2025-03-31-accounts

Company Registration Number: 06600739 Charity Registration Number: 1125841

CREATIVITY, CULTURE AND EDUCATION (A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)

REPORT AND ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31 March 2025

Transforming education globally through creativity

(A Company Limited By Guarantee) TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

CREATIVITY, CULTURE AND EDUCATION

As the Board of Trustees, we present our report and financial statements for the year to 31 March 2025.

Company Number 06600739

Registered Charity Number 1125841

Registered Office Ground Floor

20 Portland Terrace

Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1QQ

Board of Trustees

For the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, the Board of Trustees is the Board of Directors of the charitable company and is referred to as the Trustees throughout this report. The charity is referred to as CCE throughout this report.

The Trustees of CCE during the period and to the date of signing this report are as follows:

Johanne Clifton (Resigned 20 March 2025)

Lucy Richards Emma Hodgson (Appointed 12 June 2024) Fiona Mactaggart (Resigned 19 September 2024) Laurence Newman Stephan Vincent-Lancrin Andy Hodgkinson (Appointed 19 September 2024)

Director Nia Richards

Company Secretary Denise Keane

Bankers Santander, Bootle, Merseyside L30 4GB

I nvestment Managers Rathbones, Earl Grey House, 75-85 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6EF

Independent Examiner Simon Brown BA ACA DChA, Azets Audit Services, Bulman House, Regent Centre, Henry Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3LS

CONTENTS OVERVIEW

Structure, governance and management	Page 4
Objectives and activities	Page 11
Achievements and performance	Page 31
Plans for the future	Page 34
Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities	Page 37
Independent examiner’s report	Page 39
Statement of financial activities_(incorporating a summarised Income & _Expenditure Account)	Page 40
Balance Sheet_(at 31 March 2025)_	Page 41
Notes to the accounts_(at 31 March 2025)_	Page 42

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Documents

CCE is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 22 May 2008 and registered as a charity on 11 September 2008. It was established under the Memorandum of Association which established its objects and powers and is governed under its Articles of Association.

In accordance with Charity Commission consent received on 12 January 2010 in respect of changes to the Company's objects, the Memorandum and Articles of Association were amended by Special Resolution of the Directors of the Company on 21 January 2010. In addition, on 21 January 2010 all the provisions of the Company's Memorandum of Association were deleted and, by virtue of section 28 of the Companies Act 2006, are now treated as the provisions of the Company's Articles of Association.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Charitable Objects and Main Activities

CCE’s objects are to advance for the public benefit the education of children and young people in order to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals, in particular by:

• supporting them to become successful learners and responsible citizens by working with others to extend the range, amount, quality and scope of formal and informal learning opportunities in the areas of creativity, arts, media, culture, heritage, humanities and science;

• empowering them to be involved in the promotion of cultural and learning activities and enhancing their skills, capacities and capabilities;

• encouraging them to visit, experience, participate in, initiate and engage in cultural activities, places and performances;

• supporting school leaders, teachers, practitioners, carers, performers and artists in developing the necessary skills and knowledge to assist them in enabling children and young people both inside and outside formal education to develop and apply their skills and talents and to open up to them cultural and creative activity;

• developing programmes, where appropriate, in partnership with others to deliver positive learning outcomes and encourage the recognition, enjoyment and use of culture, media and heritage; and

• supporting the professional development of staff within our partner organisations around the world so that their internal capacity is developed to the point at which the skills, knowledge and expertise CCE brings is firmly embedded within their own organisations.

Structure and Governance

CCE is structured as a charitable company limited by guarantee, pursuant to its Articles of Association.

We, as the Board of Trustees, are responsible for the governance, strategic direction and policy of CCE. We currently have five members from a variety of different backgrounds and meet 4 times a year. One of these is an extended Board meeting or an Awayday, at which we are able to give greater consideration to the future strategic direction of the organisation. Individual members also meet regularly with the Director outside of formal meetings to exchange views and receive updates on the organisation’s progress.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

We delegate operational responsibility for the provision of CCE’s services to the Director who is responsible for ensuring that the charity develops and delivers services that meet the strategic objectives of the charity and that these are efficiently and effectively managed. This also includes the individual supervision of the staff team and ensuring that the team continue to develop their skills and working methods in line with good practice. The Director is also responsible for the management of CCE’s team of Associates.

As the Board of Trustees, we are also the only company law members of the charitable company.

Recruitment and Appointment of Board of Trustees

We, as Directors of the company, are also charity Trustees for the purpose of charity law and under the company’s Articles of Association are known as Members of the Board of Trustees.

As set out in the Articles of Association, we nominate the Chair of the Trustees from within the current membership.

