BOLTON SCHOOL

Registered charity 1110703 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Provision of education

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£35.9m
Latest spending
£37.9m
Registered
2005
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group reported a net deficit of £1.1 million for the year ended 31 August 2025, resulting in a decrease in total fund balances to £35.9 million. The trustees confirm that the School has sufficient resources to continue as a going concern with no material uncertainties identified. The defined benefit pension scheme remains in a deficit of £1.7 million, which is secured against freehold properties.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £7.0m; policy: to maintain a positive and growing position)
“Bolton School’s free reserves are £7.0 million (2024: (£8.4 million). The free reserves target is to maintain a positive and growing position.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: The School owns all of the issued share capital of Bolton School Services Limited.
“The School owns all of the issued share capital of Bolton School Services Limited. Its results are shown in Note 4. There are no other related party transactions which need to be disclosed. A number of the governors at the School who held office for at least part of the year had children enrolled at the School during the year. The children attend the School on the same terms as the other pupils. Bolton School has the right to appoint up to five School representatives as trustees of BSBF. Currently appointed School representatives are shown on page 1 of the Trustees report. Transfers to BSBF during the prior year are disclosed in Note 12. Grants received from BSBF during the year are disclosed in Note 7.” — page 57
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Pension scheme deficit: £1.7m
“The defined benefit pension liability is included in the unrestricted funds as required by FRS 102. The scheme is in deficit by £1.7 million at 31 August 2025 (2024: £1.6 million deficit).” — page 13
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Bolton School Services Limited
“The School has a 100% interest in its trading subsidiary Bolton School Services Limited.” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

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

Corporate structure

BOLTON SCHOOL SERVICES LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Profit before tax: £315k
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £239k
  • Amounts owed to group undertakings 194,890
“Gift aid payments to Bolton School”

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.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

21 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (13 freehold); recorded price paid £433k. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Total income
£35.9m
Total spending
£37.9m
Cost of raising funds
£2.0m
Reserves (reported)
£7.0m
Employees
573

Reported reserves equal ~2.2 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (89% 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: 5.5% 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: Bolton

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£35.9m£37.9m
31/08/2024£36.6m£36.5m
31/08/2023£35.1m£34.6m
31/08/2022£34.3m£32.5m
31/08/2021£31.3m£29.7m

Common questions

Is BOLTON SCHOOL financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group reported a net deficit of £1.1 million for the year ended 31 August 2025, resulting in a decrease in total fund balances to £35.9 million. The trustees confirm that the School has sufficient resources to continue as a going concern with no material uncertainties identified. The defined benefit pension scheme remains in a deficit of £1.7 million, which is secured against freehold properties. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

Who funds BOLTON SCHOOL?

Funders whose own accounts filings name BOLTON SCHOOL as a grant recipient include THE LEVERHULME TRUST, LORD LEVERHULME'S CHARITABLE TRUST, THE ROSS WARBURTON CHARITABLE TRUST, THE PETER KERSHAW TRUST, CURIOUS MINDS.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE LEVERHULME TRUSTFY2025£596kArts Scholarships
LORD LEVERHULME'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£130k
THE ROSS WARBURTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£35k
THE ROSS WARBURTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£34k
LORD LEVERHULME'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£30k
THE ROSS WARBURTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£26k
THE PETER KERSHAW TRUSTFY2022£6kSchool bursaries
THE PETER KERSHAW TRUSTFY2023£5kSchool bursary
THE PETER KERSHAW TRUSTFY2025£5kSchool bursaries
CURIOUS MINDSFY2025£4kACE - Artsmark BeeWell Programme grants
THE PETER KERSHAW TRUSTFY2024£3kSchool bursary
CURIOUS MINDSFY2022£0SLiCE Programme

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 WELLINGTON SCHOOL FOUNDATION1£454k
THE COPPING JOYCE FOUNDATION1£173k
BOLTON TOGETHER1£44k
THE JMCMRJ SORRELL FOUNDATION1£25k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with WELLINGTON SCHOOL 1837.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
BOLTON SCHOOL£35.9m——below—no doubt
WELLINGTON SCHOOL 1837 FY2025£18.3m——below—no doubt
THE BOLTON SCHOOL BURSARY FOUNDATION FY2025£11.9m—0no_policy—no doubt
THE SCHOOLS OF KING EDWARD VI IN BIRMINGHAM FY2025£32.2m——unclear—no doubt
THISTLEDOWN EDUCATION TRUST FY2025£2.1m—0unclear—no doubt
Active Bolton FY2025£3.2m£110,001 - £120,0001below—no doubt

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