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THE ORATORY SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION

Registered charity 309112 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as THE ORATORY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

To provide for boys and girls in any part of the world. general physical, moral and religious education in accordance with Roman Catholic doctrines and practices and for that purpose to carry on and maintain The Oratory Schools.

Causes: Education/training · Religious Activities · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£10.9m
Latest spending
£10.7m
Registered
1972
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity had no free reserves at the year-end, falling below the trustees' stated policy target of three months' annual expenditure (£2.3m). Per the trustees' report, the charity holds total funds of £11.3m, primarily consisting of functional fixed assets, and maintains a £1.5m loan secured on its residential property portfolio.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £140,001 - £150,000 — above the median for charities its size (£130k)
“In the band £140,000 - £150,000” — page 38
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: three months' annual expenditure
“The Trustees’ policy is to hold free reserves equivalent to three months’ annual expenditure. Budgeted annual expenditure for 2025/26 is £9.3m and hence the policy would require free reserves of £2.3m.” — page 13
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Oratory Schools Foundation loan forgiven/donated.
“Included in other loans is a balance of £Nil (2024: £200,000) owed to The Oratory Schools Foundation. This was donated to the school in the year and, as such, no longer requires to be paid.” — page 51
“During the period, Governors donated £195 towards the All Weather Pitch fund (2024: £Nil).” — page 51
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Governors donated £195 to All Weather Pitch fund.
“Included in other loans is a balance of £Nil (2024: £200,000) owed to The Oratory Schools Foundation. This was donated to the school in the year and, as such, no longer requires to be paid.” — page 51
“During the period, Governors donated £195 towards the All Weather Pitch fund (2024: £Nil).” — page 51
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Oratory Trading Limited
“The Association owns 100% of the ordinary share capital of Oratory Trading Limited, which provides leisure, sporting and recreational activities to third parties.” — page 7
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

ORATORY TRADING LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £487k
  • Profit before tax: £240k
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £289k
  • Note 10 discloses £206,312 owed to group companies (2024: £66,872). Note 12 states the company has taken advantage of the exemption under Section 1A of FRS 102 not to disclose intra-group transactions.
“Covenant payment to 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)

8 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (8 freehold); recorded price paid £948k. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

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

Total income
£10.9m
Total spending
£10.7m
Cost of raising funds
£247k
Reserves (reported)
£11.0m
Employees
157

Reported reserves equal ~12.4 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (86% 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: 2.3% 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: Oxfordshire

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£10.9m£10.7m
31/08/2024£11.0m£10.7m
31/08/2023£10.9m£9.6m
31/08/2022£8.2m£8.1m
31/08/2021£7.7m£7.0m

Common questions

Is THE ORATORY SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity had no free reserves at the year-end, falling below the trustees' stated policy target of three months' annual expenditure (£2.3m). Per the trustees' report, the charity holds total funds of £11.3m, primarily consisting of functional fixed assets, and maintains a £1.5m loan secured on its residential property portfolio. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE ORATORY SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £140,001 - £150,000 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
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE FUND1£114.4m
THE GRACE TRUST1£26.2m
ACHISOMOCH AID COMPANY LIMITED1£1.2m
TRUST PROPERTY HELD BY TRUSTEES OF ST AUGUSTINE'S PRIORY1£300k
THE BLUSTON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT1£50k
JEG TRUST LIMITED1£24k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FRIENDS OF THE LONDON ORATORY SCHOOL.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE ORATORY SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION£10.9m£140,001 - £150,000—unclear—no doubt
FRIENDS OF THE LONDON ORATORY SCHOOL FY2025£789k—0unclear—no doubt
LONDON ORATORY CHARITY FY2024£2.2m—0unclear—no doubt
THE ORATORY OF ST PHILIP NERI AT BIRMINGHAM FY2024£705k—0above—no doubt
CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS LIMITED FY2024£4.5m£110,001 - £120,000—unclear—no doubt
ST GEORGE'S WEYBRIDGE FY2025£35.5m——unclear—no doubt

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