Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

THE READ SCHOOL, DRAX

Registered charity 529675 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Provision of education for pupils age 2-18, day and boarding.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£4.1m
Latest spending
£4.3m
Registered
1968
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net decrease in funds of £175,266, resulting in unrestricted funds being in deficit by £2,193,637. The trustees attribute this to financial pressures including VAT on fees and inflation, but confirm the accounts are prepared on a going concern basis due to loan support from benefactors. The charity aims to build free reserves to one term's fees gradually over time.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: one term's fees (held: £-2.2m)
“They aim to have free reserves amounting to the average level of one term's fees.” — page 18
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Read School Enterprises Limited, a subsidiary controlled by the directors of the corporate trustee, donated £30,138 to the School.
“Read Schoo! Enterprises Limited, a company controlled by the directors of the corporate trustee of the School, donated £30,138 (2024 : £56,207) to the School during the year.” — page 43
“During the year a number of directors of the corporate trustee also made donations to the School totalling £2,276 (2024 : £22,200).” — page 43
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Directors of the corporate trustee made donations totalling £2,276.
“Read Schoo! Enterprises Limited, a company controlled by the directors of the corporate trustee of the School, donated £30,138 (2024 : £56,207) to the School during the year.” — page 43
“During the year a number of directors of the corporate trustee also made donations to the School totalling £2,276 (2024 : £22,200).” — page 43
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: A Trustee made available a short-term loan facility of £70,000 with no interest charged.
“Read Schoo! Enterprises Limited, a company controlled by the directors of the corporate trustee of the School, donated £30,138 (2024 : £56,207) to the School during the year.” — page 43
“During the year a number of directors of the corporate trustee also made donations to the School totalling £2,276 (2024 : £22,200).” — page 43
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Henton & Co LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

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

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

Total income
£4.1m
Total spending
£4.3m
Cost of raising funds
£17k
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
85

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 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: 0.4% 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: North Yorkshire

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/08/2025£4.1m£4.3m
31/08/2024£3.8m£3.8m
31/08/2023£3.3m£3.4m
31/08/2022£3.1m£3.1m
31/08/2021£2.5m£2.7m

Common questions

Is THE READ SCHOOL, DRAX financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net decrease in funds of £175,266, resulting in unrestricted funds being in deficit by £2,193,637. The trustees attribute this to financial pressures including VAT on fees and inflation, but confirm the accounts are prepared on a going concern basis due to loan support from benefactors. The charity aims to build free reserves to one term's fees gradually over time. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Henton & Co LLP.

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 CROSS TRUST1£110k
THE GEOFF & FIONA SQUIRE FOUNDATION1£33k
FARNHAM LIONS CLUB (CIO)1£19k
THE CLARE MILNE TRUST1£10k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUST1£10k
THE ALAN BRENTNALL CHARITABLE TRUST1£10k
Wokingham United Charities1£6k
RICHARD REEVE'S FOUNDATION1£4k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with READING EDUCATION TRUST.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE READ SCHOOL, DRAX£4.1m——unclear—no doubt
READING EDUCATION TRUST FY2025£1.1m—0unclear—no doubt
RED HOUSE SCHOOL LIMITED FY2025£4.9m——unclear—no doubt
THE ABBEY SCHOOL, READING FY2025£20.3m£160,001 - £170,000—above—no doubt
DURSTON HOUSE SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED FY2025£6.9m——unclear—no doubt
GATEWAYS EDUCATIONAL TRUST LIMITED FY2025£8.7m——unclear—no doubt

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