Legacurry Pre-school Annual Report & Statement of Accounts For the year ended 31 August 2024 Charity number:.NIC105675 Legacurry Pre-school Trustees, Annual Report For the year ended 31 August 2024 The trustees present their Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2024 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities at that date. Reference and Admlnlstratlve Detalls Legacurry Pre-school c/0 Mrs Bertha Walker 7 Ballycrune Road Hillsborough BT26 6NQ Registered Charity in Northern Ireland - NIC105675 Charlty Trustees The charlty trustees who served durlng the year or who were trustees at the date of thls report were: Naomi Stafford Alex Mccullv Bertha Walker Katherine Hamilton Victoria Coburn Charis Rodgers Sarah Lowry Glllian Nelson Sarah Neill Jennlfer Van-Boxtel Chairperson Secretary Treasurer (appointed 6th November 2023) (appointed 6th November 2023) (appointed 6th November 20231 (appointed 6th November 20231 (appointed 6th November 2023; resigned 17th Aprll 20241 (resigned 6th November 20231 (resigned 6th November 2023) Structure, Governance and Management Those charged with governance of the charlty are the trustees also known as the Management Committee, as elected annually by the staff and family members of pupils, are charged with the management of the charity. The charity staff organise the day to day runnin&of the pre-school. The charity's governing document is the Constitution. To be elected as a trustee of the charity a person must be a member. The committee is re-elected each year at the AGM. Nominations for elections to the committee may be made by any family member of the students and seconded by another. Members of staff cannot be commlttee members. The committee must hold at least one meeting every term. Purpose The trustees seek to promote play based learning environments and advance education for all children under statutory school age of Legacurry and its surrounding area. This is achieved by the provision of safe and satisfying group play, with the right of parentslcarers to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of the pre-school and to promote the preservation of health of the children. The charity support5 the values and principles of Early Years. The property and funds of the charity must only be used to fulfill the purposes. Legacurry Pre-sthool Trustees, Annual Report contlnued For the year ended 31 August 2024 Artlvltle5 and Objectlves Legacurry Pre-school will deliver the beneflts detailed in our Public Beneflt statement through a curriculum that will be planned to ensure that the children learn and develop within the six areas of the curriculum, the art5; language development,. early mathematical experiences; personal, social and emotional development, physical development and movement and the world around us. Observations and assessments of each child's development will take place, relevant planning will be carried out to ensure the provision is sufflcient to further advance thls evldential learning. Through a continuous process of evaluation the trustees will carry out plans necessary for improvement of the childrens educational provision. This process will include regular staff meetings, ongoing training, support from local primary schools and the Early Years Or8anlsatlon. We also seek feedback from parental intervlews and questionnaires, inspections carried out, recommendations and support given by Social Services and the Education and Tralning Inspectorate. Achlevements During the year the pre-school received grants from the Education Authorlty whlch were prlmarlly used to pay the wages and salaries of the charity, running costs, Insurance, etc. The commlttee also organised multiple fundralsing activities through the year and collected weekly contributions from parents. These funds were used for the daily snacks for the children and to purchase equipment and resources forthe pre-school. This year the pre-school has been able to further increase its fundralslng actlvltles. Whllst the funds ralsed have not reached levels from several years ago, the trustees and staff are very 8rateful for the contlnued support. Flnanclal Revlew The charity's main source of income each year is from the Education Authority which was £53,140 for the year. Thls amount Included a one off £2,400 as a non-consolldated stabilisation payment. The overall drop In grants received is mainly due to not receivin8 funding for? Special Educational Needs assistant this year. The weekly contributions amounted to £3,893 and fundraising activities achieved £1.329. Whilst the income from fundraislng has seen a large Increase on last year, it has not yet returned to pre COVID levels. We are very grateful for the continued support of the family and friends of the children at Legacurry Pre- School as these funds are essential in providing the children with new equipment regularly and different learning experlences. The income overall has shown an decrease of IO% which is primarily due to reduction In grants as mentioned. The expenses for the year amounted to £67,579 {£64,966 in 2023) which is an increase of 4%. The main movement relates to the increase in equipment and resources costs. There were also other small increases however these were offset by the small redurtion in salary costs. Legacurry Pre-school Trustees, Annual Report contlnued For the year ended 31 August 2024 Publlc Benefit Statement Earl educatlon Medical and educational research has demonstrated that the major development of intelligence, personality and social behaviour in people occurs in the f irst few years of life. It is estimated that half of all intellectual development potentlal 15 established by age four. Success and Indeed failure Sn early years leads to success or failure in school and consequently throughout life. At Legacurry Pre-school we flrmly believe that investlng In children at an early age Is crucial. High quallty early childhood educatlon has lastlng effects on learning and motivation. We believe that providing a facility where the children of the surrounding areas can access pre-school educatlon of a hlgh standard, we are Increasing the abllity of those children to beneflt from primary School educatlon and consequently secondary/8rammar school education and further educatlon in later years, ear Advancln the education of children In the re-school We see our beneflt to the public as multi-layered. Children In our care are encouraged to see educatlon and learning as a valuable, enjoyable and necessary part of life. As a result of thi5 we hope to see more children accessing further education and leaving their education equipped with the necessary tools to enter the workforce. Thls In-turn will result in fewer people accessing unemployment benefit, less need for welfare assistance, higher income tax payments and reductlons in crime. 'A better educated and more stable workforce leads to a more productive society,. There is an increased ability for parents to work while their children are well cared for at pre-school resulting in increased incomes, increased tax payments and reduced need for public assistance. Workin artnershi with arents and health care rofesslonals We work closely with parents and health care professionals to screen children at an early age to identify developmental problems, speech and language difficulties and other special educational needs. Early Intervention will benefit children, parents and the schools which these children wlll move on to. We provide support for parents and offer good examples of posltive adult/child interactions, appropriate care and parenting skills. We treat parents as partners and learn from them, helping them to understand the curriculum and their children's development. As part of our education programme we promote healthy lif Styles, healthy eating etc. to both children and parents. We encourage children to look after themselves and make them aware of the beneflts of exercise and healthy eating. Thls part of thelr educatlon, we believe, wlll instil good practice for later life thus reducing health problems, etc. in the future and reducing the burden on the health service. At Legacurry Pre-school we alm to encourage soclal, emotional, physical and cognitive progress. Helping children to develop skills, learn concepts, follow directions, play well with others and become excited about learning. We promote good behaviour and support parents to promote good behaviour at home. We believe that instilling the foundations for respect for others, respect for boundaries and a respect for your environment will have long term benefits for our community and society as a whole. The charity trustees have had regard for the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's public benefit requirement statutory guidance. Legacurry Pre•School Trustees, Annual Report contlnued For the year ended 31 August 2024 Trustees. responsibllitles In relation to the flnanclal ststements The charity trustees are responsible for preparin8 a trustees, annual report and statements of accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any tlme the tlnanclal posltlon of the charlty and to enable them to ensure that the flnanclal statements comply with the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. As the charlty'5 income does not exceed £250,000, the trustees have elected under Section 64{31 of the Charities Act {Northern Irelandl 2008 to prepare receipts and payments accounts and a statement of assets and liabilities. Approved by the trustees on 15 October 2024 and slgned on thelr behalf by: Nao I Staff Chairperson