The Independent Schools Christian Alliance
Report and Accounts Year ended 31 August 2024
1 Lamb's Passage, London EC1Y 8AB www.stewardship.org.uk
THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE PO Box 17634 Redditch B97 9RW GOVERNING DOCUMENT Declaration
GOVERNING DOCUMENT Declaration of Trust dated December 1994, amended April 1995, amended June 2022 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER 1047025 TRUSTEES RESPONSIBLE FOR Rev. Alex Aldous MANAGING THE CHARITY Joanna Wright Sue Clark Rev. Jim Houghton Rev. Andrew Hutchinson Frankie Knight Raymond Maher Rev. Alice Monaghan Elizabeth Nesbitt Norman Patterson (Reappointed Jan 2024) Emma Taylor (Resigned June 2024) Antony Spencer Rev.Anthony Buckley (Resigned Nov 23) Victor Selvaraj
BANKERS Metro Bank INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Sarah Crispin ACA Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
INDEX
Page 1 Legal and Administrative Details Pages 2-6 Trustees' Report Page 7 Independent Examiner's Report Page 8 Receipts and Payments Account Page 9 Statement of Assets & Liabilities Page 10 Notes to the Accounts
Page 1
THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
The Trustees have pleasure in submitting the Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 August 2024
Objects of the charity
The charity, is constituted as a trust governed by a trust deed. The charity's principal objects, as set out in its governing document, are to promote and advance evangelical Christian education and to advance education generally, and to advance the Christian religion generally.
Summary of the charity's main activities and achievements
See pages 4 to 6 for full report. In planning the activities the Trustees have applied the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission.
Financial review
During the year, income increased by £10,670, to £51,212, and expenditure decreased by £1,461, to £49,491. £10,000 of the income was due to a sale of investments. As a result the cash held by the charity increased by £1,722, to £5,017, of which £5,017 is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purpose.
Reserves policy
The Trustees believe that the minimum level of reserves that are freely available from cash and investments for its general purposes should be the equivalent of six months’ operating costs (equivalent to approximately £20,000), reviewed annually.
At the year end, the charity held unrestricted cash of £5,017.
The value of the COIF investment fund as at 30 June 2024 was £40,426. The investment figure is not included in the year end cash balances because investments can decrease as well as increase. Investments are held in a fund where same-day transfers can be made and as many times as may be required through the year. The Trustees are confident that these can be realised when needed in order to have freely available cash to comply with the reserves policy.
Funds in deficit
The charity has relied on the sale of investments to fund its annual deficit. The Trustees have agreed to launch a fundraising appeal early 2024 to reduce the deficit and build on cash reserves.
Governance
Responsibility for setting policy and for making operating decisions rest with the trustees who meet regularly to monitor the activities of the charity. New trustees are recruited and appointed by the existing trustees.
Page 2
Responsibilities of trustees
Charity law requires us as Trustees to prepare financial statements for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year.
We are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011.
We also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
Approval
This report was approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:
ACV Aldous
ACV Aldous (Mar 12, 2025 07:39 GMT)
Rev. Alex Aldous
Date: Mar 12, 2025
Page 3
1
Regd. Charity No. 1047025
Review of the Trust’s Activities:
1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024
The TISCA year begins in tandem with the schools’ academic year. Membership forms were sent out to all schools and individual members in early September via email. We continued with the policy of preparing formal invoices for schools (and emailing these out with a personalised letter) which have in the past provided generous support for TISCA by paying a subscription as Foundation (and Foundation +), Associate or Overseas’ Schools of TISCA. The response to this approach was again gratifying, with most of the schools paying up promptly and cheerfully. We have one Academy in membership, additional Schools in both categories and also a few more Overseas’ Schools (e.g. CIS Hong Kong and Petra College in Zimbabwe). An encouraging number of individual members now pay their subscriptions by Standing Order (and many add in a gift, too), which provides a greater degree of financial security as we look to the future. Some 120 schools are now linked to TISCA, either through direct school membership or through individuals.
We have also added in a business/charity membership and this has led to several organisations, with which we liaise closely, join TISCA, including the Titus Trust, Rock UK, Kick, the Christian Schools Trust and Good News for Everyone. They pay an annual fee of £100.
