READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL
The carrying on or managing of schools for boys and girls under the age of 19, in which religious instruction, in accordance with the doctrines of the Church of England, shall be given.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £1,348,866 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total funds increasing to £21,153,235. Per the trustees' report, the school holds gross cash of £5,121,289 and has sufficient assets to meet its known and ongoing obligations, despite having no free reserves after accounting for restricted funds, designations, and functional assets. The trustees confirmed the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate, citing adequate financial resources and contingency planning for the foreseeable future.
What the accounts disclose
“In the band £200,001 - £210,000 1”
“After making allowance for any restricted funds, designations, commitments (not provided for as a liability in the accounts) and the carrying amount of functional assets which the School needs to deliver its objects, there are no free reserves. At the end of the reporting period a comparison of the amount of reserves held with the Charity’s reserves policy was made.” — page 16
“The Company has a wholly owned subsidiary, Reading Blue Coat School (Trading) Limited.” — page 5
In the news
- Former Reading Blue Coat School head girl remembered as "role model" after crash
- Reading Blue Coat School Boat Club
- Reading Blue Coat School congratulates students on ‘exceptional’ grades
- GCSES 2023: Reading Blue Coat School students performed ‘exceptionally well’
- Reading Blue Coat School Launches Exhibition with Networking Event
- 'Dangerous' former Reading Blue Coat school teacher abused boys he was meant to care for
- Ex-Reading Blue Coat School teacher jailed after sexually abusing boy on camping trips
- Ex-Reading Blue Coat School teacher John Imeson jailed over abuse
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- Pete Thomas — Headmaster
Property (HM Land Registry)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)
Trustees
- Andrew Colpus
- Anjali Chandar
- Clare Freeman
- Dr Jo Anna Reed Johnson
- Helen Roberts
- Howard Williams
- Karen Hartshorn
- Kevin Hallowell
- Matthew Smith
- Michael Rumbelow
- Paul Michael David Etherington
- Sheena Taylor
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/08/2025 | £19.4m | £18.1m |
| 31/08/2024 | £17.7m | £17.7m |
| 31/08/2023 | £16.5m | £16.2m |
| 31/08/2022 | £15.7m | £14.1m |
| 31/08/2021 | £13.8m | £13.0m |
Common questions
Is READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net surplus of £1,348,866 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total funds increasing to £21,153,235. Per the trustees' report, the school holds gross cash of £5,121,289 and has sufficient assets to meet its known and ongoing obligations, despite having no free reserves after accounting for restricted funds, designations, and functional assets. The trustees confirmed the going concern basis of accounting is appropriate, citing adequate financial resources and contingency planning for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.
What does the highest-paid employee of READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL earn?
Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £200,001 - £210,000 band.
Who funds READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL?
Funders whose own accounts filings name READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL as a grant recipient include READING BLUE COAT AND ARCHBISHOP LAUD CHARITABLE TRUST, ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH THE INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS).
Shared trustees with funders
- Howard Williams — trustee here and at READING BLUE COAT AND ARCHBISHOP LAUD CHARITABLE TRUST
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| READING BLUE COAT AND ARCHBISHOP LAUD CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £132k | Scholarships awarded (General Fund) |
| READING BLUE COAT AND ARCHBISHOP LAUD CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £28k | Matheson Scholarship |
| READING BLUE COAT AND ARCHBISHOP LAUD CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2024 | £14k | Matheson Scholarship (children of Clergy) |
| ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH THE INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS) | FY2024 | £4k | Grants and awards payable |
| ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH THE INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS) | FY2023 | £3k | Institutional grant |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE PALOMA FOUNDATION | 1 | £300k |
| THE CROSS TRUST | 1 | £50k |
Charities like this
- BLUE COAT PRE-SCHOOL UNIT AND BUSY BEES
- THE BLUE COAT SCHOOL BIRMINGHAM LIMITED
- READING BLUE COAT AND ARCHBISHOP LAUD CHARITABLE TRUST
- BLUECOAT SPORTS
- KING'S SCHOOL, ROCHESTER
- UK CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS LTD
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL | £19.4m | £200,001 - £210,000 | — | below | — | no doubt |
| BLUE COAT PRE-SCHOOL UNIT AND BUSY BEES | £368k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE BLUE COAT SCHOOL BIRMINGHAM LIMITED | £10.5m | £190,001 - £200,000 | — | below | — | no doubt |
| READING BLUE COAT AND ARCHBISHOP LAUD CHARITABLE TRUST | £199k | — | 0 | below | — | no doubt |
| BLUECOAT SPORTS | £2.4m | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| KING'S SCHOOL, ROCHESTER | £13.0m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |