| REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: |
| REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Report of the Trustees and |
| Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: |
| REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Report of the Trustees and |
| Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Contents of the Financial Statements |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| Page |
| Reference and Administrative Details | 1 |
| Report of the Trustees | 2 | to | 3 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 4 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 5 |
| Balance Sheet | 6 | to | 7 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 8 | to | 12 |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Reference and Administrative Details |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| TRUSTEES |
| REGISTERED OFFICE |
| REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER |
| REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER |
| INDEPENDENT EXAMINER | Mark Vickers Accountants Limited |
| Ground Floor |
| 6&7 Eastway Business Village |
| Olivers Place |
| Preston |
| Lancashire |
| PR2 9WT |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club (Registered number: 06966567) |
| Report of the Trustees |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019). |
| OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES |
| Objectives and aims |
| The objectives are to provide and/or assist in the provision of childcare and education services for the benefit of the community, in particular (without limitation) pre-school and afterschool services in the area of Fulwood. |
| The trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity's aims and objectives. |
| ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE |
| Charitable activities |
| We are proud to say we have achieved another outstanding result from OFSTED to continue on from the Outstanding grading received in 2018. This has been achieved largely due to the time and effort of our staff and trustees so a big thank-you to everyone involved. We will continue to work closely with our parents and the local community to continue to maintain these standards. |
| To enable staff to continue with their learning we have carried on using an online training company, which enables staff to complete courses and refresh on updates over the coming 12 months. |
| The contribution of the Pre-School still continues to dominate the setting with only 10% of income attributed to the after-school club provision. The adjoining primary school offers a range of after-school activities meaning even less children are needing to use the after-school facilities we offer. |
| Work on the roof of the extension has been ongoing and all issues have now been rectified. Further works to the roof of the main building are expected within the next 12 months and a contingency has been built up as we await confirmation of these costs. Also within the next 12 months, the nursery will be looking to carry out repairs to the flooring and the children's toilet facilities. |
| As well as the repairs mentioned above, we have also updated our garden space to include for an external seating area (allowing for more activities such as Forest school), toy storage sheds, a planting area and updates to all outdoor equipment. |
| Staff retention levels remained static in the current year. |
| A drop in occupancy levels is expected from September 2025, however there is a reasonable contingency to ensure the continuation of the setting is maintained. |
| FINANCIAL REVIEW |
| Reserves policy |
| The Trustees have identified that significant expenditure is likely to continue to be needed to maintain the Club premises as well as to make necessary improvements. As a consequence there is a policy of building up a suitable reserve to put towards this, in the expectation that further funding can be obtained elsewhere. The Reserves policy reflects this as well as the need to allow an orderly wind-up of the Club should demand for its services decline for an unforeseen reason. |
| STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT |
| Governing document |
| The charity is a charitable company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital and, in accordance with Section 30 (2) of the Companies Act 1985, is exempt from the requirement to use the word 'limited' as part of its name. It is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association. |
| The Company was entered onto the Register of Charities on 29th June 2010. It is registered with OFSTED, no. EY417226. |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club (Registered number: 06966567) |
| Report of the Trustees |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT |
| Recruitment and appointment of new trustees |
| Each term we have a committee meeting. |
| Related parties |
| Due to the nature of the Charity and the composition of the Board of Directors/Trustees (mainly being parents), it is inevitable that transactions will take place with the trustees. All trustees who are parents pay the normal subscriptions, however none of the current trustees have any such link. |
| Risk management |
| The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. |
| COMMENCEMENT OF ACTIVITIES |
| The charity commenced operation of its first year on 1st September 2009 when the assets of the predecessor organisation were handed over. |
| Approved by order of the board of trustees on |
| Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Independent examiner's report to the trustees of The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks After School Club ('the Company') |
| I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 August 2024. |
| Responsibilities and basis of report |
| As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act'). |
| Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act. |
| Independent examiner's statement |
| I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe: |
| 1. | accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or |
| 2. | the accounts do not accord with those records; or |
| 3. | the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or |
| 4. | the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)). |
| 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. |
| Mark Vickers Accountants |
| Mark Vickers Accountants Limited |
| Ground Floor |
| 6&7 Eastway Business Village |
| Olivers Place |
| Preston |
| Lancashire |
| PR2 9WT |
| 21 May 2025 |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Statement of Financial Activities |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| Unrestricted | Total |
| fund | funds |
| Notes | £ | £ |
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM |
| Charitable activities |
| Other trading activities | 2 |
| Investment income | 3 |
| Total |
| EXPENDITURE ON |
| Charitable activities |
| NET INCOME |
| RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS |
| Total funds brought forward |
| TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD | 189,834 |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club (Registered number: 06966567) |
