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ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL

Registered charity 1040286 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q5366774 · Wikipedia · also known as ELMHURST SCHOOL FOR DANCE

Advancement of Education particularly, but not exclusively, with an instruction in the performing arts.

Objects

THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON INSTRUCTION IN THE PERFORMING ARTS

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 · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Birmingham, West Midlands, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£5.4m
Latest spending
£6.2m
Registered
1994
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure deficit of £634k for the year ended 31 August 2025, driven by rising costs and the loss of Mandatory Business Rates Relief. While free unrestricted reserves increased to £825k, the trustees note that government funding was insufficient to cover cost increases, forcing the charity to narrow the funding gap through cost reductions and non-core income generation.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £120,001 - £130,000 — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median £70k)
“In the band £120,001 - £130,000 1”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: School fees (88% of income)
“School fees receivable 5,156”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: up to two term’s running costs (approximately £4.1m) (reserves figure: £825k)
“It remains the Governors’ policy to accumulate a general reserve equivalent to up to two term’s running costs as an adequate level of working capital. Based on current levels of expenditure, this would equate to approximately £4.1m (2024: £4m).” — page 15
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor
“On this basis the Governors are satisfied that it remains appropriate to draw up the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025 on the going concern basis.” — page 15
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Elmhurst Enterprises Limited
“Elmhurst Enterprises Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary, was formed in 2002 and commenced trading on 1 September 2004.” — page 4
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Dains Audit Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

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.

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2025

  • Government income: £2,877,519 — grants £2,877,519 (2); 53% of the £5,408,000 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 6 (£60,001–£70,000: 3; £70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £120,001–£130,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2024

  • Volunteers: 5
  • Government income: £2,636,286 — grants £2,636,286 (2); 50% of the £5,242,560 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 5 (£60,001–£70,000: 2; £70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £120,001–£130,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/08/2023

  • Volunteers: 10
  • Government income: £2,672,498 — grants £2,672,498 (2); 51% of the £5,194,961 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 4 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £120,001–£130,000: 1)
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Annual return filing dates (Charity Commission record)

Of its last 5 annual returns with a recorded received date, 1 was received after the due date: year ending 31/08/2021 (received 08/09/2022, 70 days after the 30/06/2022 due date).

Due and received dates as recorded in the Commission’s annual-return data; the data does not say whether an extension was agreed. Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)

Total income
£5.4m
Total spending
£6.2m
Cost of raising funds
£39k
Reserves (reported)
£825k
Employees
105

Reported reserves equal ~1.6 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (88% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Birmingham City

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£5.4m£6.2m
31/08/2024£5.2m£6.0m
31/08/2023£5.2m£5.6m
31/08/2022£5.0m£5.3m
31/08/2021£4.9m£4.9m

Common questions

Is ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net expenditure deficit of £634k for the year ended 31 August 2025, driven by rising costs and the loss of Mandatory Business Rates Relief. While free unrestricted reserves increased to £825k, the trustees note that government funding was insufficient to cover cost increases, forcing the charity to narrow the funding gap through cost reductions and non-core income generation. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Dains Audit Limited.

What does the highest-paid employee of ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £120,001 - £130,000 band.

Who funds ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL as a grant recipient include THE FREDERICK ASHTON FOUNDATION, THE CECIL KING MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, THE SAINTBURY TRUST, DUMBRECK CHARITY.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE FREDERICK ASHTON FOUNDATIONFY2025£15kSchool choreographic support
THE CECIL KING MEMORIAL FOUNDATIONFY2025£10kEducation and Vocational Training
THE SAINTBURY TRUSTFY2025£5kAdvancement of Arts, Culture, Heritage or Science
DUMBRECK CHARITYFY2025£1kCulture and the Arts
DUMBRECK CHARITYFY2022£1kCulture and the Arts
DUMBRECK CHARITYFY2026£1kCulture and the Arts

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE IDLEWILD TRUST2£10k
THE LINBURY TRUST1£100k
THE BAND TRUST1£80k
THE TAYLOR FAMILY FOUNDATION1£60k
THE BRITFORD BRIDGE TRUST1£30k
CHK Foundation1£20k
THE A M CHARITABLE TRUST1£10k
THE CHARLOTTE BONHAM-CARTER CHARITABLE TRUST1£10k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL LIMITED.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
ELMHURST BALLET SCHOOL£5.4m£120,001 - £130,000—unclear—noted
ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL LIMITED FY2025£2.6m——unclear—no doubt
RAMBERT TRUST LIMITED FY2025£5.1m——unclear—no doubt
BALLET RAMBERT LIMITED FY2025£3.2m£110,001 - £120,000—unclear—no doubt
AMHERST SCHOOL P T A FY2025£51k—0unclear—no doubt
NEW LONDON EDUCATIONAL TRUST FY2024£101k—0unclear—no doubt

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