NAISCOIL NA SEOLTA TRUSTEES. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 The Tnjstees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance wilh the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) {effective 1 January 2015), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 102) and the CharitiesAct (Northern Ireland) 2008. Objectives and activities Public benefit The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the should undertake. 2023-2024 has seen many new developments with Naiscoil na Seolta as an Integratedlrish-medium pre-school. A8 you know Nalscoil na Seolta was established previously as a result of a major Turas project that has been in the planning and development since 2018. The move to Gamerville Presbyterian Chur¢h rented accommodation in September 2022 has been successful in providing a level of stability and we are very grateful for this temporary accommodation. The past year has seen the fruition of plans to move to a more permanent site where ttie management and staff of Naiscoil na Seolta have complete Gontrol over a suitable building and hours of use. 2023-2024 also saw the development of a realistic and funded plan to see the establishment of an IMEllntegrated primary school, Scoil na Seolta. Achievements and performance Significant activities and achievements against objectives 2023-2024 has shown continued strong interest in our playgroup and pre-school provision by parents. A total of 14 children have attended Nalscoil na Seolla and we received expressions of interest for 31 places in 2023-2024. The period 2023-2024 has been our first year of funded pre-school PEG (Preryschool Education Group) places. The decision by PEG to allow us a concessionary 5 fvnded places (usually a minimum of eight places is r8]uired) has allowed us to get off the ground as a funded voluntary IMEllntegrated pre-school and we now look fonmard to 11 PEG funded places in 2024-2025. Naiscoil na Seolta is now fvlly established as a voluntary pre-school provider. Further to thi5 we have had 49 expressions of interest for 2024-2025 with 26 of these now having allocated Naionra Plac￿ (pre-pre-school). We now have over 100 expressions of interest for the next 4 years. These figures undoubtedly reflect the excellent work of staff, volunteer staff and committee members in attracting parents in the community and in promoting the many advantage5 of bilingual education. The past year has wtnessed tre consolidation of an especially talented and well qualified staff team (both paid and voluntary) reflected in our increased PEG and naionra numbers for 2024-2025. The ability of slaff to provide an interesting, playful. and educational environment for children as well as working well with parents, has been critical in building up the operation and image of the nalscoil in the community. The continued growth and increased numbers are essential to the future success of the project and the committee's plan to create an IMEllntegrated primary school. The current site at Garnerville Presbyterian Church alas limits all fvture developments - for the expanded numbers. sessions times and the development of Scoil na Seolia. Thankfully we have been able to proceed substantially with plans for further development QD a more pemianent site. In 2022-2023 we 5uGcessfully applied for substantial funding from Ciste um Oilean Comhroinnte (The Shared Island Fund) to fund a feasibility study which resulted in finding a site located on Montgomery Road, Castlereragh Roadl Lisnasharragh area. Since then, further successful negotiation has resulted in attracting very substantial fvnding frorn An Roinn Turasoireachta, Cultuir, Ealalon, GaeStachla, Spoirt agus Mean (Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, GaeltaGht, Sport and Media). This funding will eventually amount to over £700k and will allow us to redevelop the sile and erect suitable modular buildings on the site at Montgomery Road. The plans for developing the site are regrettably still at the stage of receiving planning permission by Belfast City Council. However, we have received a very positive response from the planning office and the othe￿ise lengthy process is well advanced. NAISCOIL NA SEOLTA TRUSTEES. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Overall, we expect to have the site ready for children before the end of this year. We had hoped to move on to the site before September of this year but the above-mentioned delay along with delays In negotiating the lease with the owners and in turn employing the contractors has postponed our move ijntil the end of the year. The downside of this has meant we have been forced to postpone our original plan to have Rang 1 (P1) in place for September 2024. As you can imagine, it has been an onerous task trying to encourage parents to send their children to a school that is not yet built on what is presently a vacant industrial site. We did have a plan 8 for this scenario of various delays but with a number of parents understandably withdrawing their children for Rang 1. the numbers became too low to realistically proceed. This is particularly regrettable as we had secured funding for a tea¢her's salary from the Integrated Education Fund. We hope that this funding can be likewise postponed until 2025. Notwithstsnding the postponement of Rang 1 we have had lo consider reorganising the management of the IMEI Integrated pre-school and prirnary school. possib5y moving to the legal status of a board of governors ralher than a ommittee in 2024-2025. With this in mind we have started to refer to the project as 'Scoil na Seolta. as a generic term for both the naionra, pre-school and future primary school. We have been fortunate in belng able to continue to work with Ciaran Mccavana of Quarter CharteredAccountsnts who undertook last year's feasibility study on behalf of Scoil na Seolts. Likewise, we have also been able to work with Pilib O Ruanaidh of lontaobhas na Gaelscolalochta. lontaobhas na Gaelscolalochta have agreed to assist in the management of the substantial funding money for the development of Scoll na Seolta. Neither Turas nor East Belfast Mission can manage this fund currently. An official development proposal to be presented to the EAIDENI is close to completion. This development proposal has largely been Completed in cooperation with NICIE and Comhairle na GaelsGolaiochta. Committee work can be challenging 2nd even tedious at times. I'd like lo thank all the committee members for their assistance over the past year. However, much work remains for the committee, and I look forward to establishing rnore active committee for 2024-2025, with re-activated sub-committees and more input from all committee members. As Chairperson I would like to thank the valuable contributions made to the committee by Annelies Taylor who did a massive amount of work in eslablishing the committee and previously held the office of Chairperson. I would also like to extend the committee's thanks to Sandra Jackson who has been our dedicated secretary for several years. Both have now stepped down. Finally. I would like to express gratitude lo Ihe massive contribution of Gearoidln Monrce, Stiurthoir NaiscoilelPre- school Leader and Manager over the past years. GeaFoidln's management and overall work at Nalscoil na Seolta has played a significant role in creating a stable and successful staff team which has nurtured our success. Financial review ReseNes policy It is the policy of the that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent lo be￿een three and six month's expenditure. The Trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that. in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the 's current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year. NAISCOIL NA SEOLTA TRUSTEES. REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 structure, governance and management The Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were.. N McDowell A Mac Séafraidh Uprichard C Mitchell A Mccammon Mrs Linda Ervine H Floyd Paul Lynas J Waterworth A Burns l Mcmillan A D Harrison G Monroe S Jackson A Taylor The Trustees, re ort was approved by the Board of Trustees. N M¢Dowell Trustee A Mac Séafraidh Trustee 27 May 2025