OLD DALBY PRESCHOOL PLAYGROUP
REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31[ST] JULY 2024
Principal Address: Main Road Old Dalby Melton Mowbray LE14 3LR
Independent Examiner: Natalie Hanlon Woods House Hunts Road, Duxford CB22 7ZE
A charitable organisation registered in England and Wales Registered Charity no: 503727
OFSTED Unique Reference no: EY414047
Charity’s Trustees and senior management during the period of the accounts and to date:
Trustees
Chairperson: Current – Linzi Drury (appointed 10/11/21, voted Chair 18/10/24) Previous – Carly Steele (appointed 9/03/2022, resigned 18/10/24)
Treasurer: Current – Phil Watson (appointed 24/3/22) Previous – Victoria Lee (appointed 06/02/19, resigned 24/3/22)
Secretary: Current – Shane Cooke (appointed 26/05/21, voted Secretary 20/09/2023) Previous - Lauren Norton (appointed 26/05/21, resigned 20/09/2023) Current Trustees: Sarah Wiles (appointed 18/4/24) Victoria Kane (appointed 27/02/24) Emily steel, formally Christopher Steel (appointed 27/7/23) Elisabeth Walker (appointed 6/1/25)
Former Trustees: Carly Steel (resigned 18/10/24) Lauren Norton (resigned 20/09/2023)
Senior management Preschool Manager: Leonie Miller-Pounder Preschool Deputy Manager: Kimberley Cooke
Advisors
Bank: HSBC Bank
Charity’s structure
The Old Dalby Pre-school Playgroup is formed as an unincorporated charity, which adopted the Preschool Learning Alliance Model Pre-School Constitution 2011, in 2015. Trustees are appointed at an AGM after people with an interest in the charity (eg. parents of children at the setting) complete a self-nomination form and join the committee following appropriate suitability checks (e.g. DBS).
Charitable objectives and main activities
The aims of the Preschool are 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 and by:
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Offering appropriate play, education and care facilities, family learning and extended hours groups, together with the right of parents to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of such groups, ensuring that such groups offer opportunities and inclusion for all children.
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Encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs in the local areas; and
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Instigating and adhering to and furthering the aims and objectives of The Early Years Alliance, Department for Education, Ofsted and Leicestershire County Council.
The Activities of the Preschool are carried out in a purpose-built building, which was financed from a grant received in 2010. This building is used by the Preschool to meet its main activities and charitable objectives which are:
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The Preschool aims to provide a school time childcare facility for families in the village and surrounding areas with the aim of preparing the children to progress to primary school with a smooth transition.
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The Preschool aims to make enough money to allow it to pay competitive wages and employ committed, highly qualified staff and allow it to buy new equipment to introduce new experiences to the children.
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The Preschool aims to hold at least a Good grade from Ofsted to allow it to be a very attractive childcare provider and refill its child places each year.
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The Preschool aims to be at the forefront of childcare innovation and therefore keep developing and improving in order to provide a high-quality childcare setting.
Annual review of achievements and performance during the 12 months to 31 July 2024
Summary
During the 2023 – 2024 financial year, the Preschool continued to provide childcare to children aged 2 to 4 years old for the core hours of 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday, and 9.00 am to 3.30pm on Fridays during term time. While numbers have remained relatively consistent, there was an unexpected and significant increase in children enrolled from the beginning of 2024, with 40 children attending in the summer term. In addition, the preschool offered a successful summer club themed week in August 2023 for children between the ages of 2 and 8 years old.
The preschool has been able to deliver a range of activities throughout the year including continuing to arrange additional focussed sessions including yoga, forest schools and science. Several staff are successfully forest school trained at varying levels. These sessions are something that the children have engaged well with and thoroughly enjoy. Recognising the strong focus placed on health and wellbeing, the Preschool has successfully achieved the ‘Healthy Tots Award’ from Leicestershire County Council.
