NOVALIS TRUST

Registered charity 1103955 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as COTSWOLD CHINE AND PARADISE HOUSE LIMITED, COTSWOLD CHINE SCHOOL, THE NOVALIS TRUST LIMITED

Operates Cotswold Chine School and William Morris School (both of which are special schools for children with complex learning needs) and Paradise House (a residential care home for adults with learning difficulties).

Causes: Education/training · Disability · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£15.3m

Latest spending

£15.1m

Registered

2004

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Trust generated a net surplus of £234,244 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total income of £15,297,660 against total costs of £15,063,416. Per the trustees' report, free reserves at year-end were £2,221,359, and the Trust maintains cash reserves sufficient to cover at least three months of operational costs. The Trust has sufficient resources to continue operating as a going concern for the foreseeable future.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: three months of operational costs (held: £2.2m)

“The Trust maintains cash reserves sufficient to cover at least three months of operational costs, including salaries.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Management services provided to subsidiary Novalis Professional Services Limited for £16,185; charity owed £222,908 by subsidiary.

“During the year, Novalis Trust provided management services to its subsidiary, Novalis Professional Services Limited on an arms-length basis for £16,185 (2024 - £22,811). At the balance sheet date, the charity was owed £222,908 (2024 - £262,748) by Novalis Professional Services Limited.” — page 24

“Maureen Smith, a Trustee of Novalis Trust, is an independent consultant for MAS Educational Consultancy Ltd. An expense of £675 (2024 - £9,000) was recognised for services rendered in the year to 31 August 2025.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Maureen Smith (Trustee) is a consultant for MAS Educational Consultancy Ltd; £675 expense recognized for services.

“During the year, Novalis Trust provided management services to its subsidiary, Novalis Professional Services Limited on an arms-length basis for £16,185 (2024 - £22,811). At the balance sheet date, the charity was owed £222,908 (2024 - £262,748) by Novalis Professional Services Limited.” — page 24

“Maureen Smith, a Trustee of Novalis Trust, is an independent consultant for MAS Educational Consultancy Ltd. An expense of £675 (2024 - £9,000) was recognised for services rendered in the year to 31 August 2025.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Elizabeth Buckland (Trustee) has a daughter employed by the Trust earning £2,312.

“During the year, Novalis Trust provided management services to its subsidiary, Novalis Professional Services Limited on an arms-length basis for £16,185 (2024 - £22,811). At the balance sheet date, the charity was owed £222,908 (2024 - £262,748) by Novalis Professional Services Limited.” — page 24

“Maureen Smith, a Trustee of Novalis Trust, is an independent consultant for MAS Educational Consultancy Ltd. An expense of £675 (2024 - £9,000) was recognised for services rendered in the year to 31 August 2025.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Daniel Walton (Trustee) has a spouse employed by the Trust; conflict of interest managed.

“During the year, Novalis Trust provided management services to its subsidiary, Novalis Professional Services Limited on an arms-length basis for £16,185 (2024 - £22,811). At the balance sheet date, the charity was owed £222,908 (2024 - £262,748) by Novalis Professional Services Limited.” — page 24

“Maureen Smith, a Trustee of Novalis Trust, is an independent consultant for MAS Educational Consultancy Ltd. An expense of £675 (2024 - £9,000) was recognised for services rendered in the year to 31 August 2025.” — page 24

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Novalis Professional Services Limited

“The financial statements do not include the consolidated financial results of the Charity and its subsidiary company, Novalis Professional Services Limited, on the grounds that the subsidiary company’s results are immaterial to the group.” — page 17

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Hazlewoods LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 05114710
Trading subsidiary: NOVALIS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LIMITED Companies House 07979523 · Financial health read from its filings

NOVALIS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year include £239,093 owed to group undertakings.

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

MOSS, Gregory — director, appointed 04/09/2024on trustee list
STERN, Martin — director, appointed 04/09/2024on trustee list
SMITH, Maureen — director, appointed 01/03/2023on trustee list
WALTON, Daniel — director, appointed 17/08/2022on trustee list
BUCKLAND, Elizabeth — director, appointed 01/12/2021on trustee list
DOUBLE SIX LEGAL LIMITED — corporate secretary, appointed 04/07/2024

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

20 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (20 freehold); recorded price paid £1.1m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

CQC provider record: Novalis Trust — Registered, 4 registered locations, 1 regulated activity, last inspected 26/01/2022. CQC record

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): instagram

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

Total income

£15.3m

Total spending

£15.1m

Reserves (reported)

£21.1m

Employees

318

Reported reserves equal ~16.8 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Other trading activities (99% 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Care Quality Commission ratings

CQC inspection ratings for services run by a provider matching this charity’s name (matched by name; verify provider identity on CQC’s site).

Paradise House Painswick: Good (03/04/2019) · CQC record

Register events

Received assets from another charity (26/04/2022) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (18/11/2020) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
Received assets from another charity (15/09/2014) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Daniel Walton
Elizabeth Buckland
Gregory Moss
Martin Stern
Maureen Smith

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

Operates in: Gloucestershire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£15.3m	£15.1m
31/08/2024	£14.5m	£14.7m
31/08/2023	£13.6m	£13.3m
31/08/2022	£13.0m	£12.1m
31/08/2021	£12.2m	£12.3m

Common questions

Is NOVALIS TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Trust generated a net surplus of £234,244 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total income of £15,297,660 against total costs of £15,063,416. Per the trustees' report, free reserves at year-end were £2,221,359, and the Trust maintains cash reserves sufficient to cover at least three months of operational costs. The Trust has sufficient resources to continue operating as a going concern for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Hazlewoods LLP.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with NEWELLS SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED.

NEWELLS SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED income £9.0m
NEW HALL SCHOOL TRUST income £31.3m
THE ST ANDREW'S SCHOOL TRUST income £2.2m
TERRA NOVA SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED income £3.4m
THE MALDEN TRUST LIMITED income £8.7m
TE TRUST income £226k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
NOVALIS TRUST	£15.3m	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
NEWELLS SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£9.0m	—	—	below	—	no doubt
NEW HALL SCHOOL TRUST FY2025	£31.3m	£350,001 - £360,000	—	below	—	no doubt
THE ST ANDREW'S SCHOOL TRUST FY2025	£2.2m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
TERRA NOVA SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£3.4m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE MALDEN TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£8.7m	—	—	unclear	—	not going concern

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