use in the setting. Café costs has also decreased by £300 possibly because the Tassimo is now rarely used! **Gifts:** The staf were given gifts at Christmas and the end of the school year. Leaving gifts were purchased for members of staf who left our employ and we bought books for the children leaving us to start primary school. **Entertainment:** Portion of chips were bought as a treat for the staf at a meeting and a few cofees when more private meetings between staf members and committee members have been held away from the setting. **Professional Memberships:** This includes our Ofsted annual fee, Music Licence, Bank charges, Sage accounts package, Accountant verification fees and Information Commission membership. We continue to use a payroll company for processing wages and pensions. We also paid for several DBS checks for new members of staf and the committee. Due to delays within the Early Years Alliance, our annual insurance premium and membership fee was not taken in July 2022 and will be taken in the next financial year so the total of this category is lower than last year. **Staf Training:** A significant increase on the previous year as we paid the Level 3 training costs for the 3 new apprentices. **Outings:** Not really outings! This report was compiled on an old accounts program which would allow a new category so an old one was used! This relates to the deposits paid for September 2022. The new accounts package will have a category for deposits! ## **Conclusion** The figures show we made a £2815.66 loss this year. This is the first loss we have made for a few years but not really a surprise as we knew we had to run at low numbers of children due to the staffing issues. As the new members of staf become qualified, we will not have the worries over ratios in the same way so we predict this is a temporary issue. We were looking at a £10K loss earlier in the year but the donations received from a closing preschool and the prompt payment of the apprenticeship incentive scheme means the figures are better than we expected. Fortunately, we made an £11K surplus last year so this loss will not cause any financial difficulty at this time and we knew that some of the surplus from previous years would be spent over this last year and next year to train the new staf before we can operate “as normal”. It does however show that we need to look carefully at attending numbers, particularly funded children as the funding rate increases are not keeping up with the increases in National Living Wage. As 90% of our income is usually from funding and staf wages is by far our largest cost, it is a squeeze we are feeling in line with many small businesses but are confident that we will be able to adjust attendance figures and fee prices to remain financially sustainable. ## **Question Time** : No questions were asked. ## **New Committee** (CBR) As required, the current committee will now stand down and a new committee will be elected, by nomination & seconding. Hayley & I have both been a part of the committee for 3 years, 2 of those as co-chairs and we now feel that the time is right for someone else to chair the committee. It has been a challenging, enjoyable and rewarding experience. We would like to thank the committee members for their support over the last year, and of course the management team and staf members for their continued hard work within the preschool. For those considering joining the committee, what's involved? You need to be available one morning every month to attend a committee meeting and be prepared to give some extra time to help with organising & executing fundraising events, and ideally supporting morning registration so the staf can concentrate on welcoming the children into the setting. It's a chance to put your ideas forward and be a part of the preschool that is at the centre of the community, helping towards its success for many years to come. The committee is needed to ensure the continuation of the preschool, requiring a Chairperson, Treasurer & Secretary, as well as other committee members - so please do consider taking on one of these roles. The existing committee stood down. Approved by the committee of Great Chart and Singleton Preschool on: _______________ Signed: Dated: ## **Great Chart and Singleton Pre-School Minutes of the General Meeting held on Friday 7th October 2022 9.30am** Michelle Beerensson headed the meeting until the new committee members and officers were appointed: ## **New Committee** The following new Committee members were voted in: **----- Start of picture text -----**
Name of Committee
Nominated by: Seconded by:
Member
Simrat Rait Michelle Beerensson Amanda Oliver
Michelle Beerensson Amanda Oliver Kezia Newman
Rachel Clark Kezia Newman Michelle Beerensson
Phoebe Banyard Michelle Beerensson Simrat Rait
Emma Kolsteren Rachel Clark Michelle Beerensson
Amanda Oliver Rachel Clark Simrat Rait
Syed Shahid Emma Kolsteren Amanda Oliver
Kezia Newman Emma Kolsteren Amanda Oliver
