## **Legacurry Pre-School** ## **Annual Report & Statement of Accounts** For the year ended 31 August 2025 Charity number: NIC105675 1 **Legacurry Pre-School Trustees' Annual Report For the year ended 31 August 2025** The trustees present their Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities at that date. ## **Reference and Administrative Details** Legacurry Pre-School c/o Mrs Bertha Walker 7 Ballycrune Road Hillsborough BT26 6NQ Registered Charity in Northern Ireland - NIC105675 ## **Charity Trustees** The charity trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: John Ferguson Chairperson (appointed 15th October 2024) Zara-Lee Jess Secretary (appointed 15th October 2024) Bertha Walker Treasurer Sarah-Jane Maguire (appointed 15th October 2024) Colin Munn (appointed 15th October 2024) Helen Brann (appointed 15th October 2024) The following trustees resigned 15th October 2024 Naomi Stafford Victoria Coburn Alex McCully Charis Rodgers Katherine Hamilton Sarah Lowry ## **Structure, Governance and Management** Those charged with governance of the charity 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 running 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 committee 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 parents/carers 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 supports the values and principles of Early Years. The property and funds of the charity must only be used to fulfill the purposes. 2 **Legacurry Pre-School Trustees' Annual Report continued For the year ended 31 August 2025** ## **Activities and Objectives** Legacurry Pre-School will deliver the benefits detailed in our Public Benefit statement through a curriculum that will be planned to ensure that the children learn and develop within the six areas of the curriculum, the arts; 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 sufficient to further advance this evidential 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 Organisation. We also seek feedback from parental interviews and questionnaires, inspections carried out, recommendations and support given by Social Services and the Education and Training Inspectorate. ## **Achievements** During the year the pre-school received grants from the Education Authority which were primarily used to pay the wages and salaries of the charity, running costs, insurance, etc. The committee also organised multiple fundraising 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 for the pre-school. This year the pre-school has been able to further increase its fundraising activities. Whilst the funds raised have not reached levels from several years ago, the trustees and staff are very grateful for the continued support. ## **Financial Review** The charity's main source of income each year is from the Education Authority which was £63,200 for the year. The increase is mainly due to the Department of Education implementing a one off large increase to the funding per child early in the year. This amount also included a one off £2,000 grant for outdoor play. The weekly contributions amounted to £4,166 and fundraising activities achieved £1,145. We are very grateful for the continued support of the family and friends of the children at Legacurry PreSchool as these funds are essential in providing the children with new equipment regularly and different learning experiences. The income overall has shown an increase of 18% which is primarily due to the increase in EA funding as mentioned. The expenses for the year amounted to £63,087 (£67,579 in 2024) which is a decrease of 7%. The main movement relates to the decrease in equipment and resources costs which vary each year. There were also other small movements within other expenses. 3 **Legacurry Pre-School Trustees' Annual Report continued For the year ended 31 August 2025** ## **Public Benefit Statement** ## Early years education Medical and educational research has demonstrated that the major development of intelligence, personality and social behaviour in people occurs in the first few years of life. It is estimated that half of all intellectual development potential is established by age four. Success and indeed failure in early years leads to success or failure in school and consequently throughout life. At Legacurry Pre-School we firmly believe that investing in children at an early age is crucial. High quality early childhood education has lasting effects on learning and motivation. We believe that providing a facility where the children of the surrounding areas can access pre-school education of a high standard, we are increasing the ability of those children to benefit from primary school education and consequently secondary/grammar school education and further education in later years. ## Advancing the education of children in the pre-school We see our benefit to the public as multi-layered. Children in our care are encouraged to see education and learning as a valuable, enjoyable and necessary part of life. As a result of this we hope to see more children accessing further education and leaving their education equipped with the necessary tools to enter the workforce. This in-turn will result in fewer people accessing unemployment benefit, less need for welfare assistance, higher income tax payments and reductions 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. ## Working in partnership with parents and health care professionals 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 will move on to. We provide support for parents and offer good examples of positive 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 lifestyles, healthy eating etc. to both children and parents. We encourage children to look after themselves and make them aware of the benefits of exercise and healthy eating. This part of their education, we believe, will 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 aim to encourage social, 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. 4 **Legacurry Pre-School Trustees' Annual Report continued For the year ended 31 August 2024** ## **Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements** The charity trustees are responsible for preparing 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 time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial 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 charity's income does not exceed £250,000, the trustees have elected under Section 64(3) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 to prepare receipts and payments accounts and a statement of assets and liabilities. Approved by the trustees on 9 October 2025 and signed on their behalf by: .................................... John Ferguson Chairperson 5