St Ronan's School {Hawkhurst) Governors. Report for the year ended 31 ￿ July 2024 ST RONAN'S SCHOOL (HAWKHURST) (COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE) REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 ST JULY 2024 Regislered number: 3419744 Chqrity nvmber: 1066420 CONTENT5 of the Financial Stutemenls for the Yeur Ended 31 sl July 2024 Trustees, Off Icers and Advisors....................... Reference and Administrative Infonnation........................................ Objects, Public Beneflt, Aims and Principal Activities............................. .. Structure, Governance and Manogement... Principol Risks and Uncertainlles......... Employment policy...... Reserves and Going Concern .................... Review of Achievements and Performonce.....-....... Finonclol Review and Results for the Yeor.... Future Plans............................ . Statement of Governors, Responsibilltles ............. 12. Small Companies Provision....... 13. Independent Aud itor's Report..................................... . 14. Statement of Finoncial Aclivitles (Incorporating an Income and Expendilure Account)16 15. Balance Sheet......................... 16. Cash Flow Statement.... ..20 17. Accounting Policles..................... 18. Notes to the Financiol Statements............. .21 ..24 St Ron(sn's School (Hawkhvis•> Governors, Report for the year ended 31 ￿ July 2024 1 . TMUSTEES, OFFIL.Eftg AND ADvigo)Fe.4 The Govemors of the charity, who are a150 the Company Dlreclors and the Trustees of the School, who seryed during the year were: . ComMitt￿S {see settlon 41 F&GP4 MrNABeart Prof K Dacre BA MA PhD Vice-choirmon Mr C S Longer Bsc DipARCH RIBA, IHBC Mrs J Lowe BA (Hons, Cert Ed) Mrs G E Maeleay BA (Hons) Mr D Oliyer MPhil Mr N Phlllls MA Mr A Ross BA (Honsl Choirmon Mr B A Selon Bsc {Eeon) Mr N P Slodden FCA, DChA, BFP MsKJWest Mrs E A Worthington BA PGCE MA- Retired 20th July 2024 l Heolth & Safèty, 2 Estates, J Cvrriculum, 4 Flnonce & Generol Purposes, 5 Execvlive Remunerati¢￿, Safeguording F&GP4 F&GP4 F&GP4 H&SI Off icers (currently and Ihrovghoul the year) Mr W Trelowny-vemon Bsc (Honsl Heodmaster - Retired 3 7 5t Avgv5t 2024 Mr J Lewis BA (Joint Honsl, PGCE Headmoster - In post f rom l il September 2024 Mr D Ansell BA (Honsl Bursor ond Company Secrètary Prirt¢ipal Professional Advisors Audltors: Hoysmoc LLP, I O Queen Street Place, London EC4R I AG Bankers: Natwest, 20 Hight Street, Ashford, TN24 85H Solicitors: Veale Wasborough Vizord5, Norrow Quay House Narrow Quoyi Brlstol BSI 4QA Princlpal Addre55 Soint Rongn's School, Water Lgne, Hawkhvrst, Kènt TN18 5DJ Website: www.saintron ns.co.uk Sl R•non'$ S¢hool (Hawkhursl) Governors, Report for thé year ended 31 $1 Jvly 2024 2. R¥k-ERkllC- ANO ADN11NI4114AI11,,. li'-. o-i £IK1ri I-ION Soint Ronan's School IHowkhurstl {'the School'l wos founded in 1883 and was ¢on5tituted as a charitable companyi limited by guorantee, on 14 August 1997. The Company registrotion number Is 3419744 ond it does not have ony shore capital. The liability of the Directors is limited to £1 each. The School is a tharity and its regi5tratlon numbér Is1066420. The School operates in premises and on lond which are le05ed f rom Tongswood Estate Limited ITELI for which it poys rent. The lease requires the Sd)ool to mainloin the property and estote as well 05 providing all the equipment and furniture necessory for the running of the School. TEL is the sole Trustee of the Harri5 Will Trust (charity number 2777191. The Horris Will Trusl wos fornied upon the deoth of u former proprietorial Headmcster to provide inter alio premises ut Water Lane, Hawkhurst as long a5 the School remains as a preporotory school with Similar oims and ethos to those at the time of the forrnotion of the Horrls Will Trvst in 1957. On JEf.T.>. Jl_'c BfNTEFir Alki Iq PINfJ PpiNripi,L Ar-ii,'ITIE The Object of the Charitable Componyl in accordance with its Memorondum and Articles of A5sociallon, is to odvance the educatlon of children at Salnt Ronan's Sch¢)ol and to carry out such legal actlvltles os may aid in any way the educational oim of the Sthool. In furlhèrance of this Objecl the Dlrectors, 0$ the Charlty Trustees, have complied with the dvty in Sl 7 of the Chorltles Act 201 T to have due regard to the Chorlty Commlsslon'5 published generol and relevant subsector gvidonre concernlng the operotioft of the Publlc Benefit reqvirement under ihot Act. Principal Activity and Income Sources Salnt Ronan's School's principal activity contlnued to be that of o co.educational doy gnd boarding school for 2 to 13 year old children. The Sthool's principol source of Income is from school fees. Eihos The Sthool has a dlstinctive character and it Is this