The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the nursery's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "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)".
The objects and principal activities are :
to work with parents and children in ways consistent with the principles of the Christian religion to promote the physical, intellectual and social development and well-being of pre‑school children in Melksham and neighbouring areas, particularly those who are disadvantaged, to ensure they are ready to flourish when they get to school; and,
to advance the education of parents of children attending the pre‑school.
that the Trustees have had regard to the public guidance issued by the Commission on public benefit.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the nursery should undertake.
Achievements and Performance
The charity’s Business Plan for the period 2025-2028 identified the following key issues:
a) Sustainability of ownership and management of the Nursery
b) Application of Christian principles
c) Development of Premises
d) Measuring Outcomes
e) Improving the working experience for our staff
f) Preparing for Change
During 2024-2025, further progress was made in each of these areas, as follows:
Sustainability of ownership and management of the Nursery
Links were strengthened between Queensway Chapel and the Nursery.
Application of Christian principles
The website and prospectus clearly specify our ethos. Every child who leaves the Nursery receives a copy of the Bible. The staff and volunteers regularly tell Bible stories to the children and the trustees support the staff when celebrating Christian festivals. There is a monthly prayer meeting for the nursery.
Development of Premises
Further work on clearing and tidying the nursery has been undertaken and the external appearance of the building has been improved. The staff have rearranged the garden space to create suitable space for the larger numbers in the pre-school group and toddler’s areas.
Measuring Outcomes
Since last year, we have made an increased number of referrals for Speech and Language. We are continuing with our groups of social skills and other such groups as BLAST and Talk Boost as well as a new Maths group for those getting ready to go to school. The children’s behaviour has been challenging, and additional help and support has been provided to help them with their learning and social skills.
Our SENCO has been working hard to get the help the children need ready for school in September. Together with their reports will go the one-page profiles that the children will need to help with the transition to school.
The children have shown progress and most of the children who are going to school are where they should be with regards to the Early Year’s Foundation Stage. We are having the teachers visit the children to help make the transition to school a pleasant one.
Improving the working experience for our staff
Tina Contri has been manager since February 2023 and Beth Prout was appointed Deputy Childcare Manager in June 2023. We have since promoted Chloe Brewer as our Toddler Room Leader in January 2025.
All our staff are now Level 3 qualified, and we have an apprentice starting in September 2025.
We encourage our staff with their own personal professional development and training through “Noodle Now” and when going through supervisions asking them if they feel that they require any other training. We have policies which protect and safeguard each individual. We endeavour to make the working environment as pleasant as possible. We hold each member of staff in high regard and value the contributions they make.
Preparing for Change
As a nursery in Melksham, our purpose is to provide the best environment and care for each individual child. We aim to create a loving community within the Nursery. We are grateful for the hard work of our staff in the care that they give to the children. We are also grateful for the prayers and support that we receive from our members and friends. Without this support we would be unable to fulfil our mission.
Conclusion
We are grateful to all the staff for their continued hard work and commitment to giving the best possible care. We are looking forward to the future.
It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between 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 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.
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the nursery is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
The nursery is a company limited by guarantee.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.
The company's current policy concerning the payment of trade creditors is to follow the CBI's Prompt Payers Code (copies are available from the CBI, Centre Point, 103 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DU).
The company's current policy concerning the payment of trade creditors is to:
settle the terms of payment with suppliers when agreeing the terms of each transaction;
ensure that suppliers are made aware of the terms of payment by inclusion of the relevant terms in contracts; and
pay in accordance with the company's contractual and other legal obligations.
The trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Queensway Chapel Pre-school for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity 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 the nursery’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ICAEW, which is one of the listed bodies.
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 that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the nursery as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements 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 financial statements 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 financial statements to be reached.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Queensway Chapel Pre-school is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Queensway, MELKSHAM, Wiltshire, SN12 7LQ.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the nursery's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "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). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the nursery. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, [modified to include the revaluation of freehold properties and to include investment properties and certain financial instruments at fair value]. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors or grantors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the nursery has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, 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 classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
At each reporting end date, the nursery reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the nursery’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the nursery is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
In the application of the accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).