The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 August 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 trust'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 trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the trust should undertake.
The objects for which the charity is established are to further the education of children between the ages of 2-11 and to maintain, manage, develop and carry on an early years, infant and junior school and to supply to pupils general instruction of the highest standard.
The principal activity of the charitable company throughout the year was the operation, management and development of Avalon School.
Avalon School is committed to providing a quality educational experience for all its pupils, by enabling each child to reach his or her full potential intellectually, socially and physically. The School's objectives are to provide a secure, happy and stimulating environment in which children feel confident to ask questions and learn, involving parents in this process by discussion with them on their children's work and progress and to prepare pupils for examinations for both the state and independent secondary schools.
The School promotes the academic, moral, social and physical development of its pupils through its academic curriculum, pastoral care, sporting and other activities. An educational environment is provided where each child can develop self-confidence and a desire to contribute to the wider community.
The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its pupils and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Strong home and school partnerships are fostered in a variety of ways including regular communication about children's social and academic progress through parents' evenings and formal written reports. In addition to this the school provides regular updates on news and events through its website and weekly newsletters. Other functions such as parent workshops, visiting mornings and 'stay and play' sessions provide opportunities for parents and families to experience the School during a normal working day and to be fully informed about teaching and learning strategies used with their children. The School staff team work closely with the PTA, enabling further links with the parent community to support the work of the School.
The School welcomes pupils from all backgrounds. To admit a prospective pupil the School needs to be satisfied that it will be able to educate and develop the pupil to the best of his or her potential and in line with the general standards achieved by peers. Entrance interviews and taster sessions are undertaken to satisfy School, and parents, that potential pupils can cope with the pace of learning and can benefit from the education provided. An individual's economic status, gender, ethnicity, race, religion or disability do not form part of the assessment procedures. The School is committed to being a good employer, providing a supportive and nurturing work environment that encourages and takes care of our staff team, while continually striving to develop their skills and talents.
Avalon School remains an accredited member of the Independent Schools Association.
The School employs 38 members of staff in total. The development of a middle leadership structure has continued to further strengthen the management and leadership of the School.
Curriculum developments have included a particular focus on specific aspects of Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Economics Education, such as Mental Health & Wellbeing and includes a wide range of opportunities that teach pupils to support their own physical and emotional wellbeing effectively. The School has continued its curriculum development of Relationships and Health Education, in consultation with Parents, Staff and the Board of Governors.
Discounted Fee and Bursaries
These take three forms:
To underline the value the School places on continuity for families, it offers discounts on the fees where parents have more than one child at the School. In the year 2024/5, 24 children received sibling discounts amounting to £12,003.
Assistance with fees can be made in cases where children attending the School are affected by unexpected family hardship, eg: unemployment, sudden illness, etc and where the child's education and future prospects would otherwise be at risk. Such assistance is designed to be temporary, but the trustees acknowledge that in some cases it may need to last for longer period of time.
Some bursaries are available for children joining the School, and whose parents would not otherwise be able to afford the full fees. These may be available for children meeting the School's general entrance requirements and whose parental means have been assessed and deemed suitable for bursarial assistance.
The School does not have any designated endowments for fee assistance and bursaries and it has to be mindful, in funding these awards, to ensure a balance between fee-paying parents, many of whom make considerable personal sacrifices to fund their child's education and those benefiting from the award.
In assessing means, several factors are taken into consideration including family income, investments and savings and family circumstances eg: number of siblings.
During the last year, a total of 21 children, were assisted by combinations of temporary assistances and bursaries to the sum of £84,436. Together with the family discounts, this represented a total of £86,769.
Other Public Benefits
Avalon School has a long history of involvement within the local community.
Other public benefits provided by the School include:
The School runs a weekly Baby and Toddler group for the local community
The School premises are available to local organisations by request
The School works in partnership with a Holiday Camp provider which is open and available to children from the local community.
Work experience opportunities are given to pupils from local state schools
Children and staff make regular visits to elderly residential care homes in the local community
Public Benefit and Community Involvement
Pupils have involvement in local services and assemblies linked with St. Bridget’s Church.
