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ACKWORTH SCHOOL

Registered charity 1175704 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The provision of bursaries to children wishing to attend Ackworth school and the provision of facilities to people in the wider Ackworth community.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£8.7m
Latest spending
£9.6m
Registered
2017
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the school reported a deficit of £972,429 for the year ended 31 August 2025, primarily due to the introduction of VAT on fees and bad debt provisions. Per the trustees' report, the school holds no free reserves in the accounting sense, with unrestricted funds standing at £3.2m against a policy target of £4m. The trustees maintain that the school remains a going concern, supported by an overdraft facility and forecasts showing a return to break-even in the current year.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £90,001 - £100,000 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £70k)
“In the band £90,001 - £100,000 1”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Largest income source: School fees (96% of income)
“School fees 10,255,170”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £3.2m; policy: one-half of budgeted annual expenditure (£4m))
“the School currently holds no free reserves in the accounting sense. However, unrestricted funds currently stand at £3.2m (2024: £4.1m).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Ackworth School Estates Limited (ASEL)
“During the year sales amounting to £8,280 (2024: £2,047) were invoiced to ASEL, and purchases were made from ASEL totalling £178 (2024: £11,717) and the profit of the company is made available to the school by way of a deed of covenant. At the balance sheet date the amount due from ASEL was £90,424 (2024: £129,161). A grant totalling £nil (2024: £20,000) was also received from Ackworth School 1950 Trust, the immediate controlling entity.”
“Ackworth School 1950 Trust receives gifts, legacies and donations and lends these funds to Ackworth School. In the year grants of £nil (2024: £20,000) were paid to the Ackworth School Estates Limited, a subsidiary undertaking for the purposes of letting the premises and land at Ackworth School. At the balance sheet date the amount due to Ackworth School 1950 Trust was £2,196,128 (2024: £2,196,128) which is provided against in the subsidiary, and accrued interest of £43 (2024: £247).” — page 57
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Ackworth School 1950 Trust
“During the year sales amounting to £8,280 (2024: £2,047) were invoiced to ASEL, and purchases were made from ASEL totalling £178 (2024: £11,717) and the profit of the company is made available to the school by way of a deed of covenant. At the balance sheet date the amount due from ASEL was £90,424 (2024: £129,161). A grant totalling £nil (2024: £20,000) was also received from Ackworth School 1950 Trust, the immediate controlling entity.”
“Ackworth School 1950 Trust receives gifts, legacies and donations and lends these funds to Ackworth School. In the year grants of £nil (2024: £20,000) were paid to the Ackworth School Estates Limited, a subsidiary undertaking for the purposes of letting the premises and land at Ackworth School. At the balance sheet date the amount due to Ackworth School 1950 Trust was £2,196,128 (2024: £2,196,128) which is provided against in the subsidiary, and accrued interest of £43 (2024: £247).” — page 57
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Ackworth & Freshfield Educational Foundation
“During the year sales amounting to £8,280 (2024: £2,047) were invoiced to ASEL, and purchases were made from ASEL totalling £178 (2024: £11,717) and the profit of the company is made available to the school by way of a deed of covenant. At the balance sheet date the amount due from ASEL was £90,424 (2024: £129,161). A grant totalling £nil (2024: £20,000) was also received from Ackworth School 1950 Trust, the immediate controlling entity.”
“Ackworth School 1950 Trust receives gifts, legacies and donations and lends these funds to Ackworth School. In the year grants of £nil (2024: £20,000) were paid to the Ackworth School Estates Limited, a subsidiary undertaking for the purposes of letting the premises and land at Ackworth School. At the balance sheet date the amount due to Ackworth School 1950 Trust was £2,196,128 (2024: £2,196,128) which is provided against in the subsidiary, and accrued interest of £43 (2024: £247).” — page 57
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Wennington School Bursary Fund
“During the year sales amounting to £8,280 (2024: £2,047) were invoiced to ASEL, and purchases were made from ASEL totalling £178 (2024: £11,717) and the profit of the company is made available to the school by way of a deed of covenant. At the balance sheet date the amount due from ASEL was £90,424 (2024: £129,161). A grant totalling £nil (2024: £20,000) was also received from Ackworth School 1950 Trust, the immediate controlling entity.”
“Ackworth School 1950 Trust receives gifts, legacies and donations and lends these funds to Ackworth School. In the year grants of £nil (2024: £20,000) were paid to the Ackworth School Estates Limited, a subsidiary undertaking for the purposes of letting the premises and land at Ackworth School. At the balance sheet date the amount due to Ackworth School 1950 Trust was £2,196,128 (2024: £2,196,128) which is provided against in the subsidiary, and accrued interest of £43 (2024: £247).” — page 57
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee Donations
“During the year sales amounting to £8,280 (2024: £2,047) were invoiced to ASEL, and purchases were made from ASEL totalling £178 (2024: £11,717) and the profit of the company is made available to the school by way of a deed of covenant. At the balance sheet date the amount due from ASEL was £90,424 (2024: £129,161). A grant totalling £nil (2024: £20,000) was also received from Ackworth School 1950 Trust, the immediate controlling entity.”
“Ackworth School 1950 Trust receives gifts, legacies and donations and lends these funds to Ackworth School. In the year grants of £nil (2024: £20,000) were paid to the Ackworth School Estates Limited, a subsidiary undertaking for the purposes of letting the premises and land at Ackworth School. At the balance sheet date the amount due to Ackworth School 1950 Trust was £2,196,128 (2024: £2,196,128) which is provided against in the subsidiary, and accrued interest of £43 (2024: £247).” — page 57
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sumer Auditco Limited. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

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

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Ackworth School (matched by registered charity number).

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

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

Total income
£8.7m
Total spending
£9.6m
Cost of raising funds
£266k
Reserves (reported)
£3.2m
Employees
157

Reported reserves equal ~3.9 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (96% 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: 3.1% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£8.7m£9.6m
31/08/2024£9.0m£8.9m
31/08/2023£8.3m£9.1m
31/08/2022£8.0m£8.4m
31/08/2021£7.9m£7.9m

Common questions

Is ACKWORTH SCHOOL financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the school reported a deficit of £972,429 for the year ended 31 August 2025, primarily due to the introduction of VAT on fees and bad debt provisions. Per the trustees' report, the school holds no free reserves in the accounting sense, with unrestricted funds standing at £3.2m against a policy target of £4m. The trustees maintain that the school remains a going concern, supported by an overdraft facility and forecasts showing a return to break-even in the current year. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sumer Auditco Limited.

What does the highest-paid employee of ACKWORTH SCHOOL earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £90,001 - £100,000 band.

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 SHEARS FOUNDATION1£150k
The Keith Howard Foundation1£145k

Charities like this

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

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
ACKWORTH SCHOOL£8.7m£90,001 - £100,000—below—no doubt
ALDWICKBURY SCHOOL TRUST LTD FY2025£7.7m——below—no doubt
DURSTON HOUSE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED FY2025£6.9m——unclear—no doubt
Highworth Grammar School Trust, School Fund FY2025£565k—0unclear—no doubt
LANCING COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL AT WORTHING LIMITED FY2025£2.5m——unclear—no doubt
BURY MANOR SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED (DORSET HOUSE SCHOOL) FY2025£2.3m£100,001 - £110,000—below—noted

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