Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

THE DEAN CLOSE FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1086829 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as DEAN CLOSE SCHOOL

Education of boys and girls based on Christian principles. Encouragement of personal development in a culture of service to the school and wider communities.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£63.8m
Latest spending
£35.5m
Registered
2001
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total net assets rose significantly from £18.5m to £46.7m, driven by large charitable gifts including the acquisition of Kingham Hill School and a farm. However, the charity reports negative free reserves of £10.4m because retained surpluses are utilised for facility improvements rather than held as free reserves, with the majority of net assets tied up in fixed assets.

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

What the accounts disclose

Employees paid over £60,000: 24
“In the year, contributions were made for 24 (2024: 23) higher paid employees.” — page 38
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £-10.4m; policy: retained surpluses are not held as free reserves, but are normally utilised for improvements to the Charity’s facilities)
“leaving negative free reserves of £10.4m (2024: negative £7m) at the year end.” — page 16
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Dean Close Services Limited, Dean Close Nurseries Limited, Dean Close Education Limited
“The Charity has three wholly-owned non-charitable subsidiaries, Dean Close Services Limited (DCSL), Dean Close Nurseries Limited (DCNL) and Dean Close Education Limited” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

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

In the news

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Dean Close Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

Property (HM Land Registry)

28 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (19 freehold); recorded price paid £5.3m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (4,785 likes) · instagram (5,181 followers)

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

Total income
£63.8m
Total spending
£35.5m
Cost of raising funds
£6.9m
Reserves (reported)
£40.3m
Employees
848

Reported reserves equal ~13.6 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 10.8% of total income — above the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Gloucestershire · Monmouthshire · Newport City

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£63.8m£35.5m
31/08/2024£33.2m£32.6m
31/08/2023£30.3m£30.1m
31/08/2022£28.1m£28.2m
31/08/2021£25.3m£25.1m

Common questions

Is THE DEAN CLOSE FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total net assets rose significantly from £18.5m to £46.7m, driven by large charitable gifts including the acquisition of Kingham Hill School and a farm. However, the charity reports negative free reserves of £10.4m because retained surpluses are utilised for facility improvements rather than held as free reserves, with the majority of net assets tied up in fixed assets. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

Who funds THE DEAN CLOSE FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE DEAN CLOSE FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE TEWKESBURY ABBEY FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE TEWKESBURY ABBEY FOUNDATIONFY2022£55kchorister scholarships for Schola Cantorum
THE TEWKESBURY ABBEY FOUNDATIONFY2021£53kchorister scholarships for Schola Cantorum
THE TEWKESBURY ABBEY FOUNDATIONFY2023£48kchorister scholarships for Schola Cantorum
THE TEWKESBURY ABBEY FOUNDATIONFY2024£30kchorister scholarships for Schola Cantorum

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 YORK EARLY MUSIC FOUNDATION1£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with Town Close Educational Trust Ltd.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE DEAN CLOSE FOUNDATION£63.8m—24below—no doubt
Town Close Educational Trust Ltd FY2025£6.2m£110,001 - £120,000—below—no doubt
DHS Educational Foundation FY2025£1.6m—0unclear—no doubt
DENSTONE COLLEGE LIMITED FY2025£16.3m——unclear—no doubt
OVINGDEAN HALL FOUNDATION FY2025£774k—0unclear—no doubt
DEESIDE HOUSE EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED FY2025£7.8m£100,001 - £200,000—above—no doubt

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