chann, this magic, thot people fall In love with. It is o family sthool with on informal and happy otmosphere where stoff are approachable and mud unremorkoble. In a world where children seem to grow up ever foster, Soini Ronan's provide5 0 happy environment for children to remain just thot. We want the children to enjoy school, relish the opportunities offered and be inspired to work hard. to be kindi gentle, courteous ond honest. Core values for Pupils Our motto, Floreot Soint Ronan's, meons "Let Salni Ronan's flourish". Central to this are the School's core volves:_ Whot Really Motter5 We are gentle - we don't hurt others We are kind and helpful - we don't hurt anybody's feellngs We listen - we don't interrupt We are honest - we don't cover vp the truth We work hard - we don't waste our own time or others, We lo¢)k after property - we don't waste or damage thlngs Sl Ronan's School (Hawkhurst) Goveynois, Reporl for the year ended 316t Jvly 2024 Roniqn Charaderislics In addition, we recognise, reward and promote these Ronian Charg¢terisli¢5: Empathy:. We put ¢)urselves Into the posltlon of others and try to see and feel things f rom thelr point of View. Awareness:. We make sure we know whol is needed from us and how we can be most helpful to othèrs. Perseyerance:. We keep trylng to create our best, even when we f ind things diff icult. Curloslty:. We ask quesllons and want to leorn more. Imgginotion:. We think for ovrselves and create new ideas. Co-operation:. We work together os u learning teom. Saint Ronan's Sirategic Aims are: To provide the children with an eX￿lIeTht ull-round educatien with a sultable range of urri¢vlqr ond extra-￿rri£￿IQr opportvnities To provlde Insplring teachlng whlch promotes both learning ond othievernent To encovrage the children's spiritual moral sociol ond cUl￿ra1 development To provide effective postorol support ond guidonce To malntoln o construcrfve relati¢nshlp wlth parents and corers To 'mind the magic, ObjeclTves The Governors oversee these oims via the School's Development Plan, whith looks at all aspects of School Ilfe and tharts a pathway for ¢ontinued improvément. The Board's moln oblecllve Is to ensure that the Sthool continues to offer first class education by the implementation of thi5 Development Plani providing a ronge of opportunlties suited to the interests, upti￿deS and needs of all the chlldren in the School's care. Public Benefil To satisfy its pvblic benefit obligations the School will: Provide means tested bursory and scholarship plqce5 to assist thildren f rom lower income or otherwise disadvuntoged fomilies to benefit frorn the School's adivities To contlnue to develop collob¢rotive worklng arrangements wlth oppropriotè tharities and other edvcattonal bodles to provide access to Sthool f ocillties for those who aré unable to attend the School itself as fee poying pvplls. The School aclively promotes links with loeol charltles and state schools whlch olso helps the pupils at Solnt R¢non's to understand the social context of thelr educotlon. Tom Elllott, Head of Communlty Engagement, coordlnates the School's activities wlth the local communlty. Entrance The School has no formol entrance examination. An individual's economic statusi gender, ethnlcityi ra*, religion or disability do not form part of the Sthool's assèssment process. Sl Ronan's School (Hawkhursll Governors. Report ft*r tho year end￿ 3111 Jvly 2024 Saint Ronan's is an equol opportunity organisation ond is committed to a working environment that is f ree from ony form of discrimination on the grounds of colovr, rqce, ethnicltyi religion, sex sexval orientation or dlsability. The School would make reosonable adjustments to meet the needs of staff or pupils who are, or become, dlsabled. Granl Making In ihe year ending 3151 July 2024 the School gave the following finan¢iol support to the families of children attending Saint Ronan's: Di$¢ounl Number Of Pupils 13 202>24 2022-23 Stanley Harris Scholarshlp Means Tested Bursaries £28,894 £235,488 £5,341 £81,502 £0 £30A28 £213,563 £5,507 £59,324 £0 29 Music Scholarships Sibllng Discounts Militory Discounts 31 The Stanley Harris Scholorship is o non rneons tested oward glven, on entryi for excellen￿ in either academic ability, sport, art or music. Means tested awords are determined by the Stholorship & Bursary Sub-committee (Headmaster, Bvrsor and Choirman of Governor51 following an exominotion of meons and a home visit by on independent assessor. In the Summer Term of 2024 there were 29 children receiving svth awords, attending the School when they would otherwise have been vnoble to do so. In order to preserve continulty of educotion, meons tested awards may be granted in cases of