THE ACORN SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED

Registered charity 1204957 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE ACORN SCHOOL

A school for the fulltime education of children from 6 to 19 covering a broad curriculum. We seek to enable children to grow naturally, without unnecessary outside pressures, and so become well-rounded young adults. By cultivating individual growth in the three core areas of Thinking, Feeling, and Willing, we are able to help our students to become confident and conscientious achievers.

Objects

(A) TO PROVIDE FOR THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN(B) TO PROMOTE THE PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION INDICATED BY RUDOLF STEINER(C) TO DEVELOP AND PROMOTE THE ACORN EDUCATIONAL MODEL

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£965k

Latest spending

£902k

Registered

2023

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £63,620 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total income of £965,226 against expenditure of £901,606. Per the trustees' report, free reserves stood at £45,053, which is below the stated policy target of £300,000 required to cover six months of expenses. The trustees consider the financial position to be satisfactory and have adopted the going concern basis.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six months of unrestricted expenditure (held: £45k)

“Our largest expenditure is on staff salaries, so our aim is to maintain sufficient reserves to cover expenses for six months which would currently require a reserve of £300,000.” — page 5

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: One Trustee had a child who attended the school however they received no beneficial rate in the fees charged for such attendance. No amounts were outstanding at the period ended 31 August 2025.

“One Trustee had a child who attended the school however they received no beneficial rate in the fees charged for such attendance. No amounts were outstanding at the period ended 31 August 2025.” — page 27

“During the year, the charity employed a close family member of a Trustee. The remuneration was set on an at arm’s length basis and the Trustee was not involved in the decision-making process.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: During the year, the charity employed a close family member of a Trustee. The remuneration was set on an at arm’s length basis and the Trustee was not involved in the decision-making process. At the balance sheet date the amount due to/from was £Nil (2024 - £Nil).

“One Trustee had a child who attended the school however they received no beneficial rate in the fees charged for such attendance. No amounts were outstanding at the period ended 31 August 2025.” — page 27

“During the year, the charity employed a close family member of a Trustee. The remuneration was set on an at arm’s length basis and the Trustee was not involved in the decision-making process.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

In its annual return the charity told the Commission it is also regulated by: Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education). This is the charity’s own declaration; it is not a rating and has not been verified by the Commission or by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures

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

Total income

£965k

Total spending

£902k

Cost of raising funds

£2k

Reserves (reported)

£45k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~0.6 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (98% 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: 0.2% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Dr MARIO MICHAEL PETERSchair · trustee of 2 other charities
Lucy De Havas
Theresa Sansome

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

Operates in: Gloucestershire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£965k	£902k
31/08/2024	£395k	£388k

Common questions

Is THE ACORN SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a surplus of £63,620 for the year ended 31 August 2025, with total income of £965,226 against expenditure of £901,606. Per the trustees' report, free reserves stood at £45,053, which is below the stated policy target of £300,000 required to cover six months of expenses. The trustees consider the financial position to be satisfactory and have adopted the going concern basis. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE REECE FOUNDATION	1	£90k
THE ROTHLEY TRUST	1	£5k
JOHN JACKSON CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£320

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE NORTHUMBRIAN EDUCATIONAL TRUST LTD.

THE NORTHUMBRIAN EDUCATIONAL TRUST LTD income £2.9m
NEWLAND HOUSE SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED income £6.7m
ROUGHAM ACORNS AND WOODLANDS LIMITED income £261k
THE CAVENDISH SCHOOL CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED income £4.0m
Highworth Grammar School Trust, School Fund income £565k
HEATH MOUNT SCHOOL TRUST LTD income £10.1m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE ACORN SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED	£965k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE NORTHUMBRIAN EDUCATIONAL TRUST LTD FY2025	£2.9m	—	—	below	—	not going concern
NEWLAND HOUSE SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£6.7m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
ROUGHAM ACORNS AND WOODLANDS LIMITED FY2025	£261k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CAVENDISH SCHOOL CHARITABLE TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£4.0m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
Highworth Grammar School Trust, School Fund FY2025	£565k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

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