THE NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL

Registered charity 313429 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q448807 · Wikipedia · also known as THE NATIONAL FILM SCHOOL · also registered in Scotland as SC048472 (OSCR)

Training and education for film, television, games and the creative industries

Objects

1. TO PROMOTE AND PROVIDE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC AND IN THIS CONNECTION TO CARRY ON A SCHOOL IN GREAT BRITAIN FOR THE TRAINING OF PERSONS EMPLOYED OR TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MAKING OF FILMS. 2. TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION IN THE ART OF MAKING CINEMATOGRAPH AND OTHER FILMS. 3. TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION IN THE PRODUCTION OF PROGRAMMES FOR TELEVISION.

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: Buckinghamshire, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£25.0m

Latest spending

£23.1m

Registered

1970

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the School delivered a total comprehensive income of £2.3m for the year ended 31 July 2025, with net assets increasing to £18.6m. Per the trustees' report, the School maintains a significant pension scheme deficit of £1.1m, which is projected to be recovered by September 2029 through ongoing contributions.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: prudent level of reserves (reserves figure: £18.6m)

“It budgets to expend anticipated income while retaining a prudent level of reserves.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Pension scheme deficit: £1.1m

“The actuarial valuation of the deficit on the School’s closed defined benefit scheme closed by a further £1.0m during the year to £1.1m” — page 26

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: NFTS Enterprises Limited

“The School owns 100% of NFTS Enterprises Limited, which was dormant for the current and preceding periods” — page 32

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by BDO LLP. 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.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

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 31/07/2025

Volunteers: 50
Government income: £6,055,926 — grants £6,055,926 (5); 24% of the £25,007,413 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 42 (£60,001–£70,000: 17; £70,001–£80,000: 18; £80,001–£90,000: 3; £90,001–£100,000: 2; £130,001–£140,000: 1; £200,001–£250,000: 1)
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; other trustee benefit

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/07/2024

Volunteers: 200
Government income: £7,194,735 — grants £7,194,735 (5); 30% of the £24,386,836 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 39 (£60,001–£70,000: 18; £70,001–£80,000: 14; £80,001–£90,000: 5; £130,001–£140,000: 1; £200,001–£250,000: 1)
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity; other trustee benefit
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/07/2023

Volunteers: 200
Government income: £7,206,254 — grants £7,206,254 (4); 32% of the £22,246,494 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 35 (£60,001–£70,000: 14; £70,001–£80,000: 14; £80,001–£90,000: 5; £120,001–£130,000: 1; £200,001–£250,000: 1)
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; other trustee benefit
Has a trading subsidiary

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

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

National Film and Television School unveils "major" Dolby Atmos upgrade britishcinematographer.co.uk · 22/10/2026
National Film and Television School bbc.com · 15/05/2026
National Film and Television School Launches New Scholarship with Hans Zimmer's Composer Collective theviolinchannel.com · 01/05/2026
Update on £21m National Film and Television School expansion as construction begins bucksfreepress.co.uk · 27/02/2026
£1 Million Boost: Netflix Funds National Film and Television School news.fundsforngos.org · 25/02/2026
National Film and Television School hopes for third Bafta win bbc.com · 21/02/2026
NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL TO HOST FREE CAREER SESSIONS ON ISLE OF WIGHT islandecho.co.uk · 18/02/2026
National Film and Television School expands games offering with new animation and indie development courses gamesindustry.biz · 22/12/2025

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 00981908
Trading subsidiary: NFTS ENTERPRISES LTD Companies House 01431773

NFTS ENTERPRISES LTD — per its own Companies House accounts

Unpaid share capital of £2 noted.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — National Film and Television School (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

YouTube — “YouTube Invests £2 Million To Expand Partnership With NFTS and Grow Creative Skills Across the UK” (source page)
BBC — “launched by the NFTS in partnership with YouTube and the BBC in January 2026” (source page)
The Walt Disney Company — “The Walt Disney Company” (source page)
Dana and Albert R Broccoli Foundation — “Dana and Albert R Broccoli Foundation” (source page)
The David Lean Foundation — “The David Lean Foundation” (source page)
Entertainment Partners — “Entertainment Partners” (source page)
The Leverhulme Trust — “The Leverhulme Trust” (source page)
The Lew Grade Memorial Fund — “The Lew Grade Memorial Fund” (source page)
The UIP Charitable Trust — “The UIP Charitable Trust” (source page)

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.

VINNEY, John Edward, Professor — director, appointed 22/03/2026not on trustee list
ATALLA, Ashraf — director, appointed 25/02/2026not on trustee list
FULLER, Patrik — director, appointed 03/01/2026not on trustee list
WANDALL-HOLM, Kathrine Bjerring — director, appointed 01/01/2026not on trustee list
BHULA, Farhana — director, appointed 25/11/2025on trustee list
PHILLIPS, Katharine Sian — director, appointed 23/09/2025not on trustee list
BAEZA, Paloma — director, appointed 24/09/2024on trustee list
HARRIES, Andy — director, appointed 24/09/2024on trustee list
FROT-COUTAZ, Cecile — director, appointed 18/06/2024on trustee list
CLARK, Paul Francis — director, appointed 18/06/2024on trustee list
BELLAMY, Julian Christopher — director, appointed 27/02/2024on trustee list
LEE, John Howard — director, appointed 26/09/2023on trustee list
SILVER, Caroline Louise — director, appointed 01/09/2023on trustee list
COCHRANE, Polly Clare — director, appointed 01/09/2023on trustee list
FORREST, David Scott — director, appointed 21/02/2023on trustee list
TURNER LAING, Sophie Henrietta — director, appointed 01/09/2022not on trustee list
PERRY, Charlotte Alexandra — director, appointed 01/09/2022on trustee list
STRONG, Hilary — director, appointed 05/10/2021on trustee list
WARDLE, Jonathan Peter, Dr — director, appointed 19/11/2019not on trustee list
MEHTA, Pukar Surendra — director, appointed 26/03/2019on trustee list