hordshlp. Fee ossistonce, whlch is funded entirely from fee income, accounted f or 3. I 0/0 of the Sch¢)ol's total fee Income. To widen public access to the School further in Cases where the School was unoble to help finonclally. fomilies were/are odvlsed of other Educolionol Trusts that might be able to help fund their chlldren's education. Teoching Staff with children at the School olso benef ited from fee Support which further reduced gross annual fee income by £245,20212022-23: £271,864). The total cost of such grant making by ihe School wa5 £653,77512022-23: £580,686) in redU￿d fee income. Parents of all Nvrsery age children and o number of those with children in Reception re￿1ve state aid though the Government'5 Eorly Yeors Free Entitlement stheme. Volunteers The Friends of Solnt Ronan's (FOR, the Sthoo1'5 Parents, AsSOCiQtionl contrlbutèd £9,286 lo school funds in the past year through their fvnd-raislng activltles. The Governors would like to take this opportvnily to thank oll those parents who gave $0 freely of their tlme in the past year. Their contlnued svpport is hlghly Yalued. Si Ronan's School IHawkhvr$l) G•vernoi$' R•port f•r lh• your ondod 3111 July 2024 4. STRUCTURE, GOViRPqANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing Document The Company Is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Governing Body The Truslees, who ore also the Dlrectors for the purposes of compuny low, oct a5 the Governing Body of the School and ore referred to 0$ the Governors. They are elected at the Annuol General Meeting following their co-option by the Full Beord. The Chairman of the Governors maintoins a matrix of desirable governor skllls, which is reviewed at every meeting. The Chairman is eletted by the Boord ond may hold Offi￿ for up to nine year5. The Chuirs of principal committees are elected annvollyi and incvmbents may stand for re-elertion. After a Governor has serrfed 3 consecutive terms in office. they shall be eligible for re-election only after o year has elapsed Sin￿ he or she retired as Governor, unless the Board considers it would be in the best interests of the Charity for a Govemor to be eligible for re-eleclit>n on their retirement for such number of further terms os the Board sholl rex)Ive. Governor Training New Governors are indurted inlo the working5 of the School, including Governlng Body policy and procedure5, by the Heod, Bvrsgr gnd, os oppropriate, other school staff. All Governors were briefed in annual KCSIE Sofeguordlng updates whllst some Governors took advantage during the year of the opportvnlty to undertake additlonol training qrrqnged by the Assoclatlon of Govemlng Bodles of Independent Schools IAGBISI, The Independent Schools, Bursars Assoclotion IISBAI and by the Boarding Schools, Assoclailon IBSAI. The purpose of the tralnlng is to keep Governors infomied and updated on current Issves In the sector and regulotory requirements. Organisalional Managemenl The Governors, who meet as a Board at least three tlmes a year, are legally responsible for the overoll management and control of the School. In addltlon, there ore five permanent 5ub-commlttees listed below. The committees are thorged with re￿1vIng reports from the principal executive officers ond examinlng detailed Issues. A range of professional adyisers ore retained to support the work of the school ond the Governing Body. Finance and General Purposos Commillee (F&GP) m¢)nltors, evaluates, advises and mokes recommendations to the Fvll Board on all matters reloting to the finonces of the Sthool. The Committee Is chaired by Mr NP Sladden. Cvrriculum Committee monitors, evaluates, advises ond mokes recommendations to the Full Board on all matters relating to the learning experience5 and progress of the thildren at Soint Ronan's. The Committee is chaired by Mr N Philli slales Commillee monitors, evaluates, advises and Makes recommendations to the Full Board on oll motters reloting to the School's 250 acre estate, the physical environment asperts of the Development Plan and the monitoring of building projecls. The Comrnittee is thoired by Mr S Langer. Health and Safely Committee monitors, evaluates, advises ond makes recommendations to the Full Boord on all matters relating to the health and safety of the children ond staff at Saint Ronan's. The Committee is thaired by Ms K West. Safeguarding and Pastoral Cure Committee monitors, advises and makes reports and recommendolions to the Full Boord and Headmaster, on matters relating to the protection, safety und well-being of children ot Soint Ronan's. The Cornrnittee is chaired by Mrs G MacLeay. Additional svb-committees are fornied to deol with Specific issues e.g. Stholarship & Bursary. Staff Remuneration