We have discussed the optimum size of the Board and aspire to a membership of no more than 12 Trustees, but, in reality, feel that a smaller Board allows for a better degree of engagement with the issues currently faced by the charity. In seeking any additional members, we will always seek to maintain a balance of relevant skills and experience and will target individuals who have the requisite mix. Candidates are then interviewed by the Chair of the Board of Trustees to determine their suitability.

Each year, one-third of us will retire from office.

In the year to 31 March 2025 Stephan Vincent-Lancrin, being eligible, was re-elected.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Trustee Induction and Development

A Trustee Induction Pack, which carries all the relevant information for Trustees about both the charity and their duties and responsibilities is available to Trustees (and is due to be updated in 2025-26), it forms part of an induction process for any new Trustees which also includes an induction meeting.

We are also encouraged to attend appropriate external events and conferences, including visits to CCE programmes and partners where these will facilitate the undertaking of our role.

Board meetings also include presentations about the work of CCE from the staff and from representatives from partner organisations which provide us with the opportunity to learn more about the organisations work and its impact.

Remuneration of Key Management Personnel

The Board, who give their time freely and have received no remuneration in the year, have considered who are the Key Management Personnel (KMP) of the charity. Together with the Board, these KMP are those in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the activities of the charity on a day-to-day basis.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The pay of the KMP is reviewed annually. The Trustees benchmark against pay levels of other charities and similar organisations within the sector and nationally. Pay levels are set using this information together with the budget and forecast information, ensuring that the charity can afford any proposed increases. The Board then agrees any uplift to remuneration.

Risk Management

As Trustees, we have examined the major governance, operational and financial risks which the charity faces as part of the annual business planning process and confirm that systems have been established to mitigate these risks.

We have a risk management strategy in place which comprises:

• An annual review of the strategic risks the charity may face via the business model The establishment of systems and procedures to mitigate those risks identified The implementation of procedures designed to minimise any potential impact on the charity should those risks materialise.

We are satisfied that appropriate financial systems and controls and employment policies and practices are in place, but we continue to test and refine these processes, and meet as appropriate to examine these issues in detail.

As Trustees, we consider the key risks facing the charity at this time to be the loss, either temporarily or permanently of the Director, other staff members or the Chair.

The charity has significant unrestricted reserves and in response to this the Board has continued to commit to drawing down its charitable reserves to support its activities. The charity has also reviewed its reserves policy to ensure that it continues to retain enough reserves so that in the event of closure it is able to wind down its charitable activities in an orderly fashion whilst meeting all its financial commitments.

Nia Richards continues in her role as Director of CCE and during the year has been leading the design and delivery of the new strategy agreed by the Board, in September 2024.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

As Trustees we continue to manage the potential impact of risks within the Risk Management Plan by ensuring that:

• We have a strategic plan which sets out our charitable activities

• The staff team and its capacity can support the delivery of the strategic plan

• We have a pool of experienced freelance associates able to support the delivery of key programme areas

• The Staff Performance Review framework includes ongoing health checks to support the ongoing wellbeing of staff

• We have in place contracts for services to support core functions including bookkeeping, accountancy, payroll and IT.

Given the high level of unrestricted reserves the charity has no key financial risks to manage. However, the Trustees continue to ensure robust financial planning and reporting by ensuring that:

• Budgets have been set for the next financial year

• We continue to explore potential new income streams, particularly from investment in existing partnerships, from the continued exploitation of CCE’s existing programmes and intellectual property, from the development of new partnerships and relationships and through the design of new programmes which benefit children and young people We manage the effective delivery of our programmes, providing professional

• development to those responsible for delivering the programmes and evaluating their impact

• The costs to the charity of delivering those programmes are minimised

• Regular management accounts are provided showing the performance against budget Contingency plans are in place for the actions which would be taken if there were significant changes in the charity’s operational capacity or financial position Reserves policies provide an appropriate amount of uncommitted Reserves which will always enable the charity to meet all its liabilities.

During the year to 31 March 2025, a total of £250,000 was drawn down from the investment portfolio held by Rathbones, CCE’s investment managers, to support cashflow to enable the delivery of the charities’ three-year strategic plan.

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STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Financial markets remained turbulent with a need for caution in relation to CCE’s investment portfolio. Nevertheless, the overall value of CCE’s investment portfolio during the 2024/25 financial year increased by £30,209, despite the cash drawdown of £250,000, though investment income was c£5k lower than originally anticipated/budgeted.

Rathbones continue to report regularly to the Board to ensure that in this turbulent economic climate we understand the investment approach and are made aware of current and anticipated market trends. The Board will continue to keep a close eye on the performance of the charity’s investment portfolio. The value of the portfolio as at 31 March 2025 was £1,638,316.

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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Public Benefit

As Trustees, we understand and have discussed the implications of the provisions of the Charities Act 2011, which state that all charities must demonstrate that they are established for public benefit and have had due regard to the public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission. We believe that the charity meets both of the key principles.

- Principle 1 There must be an identifiable benefit, or benefits

CCE believes that, in addition to the knowledge pupils acquire in school, it is important that their core skills are developed and embedded. CCE has defined these skills as having the capacity to be inquisitive, persistent, imaginative, disciplined and collaborative, skills that are known collectively as the ‘Creative Habits’.

The importance of nurturing creativity in education is increasingly recognised by international research and policy bodies. In 2024, the OECD published the results of the first-ever PISA assessment of creative thinking, which measured how well 15-year-olds across 64 countries could generate, evaluate and improve ideas in a variety of contexts. The report makes clear that creative thinking is not only essential for employability in the 21st century, but also a critical component of deeper learning, emotional development, and wellbeing.

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The assessment found significant variation in creative thinking outcomes between countries and across socio-economic backgrounds. While some high-performing academic systems also excelled in creative thinking (e.g. Singapore and Canada), others such as Hong Kong, Macao and Chinese Taipei performed at or below the OECD average despite strong scores in core subjects. This suggests that creative thinking does not automatically develop alongside academic attainment and must be intentionally taught and

supported. Disadvantaged students were more likely to score lower in creative thinking, highlighting the need to address inequities in opportunity and educational environment.

This aligns with wider evidence from the global workforce. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 ranks creative thinking as the second most important skill for workers between 2023–2027, just behind analytical thinking. It emphasises the premium placed on innovation and adaptability in response to rapidly advancing technologies and disrupted workplaces.

Similarly, LinkedIn’s 2024 Workplace Learning Report identifies adaptability, teamwork and problem-solving closely linked to creative thinking, as top in-demand skills. The report notes: “In a world continuously transformed by artificial intelligence, the enduring value of uniquely human skills reinforces a fundamental truth: the changing world of work needs people who are more thoughtful, more curious, and more skilled at navigating change than ever before.”

Together, these insights point to a pressing need - if we want young people to thrive in the future, creative thinking must be embedded across their education. At Creativity, Culture and Education, we respond to this challenge by working with schools and communities especially those in underserved areas to support teaching and learning approaches that build creative habits. By doing so, we contribute to a more equitable, present and futureready education system in which all children and young people are empowered to think, see and do differently.

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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

OECD (2024). PISA 2022 Results (Volume III): Creative Minds, Creative Schools. Paris: OECD Publishing. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1787/bfdc0113-en

Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE) is building on a 16-year legacy of delivering highquality programmes that develop creative thinking and transform classroom practice, impacting over two million children worldwide.

In recent years, through our work with the North East Creativity Collaborative and our growing focus on leadership, CCE has expanded its emphasis from the professional development of individual teachers to fostering whole-school change and influencing networks and systems. Our credibility is rooted in deep classroom expertise and a proven record of successful partnerships, while our global relationships with researchers and institutions place us in a strong position to inspire innovation and lead sustainable change.

Systemic change of this kind cannot be achieved through top-down mandates or linear models of implementation. It requires adaptive, participatory approaches that unite diverse stakeholders around a shared vision. In 2024–25, CCE hosted roundtables in London and Plymouth, with further events planned for 2025–26 in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Manchester. These roundtables, convened with partners such as the Chartered College of Teaching, the Penryn Creativity Collaborative, Real Ideas and Ulster University, provide relational spaces that foster dialogue, trust and collective action, helping to build a more coherent creativity in education ecosystem across the UK.

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Our approach is guided by research including The Dawn of System Leadership (Senge, Hamilton, and Kania, Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2015), which defines a systems leader as someone who “catalyses collective leadership.” The key dimensions of this approach, understanding the system more deeply, engaging stakeholders more meaningfully, and taking action in new, collaborative ways are being put into practice through CCE’s work. By convening teacher leaders, school leaders, policymakers, funders, industry, cultural organisations and researchers, CCE is helping to generate a multiplier effect across the education system.

In 2024–25, CCE also undertook an organisation-wide process to refine its vision, mission and areas of work, with input from staff and trustees. The resulting refreshed narrative now informs all external communications and reinforces CCE’s identity as a systems-aware organisation, working not only in the system, but on the system.

Through conferences and events in Australia, Thailand and in the UK, the CCE team shared this new strategic direction and engaged directly with over 1,700 educators and education leaders, advocating for system-level approaches to creativity in education.

Finally, a branding and website refresh and investing, for the first time, in CCE’s social media presence supported the new strategic plan.

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CCE’s Vision & Mission

CCE want creativity to be part of every learning organisation and every system so that every learner, teacher, and leader can thrive.

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CCE’s Mission

Catalysing creative leadership

Creativity doesn’t happen by chance, it needs champions. CCE work with teacher and school leaders to help them lead professional learning for creativity and shape school cultures where creativity can flourish.

System coalescing and cultivating

No school can do this alone. Lasting transformation happens when diverse education and industry leaders, and organisations come together. That’s why CCE act as the ‘glue’, bringing people across the system together to connect, collaborate, and think creatively.