Staffing
To ensure that the Preschool can continue to provide an excellent level of service, increases to staff salaries were made above national guidance in April 2024. In addition, a bonus was paid to the staff in December 2023 as acknowledgment of their continued hard work and dedication. The Trustees continued to offer, and pay into, the pension scheme for the staff thereby continuing to fulfil the autoenrolment requirements.
Trustees
The Preschool Manager continued to work alongside the Trustees to provide updates and seek guidance on the running of the setting. This is achieved through her attendance at all Committee meetings, where updates on children numbers and new policies were shared. The Trustees also carried out regular supervisions with the manager.
The Preschool’s policy and procedure document has been updated by the Preschool manager, with input from the Trustees and parents, and was signed off by the committee at the AGM (held on 18/04/24). This occurs on an annual basis, except for safeguarding policies and procedures which are reviewed every six months. Trustees continued to access training on Educare to ensure they were up to date on all safeguarding, prevent duty and best practice policies and procedures.
Marketing and General
We continued to market the Preschool in the local area; the Facebook page continued to be updated to allow us to communicate with the parents and potential users of the Preschool. Monthly adverts go into the local parish magazine. The website continues to be updated by the Preschool Manager to showcase the best of the Preschool and will assist to engage with parents and the community.
Property
The Preschool has a leasehold interest in the land on which it operates, which is owned by Old Dalby Primary School.
In addition to ongoing maintenance of the site, the preschool has continued to invest in improvements to the garden area, as well as painting the outside of the building and providing a significant upgrade to the staff office space.
Improvements and Initiatives
Staff continued to use the Tapestry online journal for each child to share information with parents about children’s learning and development.
The Preschool Manager is a Level 3 Forest School Leader, and other staff are also forest school trained, enabling the setting to offer these sessions.
Staff also continued to proactively promote children’s health through the Leicestershire County Council scheme for tooth brushing and the Healthy Tots programme.
Fundraising
This year £1,163.52 was raised through a successful quiz night and was used to update some resources, including bikes and the reading den.
Public Benefit
The Trustees are aware of the guidance issued by the Charity Commission concerning public benefit and are satisfied that the information given in this report demonstrates that the requirements to identify public benefit have been met.
Financial review
Overall, the Preschool remains in a healthy position at the end of the 2023/24 financial year. For the period of the accounts, total income was £137,604.54 with expenses of £123,477.72 resulting in a surplus of £14,126.82. While the setting has made a profit across the year, this can largely be attributed to the unexpected influx of children from the beginning of 2024, with the Preschool full almost to capacity for the first time. Additionally, this follows a £10,491.24 loss made in 2022/23. Recognising that this level of deficit was not sustainable, the Preschool Manager and Trustees also agreed to increase fees in line with similar settings in the local area.
In addition to ongoing maintenance, the preschool has continued to invest in improvements to the building and garden area. Increases to staff wages represented by far the largest uplift in costs (+29%) since the previous financial year. The Preschool aims to attract and retain high-quality staff to help ensure it continues to provide the best environment possible. Given the financial challenges arising from the current economic climate, while also remaining competitive compared to other local settings, the committee took steps to support staff by increasing all salaries above the current National Living Wage, while also providing appropriate increments to higher level staff.
Total unrestricted reserves held by the Preschool amount to £52,677.23, with no restricted reserves. The Trustees aim to hold sufficient financial reserves to sustain the Preschool if its income falls below the expected levels, or in the event of continued rises in costs. The intention would be to continue functioning as a Preschool if at all possible and cover the payment of staff redundancies in the unlikely event that the Preschool had to close. The amount held in reserve is reviewed every quarter to ensure it is within the required range and actions will be taken by the Trustees if this is not the case.
While the available reserves at the end of this financial period remain above the Reserve Policy recommended amount, the Trustees are mindful that the present high levels of enrolment may not continue, and that costs have continued to increase over the past 12 months. With this in mind, the Trustees will continue to look for responsible ways to manage expenditure in the year ahead.
Risk Management
The Trustees are aware of the main risks to which the charity is exposed, with the current global economic climate, rising salary costs and high levels of inflation. They are satisfied that the current reserves are currently sufficient, but recognise that income and expenditure will require careful monitoring to ensure the charity can continue in business for the foreseeable future.