| Balance Sheet |
| 31 August 2024 |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| Unrestricted | Total |
| fund | funds |
| Notes | £ | £ |
| FIXED ASSETS |
| Tangible assets | 8 |
| CURRENT ASSETS |
| Debtors | 9 |
| Cash at bank |
| CREDITORS |
| Amounts falling due within one year | 10 | ( |
) | ( |
) |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS |
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES |
| NET ASSETS |
| FUNDS | 11 |
| Unrestricted funds | 189,834 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 189,834 |
| The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 August 2024. |
| The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. |
| The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for |
| (a) | ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and |
| (b) | preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company. |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club (Registered number: 06966567) |
| Balance Sheet - continued |
| 31 August 2024 |
| These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime. |
| The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Notes to the Financial Statements |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| 1. | ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
| Basis of preparing the financial statements |
| The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, 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 with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. |
| Income |
| All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. |
| Expenditure |
| Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. |
| Tangible fixed assets |
| Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life. |
| Buildings | - |
| Outside playarea | - |
| Equipment | - |
| Taxation |
| The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities. |
| Fund accounting |
| Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees. |
| Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. |
| Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements. |
| Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits |
| The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate. |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| 2. | OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| £ | £ |
| Fundraising events |
| 3. | INVESTMENT INCOME |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| £ | £ |
| Interest receivable | 9,223 | 3,934 |
| 4. | NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) |
| Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting): |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| £ | £ |
| Independent examination | 738 | 744 |
| Depreciation - owned assets |
| 5. | TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS |
| There was one trustee who received remuneration in the year for her role as Manager, as detailed in note 6. |
| No other trustees received any remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 August 2024 or 31 August 2023. |
| Trustees' expenses |
| There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 August 2024 nor for the year ended 31 August 2023. |
| 6. | STAFF COSTS |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| £ | £ |
| Wages and salaries |
| Social security costs |
| Other pension costs |
| 136,693 | 126,128 |
| The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows: |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| Average number of employees |
| The charitable company considers its two key management personnel to be the Manager (who is a director of the company) and the Deputy Manager. The total employee benefits, including employer pension contributions of the two key management personnel were £55,607 (2023 - £48,258). |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| 7. | COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES |
| Unrestricted |
| fund |
| £ |
| INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM |
| Charitable activities |
| Other trading activities |
| Investment income |
| Total |
| EXPENDITURE ON |
| Charitable activities |
| NET INCOME |
| RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS |
| Total funds brought forward |
| TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD | 189,834 |
| 8. | TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS |
| Outside |
| Buildings | playarea | Equipment | Totals |
| £ | £ | £ | £ |
| COST |
| At 1 September 2023 |
| Additions |
| At 31 August 2024 |
| DEPRECIATION |
| At 1 September 2023 |
| Charge for year |
| At 31 August 2024 |
| NET BOOK VALUE |
| At 31 August 2024 |
| At 31 August 2023 |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| 9. | DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| £ | £ |
| Other debtors |
| 10. | CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
| 31.8.24 | 31.8.23 |
| £ | £ |
| Accruals and deferred income |
| 11. | MOVEMENT IN FUNDS |
| Net |
| movement | At |
| At 1.9.23 | in funds | 31.8.24 |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Unrestricted funds |
| General fund | 189,834 | 59,845 | 249,679 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 59,845 | 249,679 |
| Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: |
| Incoming | Resources | Movement |
| resources | expended | in funds |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Unrestricted funds |
| General fund | 232,334 | (172,489 | ) | 59,845 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | ( |
) | 59,845 |
| Comparatives for movement in funds |
| Net |
| movement | At |
| At 1.9.22 | in funds | 31.8.23 |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Unrestricted funds |
| General fund | 155,656 | 34,178 | 189,834 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 155,656 | 34,178 | 189,834 |
| The Little Acorns Pre-School And Oaks |
| After School Club |
| Notes to the Financial Statements - continued |
| for the Year Ended 31 August 2024 |
| 11. | MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued |
| Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: |
| Incoming | Resources | Movement |
| resources | expended | in funds |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Unrestricted funds |
| General fund | 193,595 | (159,417 | ) | 34,178 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 193,595 | (159,417 | ) | 34,178 |
| A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows: |
| Net |
| movement | At |
| At 1.9.22 | in funds | 31.8.24 |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Unrestricted funds |
| General fund | 155,656 | 94,023 | 249,679 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 155,656 | 94,023 | 249,679 |
| A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: |
| Incoming | Resources | Movement |
| resources | expended | in funds |
| £ | £ | £ |
| Unrestricted funds |
| General fund | 425,929 | (331,906 | ) | 94,023 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 425,929 | (331,906 | ) | 94,023 |
| 12. | RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES |