THE SUMMER SCHOOL FOUNDATION

Registered charity 272163 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as DARTINGTON INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL FOUNDATION, DARTINGTON INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL FOUNDATION LIMITED, DARTINGTON SUMMER ARTS FOUNDATION LIMITED, SUMMER MUSIC IN DARTINGTON LIMITED, THE DARTINGTON INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL FOUNDATION

The charity promotes education in music and related arts for public benefit, including performance, composition and interdisciplinary practice. It delivers this through The Music Summer School and Festival (MSSF), an inclusive programme for musicians at all stages. MSSF provides high-quality tuition, collaborative opportunities and public concerts, alongside bursaries and outreach to widen access

Objects

The objects of the Company are to promote and organise schemes to provide education for the benefit of the public in all aspects of music and related arts including opera, music theatre, electronic media and music and dance and in particular to promote, organise, support and encourage summer schools, festivals and similar events.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

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

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Teignbridge, South West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£412k

Latest spending

£529k

Registered

1976

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported an overall deficit of £117,300 for the year ended 31 October 2025, driven by an operational deficit of £170,738 which was only partly offset by legacies and investment gains. The charity's free unrestricted reserves decreased significantly to £72,478, and the trustees identified the primary risk as the failure to generate sufficient income to sustain activities without undue depletion of these reserves.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Summer School fees (76% of income)

“Summer School fees 305,530” — page 12

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

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.

Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/10/2025

Volunteers: 43
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Summer School Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

Trustees · trustee networks

Lisa Tregalechair · trustee of 1 other charity
GARETH JOHN KEENE · trustee of 2 other charities
JOHN LESLIE MESSENGER
LEIGH O'HARA
MATTHEW JOHN OOMEN
Stephen Dummer

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

Operates in: Norfolk

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/10/2025	£412k	£529k
31/10/2024	£447k	£544k
31/10/2023	£58k	£46k
31/10/2022	£8k	£55k
31/10/2021	£63k	£16k

Common questions

Is THE SUMMER SCHOOL FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported an overall deficit of £117,300 for the year ended 31 October 2025, driven by an operational deficit of £170,738 which was only partly offset by legacies and investment gains. The charity's free unrestricted reserves decreased significantly to £72,478, and the trustees identified the primary risk as the failure to generate sufficient income to sustain activities without undue depletion of these reserves. 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
MARIA BJORNSON MEMORIAL FUND	1	£10k
CHARTERHOUSE-IN-SOUTHWARK	1	£3k
DR RADCLIFFE'S TRUST	1	£3k
ST OLAVE'S & ST SAVIOUR'S SCHOOLS FOUNDATION CIO	1	£3k
Newcomen Collett Educational Foundation	1	£2k
THE GOLSONCOTT FOUNDATION	1	£1k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC LTD.

CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC LTD income £120k
MIDSUMMER MUSIC income £77k
THE ASSOCIATION FOR MUSIC IN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS income £659k
SALEM ACADEMY OF MUSIC income £51k
TRUST MUSIC income £43k
HELLENSMUSIC income £50k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE SUMMER SCHOOL FOUNDATION	£412k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC LTD FY2025	£120k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
MIDSUMMER MUSIC FY2025	£77k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ASSOCIATION FOR MUSIC IN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS FY2025	£659k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
SALEM ACADEMY OF MUSIC FY2026	£51k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
TRUST MUSIC FY2025	£43k	—	0	below	—	no doubt

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