Jeanice Hymers Rachel Clark Amanda Oliver
Charlotte Swallow Phoebe Banyard Emma Kolsteren
**----- End of picture text -----**
We have 10 elected committee members. TGB stayed in the meeting to take minutes. ## **Officer Roles:** **Officer Role** **Name of Committee Member** **Nominated by:** **Seconded by:** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Co-chair Michelle
Kezia Newman Rachel Clark
Beerensson
Co-chair Simrat Rait
Amanda Oliver Kezia Newman
Secretary Emma Kolsteren Kezia Newman Rachel Clark
Treasurer
Rachel Clark Amanda Oliver Emma Kolsteren
**----- End of picture text -----**
The Secretary and Treasurer roles will be supported by the paid administrator TGB. Committee member information sheets and data consent forms were handed out for immediate completion. TGB to change Charity Commission information w/c 10[th] October 2022. TGB to email preschool parents regarding the committee changes. The previous co-chairs left a handover envelope for the new co-chairs which included the key to the staf suggestion box. New co-chairs KN and AO to message HP and CBR for any additional information and will change the password on the committee email account. MB to email Ofsted with EY3a information w/c 10[th] October 2021. Whatsapp group to be set up with new committee to assist new committee members through the EY2 and DBS check procedures w/c 10[th] October 2021 and hopefully new members will be able to complete on-line at home. The existing committee agreed to help new members through the process and the preschool will pay for cofee if the committee need to meet up to do so. TGB handed out an instruction letter on the EY2/DBS procedure plus hard copies of the Identity Checking Form which MB will need to check and submit to Ofsted. New members to submit receipt of DBS cost and own bank details to TGB via the preschool email (approximately £8) which will be reimbursed by BACS immediately. DBS and EY2 should be completed as soon as possible and certainly within 2 weeks of this meeting. SR to take new committee photos after the next committee meeting. HP still has a table which was donated as a raffle prize and she would like it to be returned to us now she has stood down from the committee. Estimated value was £300 and we will investigate trying to sell it. Committee members should do some online Safeguarding training and TGB to forward a link via email. **The minutes from September 2021** were adopted and signed of with the following issues raised: Staf contract for EXISTING staf regarding holiday pay currently states that staf will receive payment for the standard bank holidays. We will add a line to say that any additional BH (such as state funerals/coronations etc) will be paid at the preschool’s discretion. TGB to draw up a draft before the next meeting. ## **Chair Report** : An interim schedule for committee attendance at registration was agreed but will be reviewed at the next meeting. Although Natalie Haynes has now stepped down from the committee, she would like to remain involved in fundraising so that we can benefit from the Barclays Fund Matching Scheme. ## **Staf Report:** MB wished to thank the outgoing and new committee members for their hard work and their support of our preschool. We are approaching the Preschool’s 40[th] Anniversary and the committee function is very much appreciated. The 3 newer members of staf are working well but 1 is struggling with the time commitments of the Level 3 course. This member of staf is a great practitioner so MB is providing support where possible and the staf member has a day of on Monday to get some coursework done. MB wanted to discuss the Xmas party as we usually run at a loss. Due to the loss last year, and the increasing squeeze between the money received in funding and the increasing wages, it was decided by the committee that we would not hold a Xmas party this year but sessions during the last week will be “party based” and the children will still receive a small gift from the preschool. MB attended the last Village Hall Committee meeting and persuaded them to keep our rent at the same rate as last year. The preschool Nativity will be held on Friday 16[th] December. **Treasurer’s report** : TGB read some details from the Profit and Loss report for September (+£6K) but Year To Date is running at -£2K. This is normal at this time of year as the financial year starts in August when we have no income at all but pay the staf most of their holiday entitlement. We usually start to break even on the year during the Spring. The annual redundancy calculation was a lot less this year as we have lost 2 long term employees and the 4 newest members of the team would not yet qualify for Statutory Redundancy. We have ample money in our reserve account to cover 3 months running costs and redundancy pay so remain in a good position despite the challenges we face regarding funding vs wage increases. **Newsletter:** Items to always include: Committee email address, term dates and