ond Executive Rernuneralion or oreos where specialist studies are reqvired. All operating policles are rovtinely examined and qrnended where appropriate. The day lo day runnlng of the School is delegated to the Headmoster, supported by the Bvrsor and other members of the Senlor Mantsgemenl Tèam. Si R•n4n'$ School IHowkhurstl Governois, RoP•rt for the year endod 31 $1 Jvly 2024 Remvneration is set by the Board, with the pollcy objectlve of retaining staff and ensuring upproprlate incentives to encourage enhontrd performance and in o foir and responsible manner, rewgrding for individual contribvtlons to the School's success. Remuneratlon is reviewed onnually includlng refereTr￿ to benchmarking proyided by Independent School associotions te ensure thut Salnt Ronan's remains sensitive to the broader issues of pay and employment conditions elsewheré. Group *rvdure und relalion$hips Saint Ronan's School (Hawkhurstl is limited by gvorontee cjnd is a registered charlty. Saint Ronan's is an active member of ISBA and the AGBIS, which ore constituents of the Independent Sthoo15 Council IISCI. It is also a member of the BSA. The Head is an oclive member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools IIAPS}. These organisations exlsl to promote ond malntain high standards generolly in Independent education. 5. PRINCIPAI. RIqK£ ANi] LJNCEkRI-AIX,TII£ The School's activities are kept under regular review by Governors ond Senior Monagement, and ottenti¢)n is glven to any risk5 which may arise. Risks are mapped und discussed, with steps token to minimise their occurrence and r)otentiol imDact on the continued success of the School. The risk map 15 formolly reviewed annually. The prlncipal short-term risks identlfled are: Decllne in pupil numbers caused by the November 2024 Budget, which ha5 led to the addltlon of VAT to School fees and the10$5 of Mandatory Bvsiness Rate Relief Financlal uncertainty CQV5ed by econornie and geo-political events The movement of children lo local Grammgr Schools wlth Ihe reductlon in entry age from 13 yegr5 to I l years. Rising input costs, such as employer Notionol Insurance contrlbutions The ever-present risks identlf led ore: Failure to deliver the Sthool's stated aims Foilure to attract and relaln hlgh qvality Staff Failure to comply with Charity Commlsslon or Independent School requlrements Rlsk of cyber-attack on IT systerns and dato and the p¢tentlal of financlal fraud Catastrophic events which could cause signlflcont damage to the Sthool's premises; for exomple, flood or fire Per50ncl Heolth and Safety rlsks, such 0$ a major accldent involving the School's pupils and/or staff The Most significant potential risk is o decline in pupil numbers. This may be coused by ony combination of o fall in the number of children attending independent preparatory schools, due to matters of porental affordobilityl competing offer5 from other schools, economic uncertainty or pre55ure, thonges in legislative, tox or charity regulotions. The key controls used by the Governors include: Detailed risk mapping Formal agendas ond briefing papers for committee and sub-committee meetings Verbal updates from staff 5trotegic and business planning Budgeting and management accounting Clear outhorlsation and approval levels Vetting procedures as required by law for the protecNon of children St Ronan's kh(••l (Howkhvrstl Governors, Report for Ihe year ended 31 st July 2024 A proortive opproach to rlsk Is molntolned and the Governors review the risk map regularly wilh the Head and Bursar. 6. EMPLOYMENT POLICY The School is on equol opportunities employer and recognises the wealth of experien￿ omongst its staff and encourages participotion by them in making decisions likely to offed their interests. These toke the form of regular staff meetings, Head of Department Meetings. Deparlmentol Meetings, 1883 Meetings {a staff forum) cr exceptional meetings as and when deemed necessory. Staff are briefed ot the beginning of each term on building works whith have been completed and of strategic decisions being considered. RFE VTrIIE£ /IND GOTNIG CoycTRN In common with other independent schoo15, Saint Ronan's School has, over ihe years, invested its surpluses into maintalnlng Ihe fabric of the estate and improving the educatlonal facilitie% At the yeor-end, St Ronan's hod totgl fund5 of £3,681,001 all of which wos unrestrlcted12023: £3,680,998). These fvnds are analysed on page 30 and are principolly composed of £4,309,246 {2023: £4,433,979) of fixed assèts offset by debt. The Governors manage ond monitor the financlal strength and reserves of the School on o temily basis vio management accounts and cash flow forecasts prepored by the Bursar. Financlal