STEPPING STONES PRE SCHOOL (READING)

Registered charity 1024885 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as MEADWAY SPORTS CENTRE PLAYGROUP, STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL (MEADWAY SCHOOL)

provide education and play for 2 years to five years children in the Reading area

Objects

TO ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION OF CHILDREN UNDER STATUTORY SCHOOL AGE BY ENCOURAGING PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND AND PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH COMMUNITY GROUPS

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£309k

Latest spending

£319k

Registered

1993

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity recorded a financial deficit at the end of the reporting period, primarily due to an oversight by the local council regarding facilities charges and rental costs. The trustees note that the charity endeavors to keep a reserve in place to fund expected building repair costs, but no specific reserves policy target is stated.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: The Charity endeavors to keep a reserve in place to fund expected building repair costs. (held: £130k)

“The Charity endeavors to keep a reserve in place to fund expected building repair costs.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education). This is the charity’s own declaration; it is not a rating and has not been verified by the Commission or by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Trustees · trustee networks

LINDSEY STEVENSchair
ZOE DUCK
Zoe FULCHER

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Reading

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£309k	£319k
31/03/2024	£192k	£160k
31/07/2023	£271k	£277k
31/07/2022	£215k	£208k
31/07/2021	£243k	£184k

Common questions

Is STEPPING STONES PRE SCHOOL (READING) financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity recorded a financial deficit at the end of the reporting period, primarily due to an oversight by the local council regarding facilities charges and rental costs. The trustees note that the charity endeavors to keep a reserve in place to fund expected building repair costs, but no specific reserves policy target is stated. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	01/04/2023	£2k	Apprenticeships Participation 16 - 18

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with STEPPING STONES PLAYGROUP.

STEPPING STONES PLAYGROUP income £148k
STEPPING STONES NURSERY AND PRE-SCHOOL (CLAVERDON) CIO income £191k
STEPPING STONES OF CHESTER income £246k
NEW STEPPING STONES PLAYGROUP income £223k
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL, LITTLEPORT income £221k
STONESFIELD PRE SCHOOL income £116k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
STEPPING STONES PRE SCHOOL (READING)	£309k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STEPPING STONES PLAYGROUP FY2025	£148k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STEPPING STONES NURSERY AND PRE-SCHOOL (CLAVERDON) CIO FY2025	£191k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STEPPING STONES OF CHESTER FY2024	£246k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
NEW STEPPING STONES PLAYGROUP FY2025	£223k	—	unclear	—	no doubt
STEPPING STONES PRE-SCHOOL, LITTLEPORT FY2025	£221k	—	above	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.