The directors present their annual report and the audited financial statements of Manchester School Services Limited ("the Company") for the year ended 31 December 2025.

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of the provision of a secondary school and its subsequent operation and maintenance for the benefit of Manchester City Council. The contract is in year 17 of its term expiring in April 2032.

The results for the year are set out on page 8.

The profit for the financial year, after taxation, amounted to £361,707 (2024: profit of £443,716).

The directors are satisfied with the overall performance of the Company and do not foresee any significant change in the Company's activities in the coming financial year.

Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £nil (2024: £185,032). The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

The company has made qualifying third party indemnity provisions for the benefit of its directors during the year. These provisions remain in force at the reporting date.

Many of the cash flow risks are addressed by means of contractual provisions. The Company's liquidity risk is principally managed through the Company by means of long term borrowings.

The financial risk management objectives of the Company are to ensure that financial risks are mitigated by the use of financial instruments. The Company uses interest rate swaps to reduce its exposure to interest rate movements. Financial instruments are not used for speculative purposes.

The independent auditors, Johnston Carmichael LLP, are deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

In the case of each director in office at the date the Directors' Report is approved:

• so far as the director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Company's auditors are unaware; and

• they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Company's auditors are aware of that information.

The performance of the Company from a cash perspective is assessed six monthly by the testing of the covenants of the senior debt provider. The key indicator being the debt service cover ratio. The Company has been performing well and has been compliant with the covenants laid out in the loan agreement.

Climate change

The directors recognise that it is important to disclose their view of the impact of climate change on the Company. The Company's key operational contracts are long-term and with a small number of known counterparties. In most cases, the cashflows from these contracts can be predicted with reasonable certainty for at least the medium-term. Having considered the Company's operations, its contracted rights and obligations and forecast cash flows, there is not expected to be a significant impact upon the Company's operational or financial performance arising from climate change.

These financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis for the reasons set out in the Accounting Policies.

Lifecycle risk

The company's lifecycle risk is held by the SPV. In order to ensure costs are recorded in the year in which they are incurred, routine monitoring is carried out on lifecycle costs, this compares actual spend to a pre-approved plan.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption.

The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and regulation.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have prepared the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising FRS102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland", and applicable law).

Under company law, directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• state whether applicable United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising FRS102 have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The directors are also responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements were approved and signed by the directors and authorised for issue on 25 June 2026.

John George

Director        

We have audited the financial statements of Manchester School Services Limited (‘the company’) for the year ended 31 December 2025, which comprise the Statement of Comprehensive Income, Statement of Financial Position, Statement of Changes in Equity 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:

• Give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 December 2025 and of its profit for the year then ended;

• Have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• Have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

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 responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company 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.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Directors’ 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 company’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 Directors 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 and Financial Statements other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The Directors are responsible for the other information contained within the Annual Report and Financial Statements. 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 the audit:

• The information given in the Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• The Directors’ Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Directors’ 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 Directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• We have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

• The Directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemption in preparing the Directors’ Report and from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report.

As explained more fully in the Directors' responsibilities statement set out on page 3, the Directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the applicable framework a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the Directors are responsible for assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditors' report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

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 auditors' report.

Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

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.

We assessed whether the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence and capabilities to identify or recognise non-compliance with laws and regulations by considering their experience, past performance and support available.

All engagement team members were briefed on relevant identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks at the planning stage of the audit. Engagement team members were reminded to remain alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the company and the sector in which it operates, focusing on those provisions that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The most relevant frameworks we identified include:

• Companies Act 2006;

• UK Tax legislation; and

• UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

We gained an understanding of how the company is complying with these laws and regulations by making enquiries of management and those charged with governance. We corroborated these enquiries through our review of relevant correspondence with regulatory bodies and board meeting minutes.

We assessed the susceptibility of the financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur, by meeting with management and those charged with governance to understand where it was considered there was susceptibility to fraud. This evaluation also considered how management and those charged with governance were remunerated and whether this provided an incentive for fraudulent activity. We considered the overall control environment and how management and those charged with governance oversee the implementation and operation of controls. In areas of the financial statements where the risks were considered to be higher, we performed procedures to address each identified risk. We identified a heightened fraud risk in relation to:

• Management override of controls

• Revenue recognition

In addition to the above, the following procedures were performed to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements were free of material fraud or error:

• Reviewing minutes of meetings of those charged with governance for reference to: breaches of laws and regulation or for any indication of any potential litigation and claims; and events or conditions that could indicate an incentive or pressure to commit fraud or provide an opportunity to commit fraud;

• Reviewing the level of and reasoning behind the company’s procurement of legal and professional services;

• Performing audit procedures 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 assessing judgements made by management in their calculation of accounting estimates for potential management bias;

• Recalculating the unitary charge using the method and assumptions set out in the project agreement;

• Agreeing a sample of months’ income receipts to invoice and bank statements;

• Performing an assessment on the service margins used in the year and agreeing margins used to the active financial models;

• Reconciling the finance income and amortisation to the finance debtor reconciliation to ensure allocation methodology is in line with the contractual terms and relevant accounting standards;

• Completion of appropriate checklists and use of our experience to assess the company’s compliance with the Companies Act 2006; and

• Agreement of the financial statement disclosures to supporting documentation.

Our audit procedures were designed to respond to the risk of material misstatements in the financial statements, recognising that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation. There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures performed and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the 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 company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' 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 company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

All the activities of the company are from continuing operations.

The notes on pages 11 to 19 form part of these financial statements.

The notes on pages 11 to 19 form part of these financial statements.

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

The notes on pages 11 to 19 form part of these financial statements.

Manchester School Services Limited ("the Company") is a private company limited by shares incorporated in the United Kingdom and is registered in England and Wales. The registered office is located at 8th Floor, 6 Kean Street, London, WC2B 4AS.

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of the provision of a secondary school and its subsequent operation and maintenance for the benefit of Manchester City Council. The contract is in year 17 of its term expiring in April 2032.

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.

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, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below and have been consistently applied to the years presented, unless otherwise stated.

At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.true

The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis which the directors believe to be appropriate for the following reasons.

The Company prepares cash flow forecasts covering the expected life of the asset and so including the 12 month period from the date the financial statements are signed. In drawing up these forecasts, the Directors have made assumptions based upon their view of the current and future economic conditions that will prevail over the forecast period. Based on these forecasts the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

In light of this, the Directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the Company's annual financial statements.

Turnover represents the services' share of the management services income received by the Company for the provision of a PFI (Private Finance Initiative) asset to the customer. This income is received over the life of the concession period. Management service income is allocated between turnover, finance debtor interest and reimbursement of the finance debtor so as to generate a constant rate of return in respect of the finance debtor over the life of the contract.

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 is obligated to keep a separate cash reserve in respect of future major maintenance and debt service costs. This restricted balance, which is shown on the statement of financial position within the "cash at bank and in hand" balance for cash balances amounts to £2,944,352 (2024: £2,662,748).

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 statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Basic financial assets, which include debtors, cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and debtors 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.

Other financial instruments are subsequently measured at fair value, with any changes recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income, with the exception of hedging instruments in a designated hedging relationship.

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.

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, loans from fellow group 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.

Debt instruments that do not meet the conditions in FRS 102 paragraph 11.9 are subsequently measured at fair value through profit or loss. Debt instruments may be designated as being measured at fair value through profit or loss to eliminate or reduce an accounting mismatch or if the instruments are measured and their performance evaluated on a fair value basis in accordance with a documented risk management or investment strategy.

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the Statement of Comprehensive Income because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The company’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all timing differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the timing difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the Statement of Comprehensive Income, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when the company has a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.

The Company has taken the transition exemption in FRS102 Section 35.10(i) that allows the Company to continue the service concession arrangement accounting policies from previous UK GAAP.