Charities supported this year have included:
Macmillan Cancer UK
Anti-Bullying Alliance – Odd Socks Day
Children In Need
Wirral Ark
Comic Relief
NSPCC
Wirral Food Bank
St George’s Food Pantry
Charles Thompson Mission
As an educational charity, the School applies all of its income exclusively for charitable purposes, namely the provision of education. Historically, the School benefited from certain tax reliefs associated with its charitable status. However, following recent Government changes to the tax treatment of independent schools, from January 2025 school fees are now subject to VAT, which represents a significant additional cost to families and to the School. In addition, the School no longer qualifies for charitable relief on business rates and is therefore required to pay business rates in full on the property it occupies. The School also continues to meet its statutory obligations as an employer, including the payment of PAYE and National Insurance contributions. Despite these increased financial pressures, the Trustees remain committed to ensuring that all available resources are directed towards supporting the School’s educational provision and sustaining its bursary and fee-assistance policies wherever possible.
In addition to the substantial benefits the School brings to its pupils, the local community, and society in general through the education offered, the bursary programme creates a social asset without cost to the Exchequer.
All governors give of their time freely and no remuneration or expenses were paid to them in the year in respect of their services as governors. No governor or person connected with a governor received any benefit from either means tested bursaries or other benefits awarded to pupils.
In summary, the total value of all aspects of public benefit provided by the School was in excess of £86,000.
Very good academic results were achieved during the school year:
Secondary School Entrance Assessments: Supporting pupils to achieve their preferred Secondary school via selective assessments continues to be a key aspect and strength of the School and the School works in close partnership with parents to achieve the best possible outcomes for pupils.
SATS - The School does not submit SATS data for external moderation, but uses SATS papers together with INSIGHT and other standardised tests, as important strands in assessing pupils' attainment at the end of key stages 1 & 2. In both cases, teacher assessment reveals that children are achieving well in advance of their predicted assessment profile. In addition, the School has subscribed to the value added assessment offered by the PIPS programme and INSIGHT assessment.
Teaching and nursery staff attended over 40 courses in total, the majority of which were online, due to many providers continuing this working pattern. During the year all teachers were involved in a programme of in-service training activities organised at the School on a variety of educational issues, including updates for the Early Years and Digital Development Projects in the main school, as well as a number of Health and Safety and Safeguarding matters.
Events and activities such as the School’s ‘Challenge Week’, Take Over Day, Beach and Outdoor Learning Projects, including an EYFS Sports Day, Eco Planting and a Junior Performing Arts Production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ are just a sample of the many activities and achievements which enable further enrichment of the school’s broad and balanced curriculum.
Pupils at the School take part in a wide range of extra-curricular trips and visits. These included:
Reception, Year 1, Year 2 & Year 4 – Chester Zoo, Chester
Year 2 & Year 3 – Leasowe Lighthouse, Wirral
Year 6 – Allerton Synagogue & St George’s Church, Liverpool
Signing Club – BSL Event at St George’s Hall, Liverpool
Running Club – Cross Country Events at Arrowe Park, Wirral
Reception & Year 2– Caldy Woods, Wirral
Reception, Year, Year 2 & Year 4 – Liverpool World Museum, Liverpool
Reception – Caldy Manor Care House, Wirral
Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 & Year 6 – Old Garden Care House, Wirral
Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 & Year 6 – Storey House Theatre, Chester
Reception – West Kirby Library, Wirral
Year 3 – Roman Tour & Museum, Chester
Eco Council & Year – Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm
Year 3 & Year 4 – Liverpool Football Club Training Centre, Liverpool
Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 & Year 6 – Cubbins Green Beach & West Kirby Beach, Wirral
Year 6 – Residential at Petty Poo Outdoor Centre, Delamere
House Winners – Claremount Farm Outdoor Centre
Year 5 – Hilbre Island, Wirral
The children performed in over 8 music or drama concerts throughout the year, including a Performing Arts concert and Junior production of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ A theatre in education workshop was also held at the School and Junior children supported the School’s Parent Teacher Association events such as the Christmas Fair and Strawberry Tea by managing their own stalls following an Enterprise week project. Children from Key stage 2 classes took part in the Primary Maths UK competition, with two children reaching the national quarter finals.
Extra - curricular activities included:
Science Club
Netball
Gardening
Construction
Computing – Coding
Library
Peripatetic music: Piano,
Performing Arts
Rugby
Verbal Reasoning
Dance
Football
Signing
Ballet
Multi Sports
Acro Dance
Lego
Children also took part in a range of local sporting fixtures including netball, football, and athletics.
