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THE PERSE SCHOOL

Registered charity 1120654 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The aims of the Perse School are the advancement of education by the provision and conduct of the School known as The Perse School Cambridge. The School aims to provide financial assistance to pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 whose families could not otherwise afford the fees, thereby allowing access to the widest possible social spectrum.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£40.1m
Latest spending
£37.0m
Registered
2007
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group reported a surplus of £3,009k for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total reserves increasing to £78.1m. However, the trustees note that net free reserves are negative at £1,779k due to significant investment in tangible fixed assets classified as operational facilities. The trustees confirm the group is well-placed to manage business risks and identified no material uncertainties regarding going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: manage the net free reserves position out of free cash flow generated by operations... holding sufficient cash and unrestricted nett assets that liabilities can be met as they fall due (held: £73.0m)
“The current policy, successfully implemented, is to manage the net free reserves position out of free cash flow generated by operations. The trustees are mindful of the operational cashflow requirements of the organisation and the primary importance of holding sufficient cash and unrestricted nett assets that liabilities can be met as they fall due.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee children fees
“One trustee (2024: one) had children attending the School as at 31 August 2025. Fees were paid on the same terms as for all other children attending the School.” — page 49
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by RSM UK Audit LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

THE PERSE SCHOOL TRADING COMPANY LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Issued share capital held by parent
THE PERSE SCHOOL CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £1.0m
  • Profit before tax: £257k
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £628k
  • Note 3 discloses amounts owed to group undertaking of £96,489 (2024: £36,034).
“Gift Aid payment (628,331)”

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)

19 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (14 freehold); recorded price paid £5.7m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (4,845 followers) · instagram (5,828 followers)

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

Total income
£40.1m
Total spending
£37.0m
Cost of raising funds
£218k
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
419

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (95% 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: 0.5% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Cambridgeshire

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£40.1m£37.0m
31/08/2024£38.4m£33.7m
31/08/2023£35.1m£31.2m
31/08/2022£32.4m£28.4m
31/08/2021£29.8m£25.7m

Common questions

Is THE PERSE SCHOOL financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group reported a surplus of £3,009k for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total reserves increasing to £78.1m. However, the trustees note that net free reserves are negative at £1,779k due to significant investment in tangible fixed assets classified as operational facilities. The trustees confirm the group is well-placed to manage business risks and identified no material uncertainties regarding going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by RSM UK Audit LLP.

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
SHREWSBURY SCHOOL FOUNDATION1£2.2m
THE DORIS GREGORY TRUST1£386k
THE PALOMA FOUNDATION1£300k
DOUGLAS COMPTON JAMES CHARITABLE TRUST1£224k
THE CHEAM FOUNDATION1£172k
GOD MY SILENT PARTNER FOUNDATION1£79k
THE CROSS TRUST1£50k
THE A M CHARITABLE TRUST1£20k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE STEPHEN PERSE FOUNDATION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE PERSE SCHOOL£40.1m——unclear—no doubt
THE STEPHEN PERSE FOUNDATION FY2025£33.9m——unclear—no doubt
EXETER SCHOOL FY2025£1.6m——unclear—no doubt
THE NORTH LONDON COLLEGIATE SCHOOL FY2025£36.6m——above—no doubt
UK CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS LTD FY2024£1.0m—0unclear—no doubt
CHEAM SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TRUST FY2025£9.0m£100,000 - £110,000—unclear—no doubt

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