Financial review

Firstly, we would like to thank the charitable trust that continues to assist our growth path and provides funding which supports our growth path and provides funding which supports the school facilities and advances the education of our pupils.

The year ended with total turnover up by £512,745 or 15% which mainly reflects the continued pupil gains across the school. The school has continued to invest in capital expenditure of £202,451 (2024 £184,312) and the annual operating loss has been reduced to -£2,655 (2024 -£154,344) after charging depreciation of £117,161. These figures have been achieved despite the school and parents being faced with the imposition of VAT from January 2025

Governance

The Board of Governance has continued to meet at least twice a term to cover all aspects of school life and in addition various members of the Board attend meetings covering education, safeguarding and health & safety. The Board also held its annual strategy with members of the Advisory Board and the Senior Leadership Team to review the future direction for the school. Following the year end M. Piercy took over the Chairmanship of the Board.

These financial statements have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The directors of the company have elected not to include a copy of the profit and loss account within the financial statements.true

Great Ballard School Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Eartham House, Eartham, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0LR.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime. The disclosure requirements of section 1A of FRS 102 have been applied other than where additional disclosure is required to show a true and fair view.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

As set out in the Directors’ Responsibilities Statement on page 6, in preparing these financial statements the directors are required to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business. The business of the company is that of operating as an independent school and in satisfaction of this responsibility the directors have reviewed in detail the cash flow projections of the school which are updated regularly, and considered the school’s ability to meet its liabilities as they fall due.

The school has substantially reduced its operating loss from £154,344 in 2024 to £2,655 which is after charging depreciation of £117,161. Therefore, the directors are confident that the school will now return to an operating surplus. The increase in operating loss this year was due to the planned reduction in donation from an educational charity. This reduction in support indicates progress towards self-​sufficiency.

The school has no bank lending facilities in place and operates entirely from its bank current account to meet its commitments as they fall due. Accordingly, the directors consider it appropriate to prepare these financial statements on a going concern basis.

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 credited or charged to profit or loss.

At each reporting period end date, the company 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). Where it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, the company estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and 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.

The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the company's balance sheet when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

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.

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans and loans from shareholders that are classified as debt, 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 business 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.

Changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as fair value hedges are recognised in profit or loss immediately, together with any changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability that are attributable to the hedged risk.

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or fixed assets.

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 company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessees. All other leases are classified as operating leases.

Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets at the lower of the assets fair value at the date of inception and the present value of the minimum lease payments. The related liability is included in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements. The interest is charged to profit or loss so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leases asset are consumed.

Pensions

The company contributes to pension schemes on behalf of its teaching and non-teaching staff. Contributions are charged to the profit and loss account as they become payable. The funds of the schemes are administered by trustees and are separate from the company.

Deferred tax

Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date where transactions or events have occurred at that date that will result in an obligation to pay more, or a right to pay less or to receive more tax.

Deferred tax is measured on an undiscounted basis at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the previous periods in which timing differences reverse, based on tax rates and laws enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date.

A net deferred tax asset is regarded as recoverable and therefore recognised only to the extent that, on the basis of all available evidence, it can be regarded as more likely than not that there will be suitable taxable profits from which the future reversal of the underlying timing differences can be deducted.

If full provision for deferred tax was made in these accounts, there would be an asset at 31 August 2025 of £241,565 (2024: £262,464).

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors 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.

In the opinion of the directors there are no significant judgements or areas of estimation uncertainty.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

As the income statement has been omitted from the filing copy of the financial statements, the following information in relation to the audit report on the statutory financial statements is provided in accordance with s444(5B) of the Companies Act 2006:

The auditor's report was unqualified.

At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, as follows:

The directors have applied the exemption available within FRS 102 Section 1A from disclosing transactions with related parties which have been undertaken under normal market conditions. The directors reviewed the transactions with related parties and have concluded that there are no transactions requiring disclosure.