We produce two print editions of TISCA News and Views (TNV) each year – Autumn and Spring – and have updated their presentation, increased the number of pages and secured a few paid adverts / advertorials to offset costs. Some 600-650 copies are printed each time. This academic year we continued with a monthly e-TNV which generally contains two short articles and an occasional advertorial. These also go out by email to nearly 600 people and the response to this, and the upgraded print TNV, have been gratifying. Some schools have also asked to advertise vacancies on our platforms. For members this is free and nonmembers pay £50 per advert.
We added an additional member of staff to TISCA (from January 2024) – Revd Anthony Buckley. He, like the other two paid-workers, is part-time and his role is specifically to support Chaplains in our network – now over 85. Anthony is a former School Chaplain (Alleyn’s) and is a Rector in an Oxford church.
Over the course of this academic year the TISCA employees have continued to liaise with ACT (The Association of Christian Teachers), for prayer and some discussion. We have a MOU to encourage us to continue to work together in promoting events, to continue to share resources and to pray together. This is proving a very fruitful area of co-operation, not
Page 4
least because ACT focuses on the maintained sector whilst TISCA relates closely to the independent sector.
It was a delight to hold nine in-person meetings during the course of this academic year (including five regional meetings in schools) and we have retained three online evening gatherings (one per term) and also made many events hybrids. The online events were attended by between 20- 40 people each time, including delegates from Overseas and the Western Isles of Scotland. Phil Knox (of EA), Elizabeth Howat (of the Young Leaders’ Award) and the Rt Revd Jill Duff (Bishop of Lancaster) were our three excellent online speakers. We have also continued weekly online prayer meeting for Chaplains and now run four very active closed WhatsApp groups for Heads, for Chaplains, for Senior Leaders and for Governors. A twice a term online prayer meeting is also offered for Heads.
Our Senior Prefect Training was hosted for the first time by Malvern College. Over 50 pupils attended from six schools with two others joining online. This was a vibrant and informative day and included an excellent session run by the Malvern Head, Keith Metcalfe. Next academic year we plan to re-start the Junior prefects’ training (paused during the COVID lockdown period).
We held our first Governors’ Gathering in October 2023 and this proved both highly popular and extremely encouraging. We were hosted at Pangbourne College and speakers included the College’s Head, Thomas Garnier, Claire Osborn, an ISI reporting inspector, and Norman Patterson, a school bursar and TISCA trustee. The focus was on the new framework for school inspections and we also retained a focus on how a school with a Christian ethos can best flourish.
Our annual Heads’ Meeting took place in May 2024 at Mill Hill School where Heads were encouraged to remember that, like parents on the sidelines in a sports’ day, the saints above are cheering us on in the service we perform in schools.
Regional meetings numbered five across the year – at Bradfield College, Birkdale School (Sheffield), Oswestry School, Stafford Grammar School and Heritage School (Cambridge). Numbers at each were around 20 and we had visiting speakers which included Lizzie Harewood, the EO of ACT and Cathy Priest of the Faraday Institute. Visits we also made to several other schools (for prayer and encouragement) and these included Westbrook Hay Prep, Solihull School and Bishop’s Stortford College.
Our Annual Conference in June 2024 , held in Westminster as usual, was on the theme of Resilience, Reassurance and Refreshment in Schools today. We were blessed with 80 delegates in person and several online. There was a substantial exhibition of resources and Christian groups and we received some sponsorship from two of them. Speakers included Revd Alex Aldous (the new TISCA chair), Revd Becky Taylor (Chaplain at Berkhamsted who led devotions), Livy Gibbs (of Transforming Lives for Good), James Shone (of ‘I am and I can’) and a very practical session on safeguarding in schools led by Beth Lewis and Revd Andy Hutchinson of Monkton Combe School.
Page 5
With TISCA’s 30[th] anniversary on the horizon (in 2025), we held a special supporters’ event in May in London. This was for some 30 long-term supporters and included a visit to the British Museum (with a ‘tour of the Bible’) followed by tea in the nearby Phoenix Gardens. Several people spoke at this event regarding the importance of TISCA in their life and work. As we move into the 2024-5 academic year, we are looking to hold other events to give thanks to God for TISCA, to raise our profile further and to secure more long-term funding. One aim is to visit at least 30 schools in the 2024-5 academic year!
Over the course of the academic year, we have continued to meet regularly via Zoom in meetings with CCfE (Christian Coalition for Education) and the EA ’s (Evangelical Alliance) Education Forum. Key contacts continue to be forged with CST (Christian Schools’ Trust), CVE (Christian Values Education – Scotland), the Christian Institute and with Christian Concern. TISCA is also a member of the REC (Religious Education Council) and has been involved in the launch of a new RE network (REN) which is seeking to maintain the clarity of this subject in the face of pressures from worldviews. We continue to reach out to Christian governors and will offer them a special event again next academic year.
We have had a stable Trustees’ body , chaired by Revd Anthony Buckley until November 2023 and then Revd Alex Aldous from January 2024. One Trustee stepped down after six years in the role, Mrs Emma Taylor, Warden of Dean Close. She remains a keen supporter!
Our objectives are set to reflect the educational and charitable aims of TISCA. In setting our objectives and planning our activities the TISCA Trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit. They are satisfied that the activities described above provide clear and substantial public benefit.
Alastair Reid General Secretary October 2024
Page 6
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT
TO THE TRUSTEES OF
THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Independent Schools Christian Alliance ('the charity') for the year ended 31 August 2024 on pages 8 to 10 following.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Sarah Crispin
Sarah Crispin (Mar 31, 2025 10:18 GMT+1)
Sarah Crispin ACA
Stewardship 1 Lamb's Passage LONDON EC1Y 8AB
Date: Mar 31, 2025
Page 7
THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
| Notes Income receipts Donations Gift aid receipts Conference and other events Membership subscriptions: School membership Prefects Training Investment income Other Capital and similar receipts Total receipts Payments 2 Total payments Transfers between funds 4 Net movement in funds Cash funds as at last year end Cash funds at this year end A Net of receipts / (payments) before transfers Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly Sale of investments Loan repaid Loan received |
General Designated Funds Funds £ £ 9,866 - - - 9,941 - 18,380 - 893 - 1,326 - 805 - 41,212 - 10,000 - - 10,000 - 51,212 - 49,290 - 49,290 - - - - - 49,290 - 1,922 - - - 1,922 - 3,095 - 5,017 - Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted Funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - 200 200 - - 200 (200) - (200) 200 - |
Total 2024 £ 9,866 - 9,941 18,380 893 1,326 805 41,212 10,000 - 10,000 51,212 49,490 49,490 - - 49,490 1,722 - 1,722 3,295 5,017 |
Total 2023 £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Funds £ 9,866 - 9,941 18,380 893 1,326 805 41,212 10,000 10,000 51,212 49,290 49,290 - - 49,290 1,922 - 1,922 3,095 5,017 |
|||||
| 8,460 1,299 14,193 14,050 683 1,400 458 |
|||||
| 40,542 | |||||
| - 5,000 |
|||||
| 5,000 | |||||
| 45,542 | |||||
| 50,952 | |||||
| 50,952 | |||||
| 5,000 | |||||
| 5,000 | |||||
| 55,952 | |||||
| (10,410) - |
|||||
| (10,410) 13,705 |
|||||
| 3,295 |
The notes on page 10 form part of these accounts.
Page 8
THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
| A Cash funds Held at Bank Held in term deposits B Other monetary assets Gift aid due to charity Other debtors C Liabilities Falling due within one year: PAYE and pension Fee for Independent Examination |
General Designated funds funds £ £ 4,017 - 1,000 - 5,017 - 1,055 - - 1,055 - 192 - 792 - 984 - Unrestricted Funds |
Restricted funds £ - - - - - - - - - |
Total 2024 £ 4,017 1,000 5,017 1,055 - 1,055 192 792 984 |
Total 2023 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,295 1,000 |
||||
| 3,295 | ||||
| - 1,451 |
||||
| 1,451 | ||||
| 146 756 |
||||
| 902 |
D Assets retained for charity's own use
The charity owns no assets.