budgets and forec05t5 have been prepared for the years to 31 M July 2028. A key cornponent of the Sthool's financiul performance is pupil numbers. which continued to be ot a high level in September 2024 thereby providing a high degree of certainty for g positive financiol operating result in the financial year to 31 July 2025. The School holds o cosh reserve and on overdraft facility to ensure that there ore sufficient liquld funds available to meet ony shortFall arising from short terrn flucluation5 in its income and expenditure operoting models and to give sufficient time to take the necessary corrective aclion. Furthermore, the Sch¢)ol aims to continue lo bolster it5 re5erY¢s when p055ible. In maklng thelr 90ing COn￿M assessment the Governors have censidered a period of at least 12 months following the date of opproval of this report ond determined thqt thgre are no materlal uncertalnties obout the Sthool's obility to continue 05 0 going c¢)ncern. The remainder of the funds held by the School are represented by the Investment the Sthool has made in the f abric o* the buildings and other School assets. Si Ronan's School (Hawkhvrst) Governors, Report For the year ended 31 it July 2024 8. REVIEW OF AcHIEV￿mENTs AND PERFORMANCE Operalionul Performance of the School The School has continued to thrive this yeor, and the children have enjoyed o wide rage of octivltles to supplement their classroom learning. All enjoy o wonderful breadth of external trlps and unexpected opportvnltles through the creative use of the School's estale to enhance the experience at Soint Ronan's. The result is children who ore thallenged, supported ond nourished. None of this con hoppén without our dedicated and ever wllllng staff, who all go obove and beyond to deliver this exceptional offering. It also cannot happen without extraordinary leadershlp. The School has been blessed to have had over the last 22 years Mr William Trelawny-vernon os Its Head, whose contrlbutlon to the School has been monumental. Together with his wife Emma. he has tronsformed the school from o struggling local prep to a nationally recognised institvtion. It was fitting that he was shortlisted for the TES HeadteotheT of the Year Award. The seorch for a new Head wos conducted in Autumn 2023 and the Governor5 were delighted to appoint Mr Joseph Lewis, a senior housemaster at Millfield School, as Head from September 2024. The academic results have continued to impress this year and the 56 children who left us to their senior schools dèDartèd with a haul of 34 scholorships won. The totol of Scholarships won in the last three years hos ex￿eded l 00. Whilst awards and nominotions themselves are not the School's 501e focvs, the recognition that the School has achieved on o notional stage hos been remarkable and speaks Yolumes obout the dedication qnd hard work of its staff. During the year the School was a finallsi for the Independent School of the Year, won the 'Kindness' ond 'Animal Svpport, categories of the School House Mogqzine and also wan the prèstlgious Talk Ed Alice Rose Award for Ethos (joint with Papplewickl. Public Benefil As a sthool, we remaln commltted to our community engagement ond outreoch and will do so, despite th¢ increase in the School's cosi base caused by leglslotive changes. Over the course of thls financlal period, we have ralsed over £8,000i proceeds from whlch have gone to deserving couses as voried as Macmlllan Cancer Support ond Leukaemia Care, to the Battersea Dogs Home and the Blg Cat Sancluary. Just before we break up in December each yeor, we make an appecl for donations to our chosen seasonal charltyi Svrviving Christmas, and last year wé were able to provide them wlth over £5,000 In much needed funds. Our links with local Primory Schools are strong and we hove fostered meaningful and enduring partnerships with local schools. One of the things we hear most from our partner 5thools is thot they are restricted in opportunities, first and foremost, by a lack of transport. Schools often don't hove the minibus capacity and coach hire is prohibitively expensive. We can provide the greatest benef it to the greatest number of thildren, by pulling our minibuses, that would otherwise be sitting idle during the doy4T into action. As well u5 taking a yeor group from Sandhvrst Primary School on a weekly basis to their swimming lessons, we olso make many one-off trips to museums, cultural and sporting events for Hawkhur51 and Benenden Primary schools as well. Our outreach also includes using the minibuses lo bring these schools into Soint Ronon's to hear talks given by our Visiting authors; bringing Govdhurst and Kilndown Primory School to un annual ort and DT workshop organised by