The financial performance of the charitable company is reflected in the attached financial statements, which show a deficit on running the School of £173,163 (2024: £88,500 deficit), but depreciation provided on the assets of £47,601 (2024: £51,066) has meant that there is a net deficit of £220,764 (2024: £139.566). There are sufficient funds to allow the trustees to continue to pursue their objectives of continuing to develop the School for the benefit of its pupils and the community in general.
Income shows a slight decrease from £1,275,239 to £1,172,062. Expenditure shows an decreased from £1,414,805 to £1,392,826 reflecting tighter cost control.
The balance sheet has deteriorated with net current assets of £215,184 (2024: £388,915) and total net assets of £2,046,667 (2024: £2,267,431).
This is to aim to achieve and maintain a reserve of six months' working capital in case of future and unexpected downturns. If this is exceeded, then additional repayments of the mortgage are to be made. At present this implies a free reserve of the equivalent to three to six months expenditure, approximately £350,000 to £700,000. Current reserves are significantly below this year at £220,741 (2024: £394,942).
Risk Management
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the School is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to monitor and control these risks so as to minimise the School's exposure to them and mitigate any impact they may have in the future.
To ensure the financial well-being of the charity during the period of national economic difficulty.
Continue to work to ensure the health and safety of all involved in the School.
Maintain satisfactory staffing levels and expertise.
Examine ways in which the buildings and grounds can be more eco-friendly.
Avalon School Educational Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated (04050603) on 10th August 2000 and registered as a charity on 15th August 2001 (1088050). The objects and powers of the charitable company are established by its Memorandum of Association and it is governed by its Articles of Association.
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:
The company's directors are also trustees of the charity and governors of the School. New trustees are initially appointed by the Board and their appointment is then confirmed at the next annual general meeting. In addition one third of the members of the Board retire by rotation at the annual general meeting in every second year. Members retiring may offer themselves for re-election.
Trustees are generally appointed from persons with a strong connection to the School who have expertise in various fields; frequently former parents whose children have attended the School or former pupils. This ensures that trustees have empathy for the ethos and aims of the School, whilst bringing to the Board a professional and business approach.
Names of potential trustees are normally put forward to the Board by existing trustees, particularly with the aim of reinforcing the range of competencies of the trustees.
Following the agreement of the Board, the new trustee undergoes the requisite safeguarding checks before commencing duties, and initial taking in undertaken.The appointment of trustees from a range of backgrounds ensures that breadth and depth of experience from many areas is available to enable duties to be carried out effectively and efficiently. Where possible the trustees consider that it is helpful if the experience of the Board comprises knowledge and skills in the following areas:
Education
Finance
Food hygiene
Legal
Personnel
Property management
Once appointed, training is supplied for trustees on an ongoing basis. Trustees regularly attend School functions.
Separate sub-committees exist to consider issues in detail and to make recommendations to the Board. These cover:
Staff recruitment and appointment
Finance
Property management and Health and Safety
A visiting governor has been appointed to liaise with staff, and another governor liaises over matters concerning children with special educational needs.
Trustees normally meet six times a year to review policies and make decisions.
Policies are set by the governors, whilst responsibility for the day to day running of the School is delegated to the head teacher, who attends these meetings and submits a report to the trustees.
No external person or body is entitled to appoint a trustee.
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 trustees, who are also the directors of Avalon School Educational Trust for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the trust and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the trust will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the trust and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the trust and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that Xeinadin Audit Limited be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Avalon School Educational Trust (the ‘trust’) for the year ended 31 August 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the trust in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the trust’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:
the information given in the trustees' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared, which includes the directors' report prepared for the purposes of company law, is consistent with the financial statements; and
the directors' report included within the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the trust and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report included within the trustees' report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or
the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies' exemptions in preparing the trustees' report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
Enquiry of management and those charged with governance around actual and potential litigation and claims;
Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
Performing audit work over the risk of management override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and reviewing accounting estimates for bias;
Enquiry of management and those charged with governance to identify any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations.
The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably.
Firstly, the charitable company is subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements including financial reporting legislation (including related companies legislation), distributable profits legislation and taxation legislation and we assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items.
Secondly, the charitable company is subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequence of non-compliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance the imposition of fines or litigation or the loss of the charitable company’s license to operate. Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the directors and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. Therefore, if a breach of operational regulations is not disclosed to us or evident from relevant correspondence, an audit will not detect that breach.
Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.
We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.
Avalon School Educational Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Avalon School, Caldy Road, Wirral, Merseyside, CH48 2HE.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the trust'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 trust is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the trust. 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.