E Investment assets
COIF Charities Investment Fund
| Fund to which asset belongs General |
2024 £ 40,426 40,426 |
2023 £ |
|---|---|---|
| 46,813 | ||
| 46,813 |
The accounts were approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf
ACV Aldous by ACV Aldous (Mar 12, 2025 07:39 GMT) date Mar 12, 2025 Rev. Alex Aldous
The notes on page 10 form part of these accounts.
Page 9
THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024
1 Accounting policies
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis and comprise a statement that shows the charity's receipts and payments, a statement that summarises the charity's assets and liabilities and related notes. The accountancy profession have determined that only accounts prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards present a 'true and fair' view and, as these receipts and payments accounts have not (and cannot) be prepared in accordance with accounting standards, these accounts do not present (and are not intended to present) a 'true and fair' view of the charity's financial activities and state of affairs.
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are donations which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors; they include donations received from appeals for specific activities or projects.
| 2 Payments in relation to charitable activities undertaken directly Employment costs and expenses Note 3 Conference costs and prefect training Staff training Software and support Insurance Post, printing and production of TISCA news Accounts and independent examination Travel Regional and trustee expenses Subscriptions Administration and other costs |
Unrestrict | Designated funds £ - - - - - - - - - - - - ed Funds |
Restricted Funds £ - 200 - - - - - - - - - 200 |
Total 2024 £ 32,191 5,431 420 - 888 4,773 756 1,515 400 1,682 1,435 49,490 |
Total 2023 £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General funds £ 32,191 5,231 420 - 888 4,773 756 1,515 400 1,682 1,435 49,290 |
||||||
| 27,612 10,959 - 1,156 876 4,816 720 1,970 304 - 2,539 |
||||||
| 50,952 |
3 Transactions with related parties
At the year end the charity had three employees, to whom the employment costs above refer. No amounts were paid or are payable to any trustee, or to any person connected to them, other than expenses reimbursed on behalf of the charity.
| 4 Movement of funds General funds Restricted funds Training/conference fund Total funds |
Opening balance £ 3,095 3,095 200 200 3,295 |
Receipts £ 51,212 51,212 - - 51,212 |
Payments £ (49,290) (49,290) (200) (200) (49,490) |
Transfers £ - - - - |
Closing balance £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,017 | |||||
| 5,017 | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| 5,017 |
Page 10
TISCA 2024 accounts_FINAL TO SIGN -
updated
Final Audit Report
2025-03-31
Created: 2025-03-05 By: Sarah Crispin (sarah.crispin@stewardship.org.uk) Status: Signed Transaction ID: CBJCHBCAABAA-oiJ3n2tl1crgiW0PSSz8rbQj_kL6Y-K
"TISCA 2024 accounts_FINAL TO SIGN - updated" History
- Document created by Sarah Crispin (sarah.crispin@stewardship.org.uk)
2025-03-05 - 10:00:52 GMT
- Document emailed to acva@shrewsbury.org.uk for signature
2025-03-05 - 10:05:05 GMT
- Email viewed by acva@shrewsbury.org.uk
2025-03-05 - 10:06:33 GMT
-
Signer acva@shrewsbury.org.uk entered name at signing as ACV Aldous 2025-03-12 - 07:39:26 GMT
-
Document e-signed by ACV Aldous (acva@shrewsbury.org.uk)
Signature Date: 2025-03-12 - 07:39:28 GMT - Time Source: server
Document emailed to Sarah Crispin (sarah.crispin@stewardship.org.uk) for signature 2025-03-12 - 07:39:29 GMT
- Email viewed by Sarah Crispin (sarah.crispin@stewardship.org.uk) 2025-03-20 - 11:06:12 GMT
New document URL requested by Sarah Crispin (sarah.crispin@stewardship.org.uk) 2025-03-20 - 11:06:16 GMT
New document URL requested by Sarah Crispin (sarah.crispin@stewardship.org.uk) 2025-03-31 - 09:16:36 GMT
Email viewed by Sarah Crispin (sarah.crispin@stewardship.org.uk) 2025-03-31 - 09:18:13 GMT
Document e-signed by Sarah Crispin (sarah.crispin@stewardship.org.uk)
Signature Date: 2025-03-31 - 09:18:30 GMT - Time Source: server
Agreement completed.
2025-03-31 - 09:18:30 GMT