The Company accounts for the concession asset based on the ability to substantially transfer all the risks and rewards of ownership to the customer, with this arrangement the costs incurred by the Company on the design and construction of the asset have been treated as a finance debtor within these financial statements.

Borrowing

Borrowings are recognised at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. Under the effective interest rate method, any transaction fees, costs, discounts and premiums directly related to the borrowings are recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income over the life of the borrowings. Borrowings with maturities greater than twelve months after the reporting date are classified as non-current liabilities.

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.

Accounting for the service concession contract and finance debtor requires estimation of service margin, finance debtor interest rates and associated amortisation profile which is based on projected trading results to the end of the contract.

The whole of the turnover is attributable to the principal activity of the Company wholly undertaken in the United Kingdom.

The average number of persons employed by the Company during the financial year amounted to nil (2024: nil). The directors are not employed by the Company and did not receive any remuneration from the Company during the year (2024: £nil).

The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

Other debtors relate to group relief debtor of £nil (2024: £59,434) and recharges to be invoiced of £nil (2024: £2,901). Other debtors are unsecured, bearing no interest and are repayable within one year.

Other borrowings include subordinated loans of £116,937 (2024: £94,463).

Other creditors consist of contract retentions payable within one year.

Other borrowings relate to a subordinated loan which is valued at £1,293,461 (2024: £1,388,308), which is unsecured and bears interest at 12.85% per annum. Repayments are made semi annually. During the year ended 31st December 2025, the company has made repayments of £117,321 (2024: £172,344). The balance will be paid in full by June 2031.

The bank loan is secured by a bond and floating charge over all the assets, rights and undertakings of the Company. The loan is repayable under an instalment scheme whereby small repayments are made in the first few years of the loan, the final repayment is due on 30 September 2030. The full amount of loan drawdowns at 31 December 2025 is £8,828,109 (2024: £10,242,608). Issue costs of £27,175 (2024: £27,397) have been set off against the total loan drawdowns.

Other borrowings in note 11 & 12 relates to loans from Group undertakings and incurs interest at a nominal interest rate of 12.85% per annum repayable over the concession period.

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the company and movements thereon:

The net deferred tax asset expected to reverse in 2026 is £nil (2025: £nil).

There is a single class of ordinary share. There are no restrictions on the distribution of dividends and the repayment of capital.

The Company is wholly owned by Manchester School Services Holdings Limited and has taken advantage of the exemption in section 33 of FRS 102 'Related Party Disclosures', that allows it not to disclose transactions with wholly owned members of a group.

The following disclosures are with entities in the group that are not wholly owned:

Schools Capital Limited holds a 50% shareholding in Manchester School Services Holdings Limited. Schools Capital Limited was paid £128,997 (2024: £125,084) for directorial services, of which £nil (2024: £nil) remains unpaid in accrued expenses.

Included within creditors is a loan of £646,730 (2024: £694,154) from Schools Capital Limited. Interest of £86,642 (2024: £92,100) was paid to Schools Capital Limited in relation to this loan.

New Schools Investment Company Limited holds a 50% shareholding in Manchester School Services Holdings Limited. During the year New Schools Investment Company Limited received £128,997 (2024: £125,084) which was paid to Infrastructure Investments (Portal) GP Limited (the controlling party of New Schools Investment Company Limited) for directorial services, of which £nil (2024: £nil) remains unpaid in accrued expenses.

Included within creditors is a loan of £646,730 (2024: £694,154) from Infrastructure Investment (Portal) GP Limited. Interest of £86,642 (2024: £92,100) was paid to Infrastructure Investments Limited Partnership in relation to this loan.

The Company's immediate parent undertaking is Manchester School Services Holdings Limited, a company registered in England and Wales, with ownership of this company shared between Schools Capital Limited and New Schools Investment Company Limited. Accordingly, there is no overall parent company and no ultimate controlling party.