Karen Stickney as well inviting Sandhurst, St Michael's, Sissinghurst, Hawkhvr5t and Benenden to take part in the Tongswood Cricket Festival, the second lterOn￿ of whith was in June 2024. This tournament sees teams of 8 from eath 5th001, competing for ts shield in games of pairs. soft- ball cricket on our cricket f ields, and it is wonderf vl to see how quickly the children pick up the rvles ond aim5 of the noble game, ond most importantly how muth they enjoy the experience. This yeor, Sandhurst Primary School were victorious. Our Horvest Festivol appeal is always very well svpported and in October 2023, our Y3 classes t¢)ok over half a tonne of gr¢tefully received produce to the Paddod< Wood and Hastings Food Banks. We susped Y3 spend much of the Christmas holldays polishing their holos, as in the last week of term, these Si Rongn'$ School (Hawkhvr$l) Goveinors. R•port for lh• year end•d 31 st Jvly 2024 same thlldren also visit three l¢xal Care Homes, Howkhurst House, Larchmere and Hartley Hovse to sing carols to the residents and stoff in what is always a seasonal treat to which we all look forward. 9. FINANCIAL REVIEW AND RESULTS FOR THE YEAR The School storted the yeor wlth strong pupll numbers, which afforded a good deal o* flnoncial stability. This has been tested during the year with the residual efferts of high inflotlon and increasing ￿n￿rtaInty orovnd what o change government might bring for the independent sthool sector. Despite these f attors, the School was able to maintuin solid fiscal control ond 0$ o result of sultable budgetory policyi on operoting surplvs lofter depreciation) of £75.159 was athieved for the full year to 31 July 2024. Saint Ronan's School also had a significant impart on the local economy. As measured by the Independent Schools, Council Economic Impact Tool the School: Supported 201 jobs boih within the School and in the School's supply choin Generated £1 A million of tax payments to the Exdiequer The School is now in o phosed withdrowol from the Teacher's Penslon Scheme {TPS}. Subsequentlyi cll new members of the teaching staff are enrolled in the School's APTIS scherne, which has protected thè School ogolnst the In-yeor rise of the employer contributions to the TPS. Staff who have opted to remoin In the TPS meet this Increosed contribution through increased personal contributions. FUTURE PLANS The School has now adopted the 2024-29 Development Plan, whith has four maln target areas which cover every ospect of the School's operations: Ensurlng Continued Regulatory Compliance Promoting Excellent Pupil Aehievement Promoting Excellent Pvpil Personal Development Ensurlng excellent flnanclal security Improvements have been identified by the School's mgnogement team for eoch of the target ureas and adions needed for improvement documented. Progress towards each target Is reviewed regulorly and an annvol report made to the Governors. Highlights of the development plon include: Continued development of the Sch¢)ol's Pastorol Care system To continue the very high standard of teachlng ond learning throughout the Sthool Further Improve links with local state Sch¢￿15 and community Continue to develop the School's IT provision Growing Nursery provision Refurbishing the Stable Block (Cooth House) to provide 2 further state-of-the-ort laboratorie5 Further improvements to the School Farm Improvements in the boarding provision Provision of increosed music and pre-prep teaching space ST"TE'"E'IT OF C,g'; . ERN'V,.pe' p,r_c.pp.yfl-,'I IT'.F.C The Governor5 ore responsible for preporing the Governors Report and the financiol statement5 In occordan￿ wilh opplicable low ond United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdorn Generally Accepted Accounting Practlcel. Company law requlres the Governors to prepare f Inoncial stgtements for euch finoncial year which give o trve and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company. This will show the Incoming resour￿5 and appllcoilon of resources. including the Income and expenditvre, of the horlty for thal period. In preparing these fingnriql statement5 the Governors are required to: St Ronan's S¢hoo1 (H4wkhuvstl Governors. Report for the year ondod 31 ￿ July 2024 Followlng advice f rom the Sch¢)ol's occovntunts, to elect suitable accounting policies and then apply them con5iStentlyj Observe the methods and prlnclples in Ihe Charltles SORP,. Make judgements and estlmates ihot are r¢gsonable ond prudent; Stote whether appllcable UK Accountlng stondard5 hove been followed, subjed to ony materlal departures disclosed ond explolned In the financial statements; and Prepare the flnancial statement5 on the golng concern basis unle55 it 15 inoppropri¢Jte to presurne that