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (1 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Trustpilot: National Film & Television School scores 2.1/5 from 9 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (30,912 followers) · instagram (75K followers)

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2025)

Total income

£25.0m

Total spending

£23.1m

Cost of raising funds

£223k

Reserves (reported)

£9.2m

Employees

159

Reported reserves equal ~4.8 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (87% 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: 0.9% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.7%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Sophie Turner Laingchair · trustee of 2 other charities
Andrew Macdonald
Andy Harries
Angus Blair
Caroline Silver
Cecile Frot-Coutaz
Charlotte Alexandra Perry
Farhana Bhula
Hilary Strong
John Lee
Jon Wardle
Julian Bellamy
Kate Phillips
Laurent Samama
PATRICK FULLER
Paloma Baeza
Paul Clark
Polly Cochrane
Professor Geoffrey Crossick
Pukar Surendra Mehta
Raja Adil Rehman
Scott Forrest

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

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/07/2025	£25.0m	£23.1m
31/07/2024	£24.4m	£22.5m
31/07/2023	£22.2m	£21.3m
31/07/2022	£19.2m	£18.5m
31/07/2021	£16.2m	£16.1m

Common questions

Is THE NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the School delivered a total comprehensive income of £2.3m for the year ended 31 July 2025, with net assets increasing to £18.6m. Per the trustees' report, the School maintains a significant pension scheme deficit of £1.1m, which is projected to be recovered by September 2029 through ongoing contributions. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by BDO LLP.

Who funds THE NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL as a grant recipient include NFTS FOUNDATION, THE DAVID LEAN FOUNDATION.

Shared trustees with funders

Register facts shown side by side: a person serves as trustee of both this charity and a funder whose accounts record grants to it. Shared trusteeship is lawful and common; well-run charities manage it through declared-interest procedures.

Sophie Turner Laing — trustee here and at THE DAVID LEAN FOUNDATION

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2021	£144k	scholarships, bursaries, masterclasses and other costs of the School’s curriculum
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£52k	Lew Grade Chair
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£25k	Cubby Broccoli Chair
THE DAVID LEAN FOUNDATION	FY2021	£16k
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£14k	Richard Dunn Scholarship
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£6k	The Crown Scholarship
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£3k	Louis Malle Scholarship
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£2k	David Munro Fund Human Rights
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	Unverified read£1k	Jenne Casarotto Scholarship
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£915	Sir John Terry Memorial Scholarship
THE DAVID LEAN FOUNDATION	FY2022	£715
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£659	James Walker NFTS Writers Fund
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£163	Trevor Jones Scholarship
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£123	Colin Young Scholarship
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£16	Freddie Young Scholarship
NFTS FOUNDATION	FY2024	£11	Michael Samuelson Scholarship

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	01/04/2024	£2.4m	National Film and Television School Grant
UK government	19/01/2023	£412	Hardship-cost of living
UK government	07/07/2022	£2.3m	Teaching Grant 2022-23
UK government	23/05/2022	£50k	Formula Capital 2022
UK government	27/04/2022	£3k	Ukranian Student Support
UK government	20/03/2022	£50k	Formula Capital 2023
UK government	29/04/2021	£698	Additional student hardship funding
UK government	01/04/2019	£2.4m	National Film and Television School Grant 2016 -2020
UK government	14/08/2018	£198k	Education Fund\Film Academy\Craft Skills\England
UK government	01/04/2018	£4.8m	ALB - UKRI - StoryFutures Academy: Industry Centre of Excellence in Immersive Narrative
UK government	01/04/2018	£2.4m	National Film and Television School Grant 2016 -2020
UK government	—	£2.5m	National Film and Television School Grant 2016 -2020

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 BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE	1	£4.8m
NOTTINGHAM MUNICIPAL CHARITIES	1	£1.5m
SCREENSKILLS LIMITED	1	£418k
THE JONES 1986 CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£45k
LILIAN FRANCES HIND BEQUEST (TRUSTEES OF LADY HIND)	1	£20k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with LONDON FILM SCHOOL LIMITED.

LONDON FILM SCHOOL LIMITED income £7.9m
THE FILM AND TELEVISION CHARITY income £2.7m
THE TELEVISION WORKSHOP income £375k
FILM NATION UK income £6.5m
THE FILM AND VIDEO WORKSHOP income £35k
LEARNING ON SCREEN - THE BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES FILM AND VIDEO COUNCIL income £1.3m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL	£25.0m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
LONDON FILM SCHOOL LIMITED FY2025	£7.9m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE FILM AND TELEVISION CHARITY FY2025	£2.7m	—	4	unclear	—	no doubt
THE TELEVISION WORKSHOP FY2025	£375k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
FILM NATION UK FY2025	£6.5m	—	—	above	—	no doubt
THE FILM AND VIDEO WORKSHOP FY2025	£35k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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