At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the trust 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.
Income in respect of Early Years Funding from Wirral Borough Council is recognised in the period to which the funding relates.
Fees received for education to be provided in future years are carried forwards as deferred income.
Government grants are recognised at the fair value of the asset received or receivable when there is reasonable assurance that the grant conditions will be met and the grants will be received.
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the School 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.
Teaching Materials:
Supplies of apparatus, equipment, books, stationery and sundry materials are written off as soon as the expenditure on procuring them is incurred.
Governance costs comprise the costs of running the School, including strategic planning for its future development, external audit, any legal advice for the School's Governors, and all costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements, such as the cost of Governors and Committee meetings, and of preparing statutory accounts and satisfying public accountability.
Allocation of support costs:
Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the School but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include finance, personnel, payroll and governance. Governance costs are those incurred in connection with administrative of the charity and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
These costs are subsequently apportioned to the charitable activity to which they directly support, as analysed in notes 5 & 6.
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 trust 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).
Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and replacement value.
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.
The trust 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 trust's balance sheet when the trust 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.
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 trust’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 trust is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.
The School participates in a multi-employer defined benefits scheme, the Teachers' Pension Scheme ("the Scheme") for its teaching staff. Contributions on a "pay-as-you-go" basis are credited to the Exchequer under arrangements governed by the Superannuation Act 1972. A notional asset value is ascribed to the scheme for the purpose of determining contribution rates.
The School is unable to identify its share of the underlying assets and liabilities of the scheme; accordingly, the School accounts for its contributions as if it were a defined contribution scheme.
The School also contributes to defined contribution schemes for its non-teaching staff.
In the application of the school’s 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 estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.
The School depreciates tangible assets over their estimated useful lives based on historic performance. The actual lives can vary.
Governance costs includes payments to the auditors of £6,600 for audit fees (2024: £6,600).
None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the trust during the year.
Mrs H J Probert is employed by the School under a contract of employment - for which she is remunerated at market rate. This is unrelated to her activities as a trustee. The total employment costs for her this year was £21,185 (2024: £21,625)
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 August 2025 nor for the year ended 31 August 2024.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The key management personnel of the School compromises; the Head teacher, Deputy Head teacher and the School Business Manager.
Their total remuneration is as follows.
The long-term loans are secured by fixed charges over the freehold property together with all buildings & fixtures, fixed plant and machinery, alongside all present and future book & other debts. A floating charge is also in place over all moveable plant machinery, implements, utensils, furniture & equipment, together with goodwill of the business and the full benefit of all licences and guarantees.
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
The trust operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the trust in an independently administered fund.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Nursery funding
This fund represents grant income received from the local authority in respect of government-funded early years education and childcare, including the funded entitlement hours.
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.
The operating leases are for plant, machinery and office equipment, negotiated over average lease terms of 5 years and rentals are fixed for the same period.
At the reporting end date the school had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year (2024 - none).
The School participates in a multi-employer defined benefits scheme, the Teachers' Pension Scheme ("the Scheme") for its teaching staff. The contributions to the Scheme amounted to £101,982 (2024: £84,712). Contributions outstanding at 31 August 2025 amounted to £9,360 (2024: £9,968).
The Scheme is governed by The Teachers' Pensions Regulations 2010 (as amended) and the Teachers' Pension Scheme Regulations 2014 (as amended). Contributions from members and the employer are credited to the Exchequer and retirement and other pension benefits are paid by public funds provided by Parliament.
The employer contribution rate is set by the Secretary of State following scheme valuations undertaken by the Governments Actuary Department. The most recent actuarial valuation of the TPS was prepared as at 31 March 2020 and the Valuation Report, which was published in March 2020, confirmed that the employer contribution rate for the TPS is 23.68% from 1 September 2019. Employers are also required to pay a scheme administration levy of 0.08% giving a total employer contribution rate of 23.68%.
The School is unable to identify its share of the underlying assets and liabilities of the scheme; accordingly, the School has accounted for its contributions as if it were a defined contribution scheme.
The School also contributes to defined contribution schemes for its non-teaching staff. The cost of the School's contributions for the year amounted to £12,680 (2024: £11,609).
The School's public liability policy includes cover for claims made against it arising from any negligent act, error or omission committed in good faith and extends to include any such acts by trustees, employees and voluntary helpers. The additional cost of such cover cannot be separated from the public liability premium of £10,986 (2024: £10,076)