the charltable company wlll contlnue in business The Governors are responsible for keeping adeqvate accounting records that are sufficlent to show and explaln the School's transacllons, disclose with reasonable accuracy at ony time the financiol posltion of the Charitable Company and enablè them to ensure that the financlal statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are 0150 responslble for safeguording the ossets of the charltable Company and hence for toking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irreguloritles. So far as each of the Governors is aware at the time the report is approved: There is no relevant audit informatlon of whith the thoritable Company's auditor Is unoware. and The Goyernors hgve taken all Steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor Is aware of that Informotlon. SMALL COMPANIES PROVISION This report has been prepared In accordance with the speciol provlslons for small componies Under Part Vll of the Companles Act 2006. On 18th November Haysmacintyre LLP changed Its reglstered name to Haysmac LLP. Approved by the Board of Governors at Its meeting on 28th November 2024 and signed on Its behalf drew R055, oirnian St Ronon'5 School (Hawkhursll Slulemont of Fingn¢igl Adiviti•¥ fgr th• yeqr •nd¢d 31 St July 2024 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORTTO THE MEMBERS OF ST RONAN'S SCHOOL IHAWKHURST) Opinion We have audlted the flnanciol $totements of Si Ronon's Sthool (Hawkhurstl for the year ended 31 July 2024 whith comprise the Statement of Financial Aclivities, Ihe Bolonce Sheets, the Cash Flow Statement and notes lo the financial statements. including a summary of significant attountlng pollcles. The financial reporting framework thot h05 been opplied in their preparotlon Is appllcable law and United Kingdom Accounting Stondords, including Finonciol Reporting Stondord 102 The Finonciol Reporling Standard applicable in Ihe UK ond Republic of Ireland {United Kingdom Generolly A(￿pted Accountlng Proctlcel. In ovr oplnlon, Ihe f Inanclol stulemenlsi give o true and fair view of the state of the thoritoble compony's offalrs as ai 31 July 2024 and of the tharitable company's net movement in funds, including the income ond expendlture, for the year then ended; have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Gener¢lly Accepted Accountlng Practi￿. and have been prepared In accordonce wlth the requlrements of the Companies Art 2006. Basis for opinion In avditing the flnoncSal statements, we hove concluded that the trustees, use ol the going con￿rn basis of occovntlng In the preparatlon of the flnanclol slatements Is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identif led any materlal vncertalniles reloling to events or conditions that, Indlvldually or collectlvelyl moy cost significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to contlnue os a going concern for o perlod of oi leosl twelve months from when the financial stotemenls are authorlsed for l$$ue. Our responslbllltle$ and the responslbllltles of the Iruslees with respect to going concern ore described in the relevant seclions of this report. Conclusions relating to going concern We conducted ovr audlt in accordonce with International Standards on Auditing IUKI IISAS IUKII and applicable low. Our responsibilities under those standards ore further described in ihe Audilor's responsiblliiles for ihe audit of the financial statements section of ovr report. We are Independent of the Chorily in accordonce wlth the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the finoncial statements in the UK, Inclvding the FRC'S Ethlcol Stondord, ond we have fulfllled our other ethicol responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We belleve that the audli evldence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basls for our oplnion. Othev information The trustees ore responsible for the other infomiotion. The other Informailon comprlses ihe informolion inclvded in the Governors. Report. Our opinion on the finunciol statements does not cover the other informotion ond, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance concluslon thereon. In connection with our audit of the f inancial slatements, our responslbllliy Is to read the other informotion ond, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materlally Inconslslent wlth the financial statemenls or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstoted. If we identlfy such material inconslstencles or opporent materlol mlsstotemenls. we ore required to determine whether there Is a material mlsstatement in Ihe financial statemenls or o moterlol misstatemenl of ihe other information. l*, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that