a request that all items are to be named. October newsletter to include: welcome to the new committee, Amazon Smile, Wet weather advice, Nativity 16[th] December and asking for donations to the raffle. **AOB** : No news on the website – TGB to chase. The Lottery Licence is up for renewal. AO is the current contact so will action and remain the contact for another year. Next meeting: Friday 4[th] November 2022 at 9.15am Approved by the committee of Great Chart and Singleton Preschool on: _________________ Signed: Dated: **GREAT CHART AND SINGLETON PLAYGROUP** ## **FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2022** **Charity Number: 295122** **GREAT CHART AND SINGLETON PLAYGROUP** ## **FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2022** ## **TRUSTEES** Michelle Beerensson Rachel Clark Dr Simrat Rait Joanne Garrett Hayley Petts Natalie Haynes Christina Saunders Kezia Newman Caroline Brookshaw-Robinson (Chair) Amanda Oliver **ACCOUNTANT** Catt Accountancy Limited Church Barn, Westwell Court Westwell Ashford Kent TN25 4JX Page 1 ## **GREAT CHART AND SINGLETON PLAYGROUP** ## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2022** |**INCOME**
Fees
KCC Funding
Fund Raising
Donations
KCC payment
Outings
Parties
Interest
Other income
**Net Income**
**EXPENDITURE**
Wages
Tax and NI
General running costs
Rent
Craft and equipment
Cafe
Telephone and internet
Entertainment
Advertising
Training
Gifts
Outings
Fund raising
Professional memberships and insurance
Gardening
Donations
Parties
Waste collection
Photocopier
**Surplus/(Defecit) for the year**
**General Fund**
Opening balance
**Surplus/(Defecit) for the year**
**Represented by:**
Reserve account
Current account
Cash in hand|**2020**
2021
**£**
**£**
£
£
**16,700.00**
_19,577.41_
**97,810.03**
_110,424.54_
**2,217.32**
_10,716.26_
**3,355.80**
_200.00_
**3,187.92** _3,734.10_
**1,300.00**_650.00_
**175.00**
_-_
**21.17** _7.65_
**4,580.00**_1,700.51_
**129,347.24**
_147,010.47_
**103,926.80**
_99,997.36_
**4,140.11**
_3,482.30_
**1,277.75**
_1,481.34_
**9,821.75**
_9,579.50_
**5,659.86**
_3,865.89_
**1,180.95**
_1,481.71_
**651.18**
_569.66_
**135.00**
_43.80_
**272.00**
_288.00_
**1,140.00**
_235.50_
**368.84**
_535.09_
**400.00**
_1,126.50_
**13.50**
_1,337.63_
**2,012.19**
_2,337.65_
**100.00**
_8,149.20_
**-**
_-_
**254.00**
_-_
**589.80**
_972.00_
**219.17**
_156.38_
**132,162.90**
_135,639.51_
**(2,815.66)**
_11,370.96_
**108,187.81**
_96,816.85_
**(2,815.66)**
_11,370.96_
**105,372.15**
_108,187.81_
**86,202.87**
_86,181.70_
**16,996.43**
_21,529.85_
**2,172.85**
_476.26_
**105,372.15**
_108,187.81_|**2020**
2021
**£**
**£**
£
£
**16,700.00**
_19,577.41_
**97,810.03**
_110,424.54_
**2,217.32**
_10,716.26_
**3,355.80**
_200.00_
**3,187.92** _3,734.10_
**1,300.00**_650.00_
**175.00**
_-_
**21.17** _7.65_
**4,580.00**_1,700.51_
**129,347.24**
_147,010.47_
**103,926.80**
_99,997.36_
**4,140.11**
_3,482.30_
**1,277.75**
_1,481.34_
**9,821.75**
_9,579.50_
**5,659.86**
_3,865.89_
**1,180.95**
_1,481.71_
**651.18**
_569.66_
**135.00**
_43.80_
**272.00**
_288.00_
**1,140.00**
_235.50_
**368.84**
_535.09_
**400.00**
_1,126.50_
**13.50**
_1,337.63_
**2,012.19**
_2,337.65_
**100.00**
_8,149.20_
**-**
_-_
**254.00**
_-_
**589.80**
_972.00_
**219.17**
_156.38_
**132,162.90**
_135,639.51_
**(2,815.66)**
_11,370.96_
**108,187.81**
_96,816.85_
**(2,815.66)**
_11,370.96_
**105,372.15**
_108,187.81_
**86,202.87**
_86,181.70_
**16,996.43**
_21,529.85_
**2,172.85**
_476.26_
**105,372.15**
_108,187.81_| |---|---|---| |||| |||_11,370.96_
_96,816.85_
_11,370.96_| |||_108,187.81_| |||_86,181.70_
_21,529.85_
_476.26_| |||_108,187.81_| Page 2 ## **Independent examiner's report on the accounts** **Section A Independent Examiner’s Report** **Report to the trustees/** Charity Name **members of** Great Chart and Singleton Playgroup **On accounts for the year** 31 July 2022 **Charity no** 295122 **ended (if any) Set out on pages** 1-2 (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended **31 / 07 / 2022** . - **Responsibilities and** As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation **basis of report** 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** I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have **examiner's statement** come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect: - accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or - the accounts do not accord with the accounting records I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. * _Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply._ **Signed: Date:** 24/08/2022 **Name:** Catt Accountancy Limited **Relevant professional** Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) **qualification(s) or body (if any): Address:** Church Barn, Westwell Court Ashford, Kent TN25 4JX **October 2018** **IER** 1 **Section B Disclosure** Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners). **Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose** . **October 2018** **IER** 2