The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Full name: …Phillip Watson………………………………………. Date: …3[rd] February 2025…………………………………. Position held: …Treasurer..…………………………………………….
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF OLD DALBY PRESCHOOL PLAYGROUP
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 July 2024 which are set out on pages 8 to 9.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all 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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Signed
Natalie Hanlon Cambridge Bookkeeping Services Woods House Hunts Road Duxford CB22 4RE
Dated: 25[th] January 2025
THE OLD DALBY PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP REGISTERED CHARITY NO 503727 RECIEPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR TO 31 JULY 2024
| Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Period to 31st July 2024 £ Income Fee Income £57,496.95 - £57,496.95 LCC FEEE £75,475.81 - £75,475.81 School Dinner Income £196.00 - £196.00 Fundraising Activities £1,163.52 - £1,163.52 Donations £60.80 - £60.80 Ukraine Funding £0.00 - £0.00 Grants £0.00 - £0.00 Apprenticeship Grant £0.00 - £0.00 SEND Funding £2,640.00 - £2,640.00 HMRC - SMP Rebate £0.00 - £0.00 Interest Income £571.46 - £571.46 Total Income £137,604.54 - £137,604.54 Less Operating Expenses Bank Fees £70.33 - £70.33 Children's Gifts & Activities £0.00 - £0.00 CPD Costs £942.19 - £942.19 DBS & Staff Welfare Costs £889.55 - £889.55 Equipment £6,869.75 - £6,869.75 Food £1,793.96 - £1,793.96 Fundraising Expenses £75.00 - £75.00 Insurance £2,721.63 - £2,721.63 Maintenance £2,883.84 - £2,883.84 Marketing £671.46 - £671.46 Payroll & Accounting Fees £1,256.96 - £1,256.96 Pensions Expense £4,867.57 - £4,867.57 Phone and Broadband £811.32 - £811.32 Professional Fees £70.00 - £70.00 Recruitment £0.00 - £0.00 Rent £2,097.00 - £2,097.00 Stationery & Postage £0.00 - £0.00 SEND Resources £413.76 - £413.76 Software £87.30 - £87.30 Uniform £263.52 - £263.52 Utilities £2,489.97 - £2,489.97 Wages Expense £94,202.61 - £94,202.61 Website £0.00 - £0.00 Total Operating Expenses £123,477.72 - £123,477.72 Surplus/Deficit £14,126.82 - £14,126.82 Cash balances b/f £38,550.41 - £38,550.41 Balances c/f £52,677.23 - £52,677.23 |
Period to 31st July 2023 £ £35,048.30 £42,209.91 £194.60 £699.13 £0.00 £2,458.00 £0.00 £1,500.00 £540.00 £4,160.09 £272.72 |
|---|---|
| £87,082.75 | |
| £63.44 £1,111.24 £551.74 £955.29 £4,476.48 £1,203.07 £56.62 £2,685.36 £3,757.86 £216.78 £951.10 £3,377.98 £480.39 £70.00 £0.00 £2,097.00 £150.67 £170.29 £284.16 £0.00 £2,195.62 £72,718.90 £0.00 |
|
| £97,573.99 | |
| -£10,491.24 | |
| £49,041.65 | |
| £38,550.41 |
THE OLD DALBY PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP REGISTERED CHARITY NO 503727 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR TO 31 JULY 2024
| RESERVES Balance b/f Excess income over expenditure Total reserves CASH FUNDS Current Account Fundraising Account Total current assets LIABILITIES PAYE/NI FUNDS OF THE CHARITY Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total charity funds |
31st July 2024 £ 38,550.41 14,126.82 52,677.23 2,294.56 50,382.67 52,677.23 818.97 818.97 - 52,677.23 52,677.23 |
31st July 2023 £ 49,041.65 10,491.24 |
|---|---|---|
| 38,550.41 | ||
| 8,239.20 30,311.21 |
||
| 38,550.41 | ||
| 299.76 | ||
| 299.76 | ||
| - 38,550.41 38,550.41 |