ihere is o muterial misstatement of thls other Information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothlng to report in ihis regard. Opinions on other mutters prescribed by the Companies Acl 2006 In ovr opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: Sl Rgnon'$ S¢hool IHawkhur$l) Stat•m8nt OF Financial Adivities for Ihe yeur *nd￿ 31 # July 2024 Ihe Information given in the Govemors, Report (which includes the directors, report prepared for the purposes of compony law) for the finonclol year for which the flnanclal statements are prepored is consistent wilh the flnonciol stotements. and Ihe directors, report included wlthln the Governor5, Report hove been prepored in accordOn￿ with opplicoble legol requirements. Matlers on which we afe required to report by exception In the light of the knowledge and under5tgnding of the charitoble cornpany ond its environmeni obtained in the course of the oudit, we have not idenlif led material rnisstatemenls in the Governors. Report {whith incorporates Ihe directors. report). We hove nothing to report in respert of ihe following mutters in relation lo which the Cornpanie5 Ad 2006 requires us to reF)Ort to you if. in our opinion: adequate occounting records hove noi been kept by the charitable componyj or the choritable company financiol 5totemenls are not in agreemenl with the ottounling records and returns" or certain disclosures of trustees, remunerotlon specified by law are not made. or we have not received all the information and explonotions we require for our audit,. or the Irustees were not enlitled io prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companles, regime and toke advontage of the srnall componies. exemptions in preparing the tru5tees' report and from the reqvlrement to prepare a strategic report. Responsibilities of Trvstees for the financial slolements As explolned more fvlly in the Governors, responslbilities slotement set out on page 12, the Governors (who are also ihe Directors of ihe thoritable compony for the purposes of compony law) are responsible for the preparation of the finonclol statements ond for being sotlsfled thot they glve o true and foir vlew, and for such internal control as the trustees determlne Is necessary to enable the preparation of f Inanciol statements that are free from material misstatemenl, whether dve to fraud or error. In preparing the financlol statements, the Trustees ore responsible for asse$5ing the charitable Company's oblllty to continue as a going concorn, dlsclosingi as applicable, matters related to going concern and vsing the going concern bosls of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to Ilquldole the charitoble Company or to cease operotions, or have no realistic allernatlve but to do so. Auditor's responsibilitie5 for Ihe uvdil of the Financial slalemenls Our objectlves are to obtain reasonable assuran￿ about whether the financial statements os a whole are free from moteriol mlsstolement, whether due to froud or error. and to Issue on ouditor's report thot inclvdes our opinion. Reasonable ossvronce is o high level of 055vronce, bul is not a guaronlee that an avdit condvded in accordance with ISAS {UK) will olwoys detect a rnoteriol misstatement when it exists. Misstatemenls can orise from froud or error and are considered material if. individvolly or in the aggregote, they could reosonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of Users laken on the bosis of ihese financiol 5totements. Irregularities. including froud, are instonces of non-complionce wilh laws ond regvlotions. We design PrO￿dUreS in line with our responsibilities, outlined above. to detett moterial misstotements in respecl of irregvlarilies, including fraud. The extent to whith our pr￿dureS are capable of detecling irregulorities. including fraud is detoiled below. Bosed on ¢)vr understanding of the charitable compony and the environment in which it operate5, we Identified Ihot the principal risks of non-compliance wilh laws and regulations related to the regulatory requirements of Ihe Chority commissi¢￿ and the Independent Schools Inspeclorate, and we considered the extent to which non- compliance might hove o material effect on the finoncial statements. We also considered those laws and regulations that hove o direct impact on the preparation of the finoncial statements such as the Companies Acl 2006, the Chorities Act 2011. and payroll toxes. We evalvated monagement's Incentives and opporlunities for fraudulent manipulation of the flnancial statements linclvding the risk of override of conlrolsl, and determlned that the principol rlsks were relaled to In Sl Ronan's School IHawkhur$tl S•al•mefftt of Financial A