Wonder-filled communities

Courses and programmes have their place, but real impact comes from connected communities. CCE believe professional learning should be an ongoing journey - one where peers inspire, support, and continue to explore and evolve together. CCE are launching and nurturing these networks so creativity can take root and keep growing.

Building on this renewed clarity of purpose, CCE’s current strategy is focused on creating sustainable, long-term impact by convening and collaborating with influential partners, including the Chartered College of Teaching, BIC Foundation, Arts Council of Wales and Government Education Departments. Our work takes a systemic view, recognising education as a complex ecosystem of interacting elements and actors.

As a learning organisation, CCE reflects on its own practice, shares emerging insights, and adapts in response to research, evaluation and lived experience. In 2024–25 we:

• Shared thought leadership through virtual community events and social media, exploring creativity, creative thinking and urgent emerging issues in education, including the implications of AI.

• Monitored and evaluated key programmes, such as the North East Creativity Collaborative.

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• Adjusted our strategy and partnerships in response to new insights and opportunities. Continued our partnership with Dr Penny Hay and Bath Spa University to deliver the Creativity, Arts and Culture in Education online series, featuring contributions from expert speakers.

• CCE also contributed to national conversations, including submitting views to the Curriculum and Assessment Review in England.

Our commitment to long-term, systems-level change acknowledges that this work is complex, relational and requires time. However, the outcomes are deeper and more sustainable, delivering lasting benefits for children and young people that extend far beyond the classroom. This systems strategy is in its early phase but partners are already expressing the benefits that CCE are bringing to education in the UK.

'Working with colleagues from

CCE over the past year has been a delightful, uplifting experience. As we have toured the four nations together we have shared the imperative of ensuring that creativity is at the heart of communities and education, building better futures where all can flourish.’

Dame Alison Peacock Chartered College of Teaching

‘It’s been a great pleasure to support CCE this year in its bold mission to coalesce the system around leading for creative thinking. At roundtables across the country, I’ve seen how policymakers, school and system leaders, creative partners, academics and other diverse stakeholders have connected with each other and explored how they might further develop and extend their networks locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally. CCE colleagues have creatively and impressively facilitated the processes. Learning from these experiences is also informing design of further strategies and offers to deepen and broaden engagement and commitment to creativity throughout the education ecosystem.

Such work is challenging, exciting, timely and vitally important in ensuring the conditions under which creativity can sustainably thrive. ’

Emerita Professor Louise Stoll

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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Public Benefit (cont.) - Social Media Statistics

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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Social Media Posts

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Public Benefit (cont.)

North East Creativity Collaborative Network (NECCN)

In line with the strategic objective set out in the Board’s three-year plan adopted in Autumn 2021 to raise CCE’s profile within the UK, CCE continued its work with the North East Creativity Collaborative Network (NECCN) until August 2024. This initiative involved a partnership with two lead schools, Duchess’s Community High School in Alnwick, Northumberland, and Cragside Primary School in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne.

NECCN forms part of a national initiative comprising eight school-led networks across England, each acting as a professional learning community supporting the development of teaching for creativity. The North East network brought together 13 schools across the region, offering a collaborative environment in which educators could explore and embed creative approaches in teaching and learning.

In September 2024, CCE published a portfolio of reflections, insights and ideas arising from this three-year collaboration. The publication served two purposes:

• Firstly, to document key insights and learning both at the network level and from individual schools, offering transparency and reflection on the collaborative process. Secondly, to provide a guiding resource, a “compass rather than a map” for other schools, trusts or collaboratives seeking to embark on their own journey toward teaching for creativity.

The portfolio reflects CCE’s continued commitment to supporting school-led innovation, sharing learning from the field, and helping to catalyse further work in this area across the UK education sector.

In parallel, independent evaluation work undertaken by Dr David Parker provided early evidence of the impact of the Collaborative, with key findings including:

• Increased student enthusiasm and engagement, particularly in classrooms where teachers applied creative practices informed by the Creative Habits Framework. A strengthened, shared understanding of creativity across schools, with creative approaches embedded into a range of subjects, including mathematics and science, and linked explicitly to school development priorities.

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• The successful establishment of initiatives such as Young Creativity Champions, which supported student agency and contributed to the development of a sustained creative culture within participating schools.

NECCN Legacy Phase

In 2024, CCE successfully secured match funding from the North East Combined Authority, complementing their £50,000 contribution to support the continuation of the North East Creativity Collaborative Network (NECCN). In addition, Arts Council England confirmed a continuation of its funding until summer 2026, albeit at a significantly reduced level.

As the programme entered its legacy phase, the Collaborative evolved into a revised delivery model comprising two distinct strands:

• North East Primary Innovators (NEPI): Led by Cragside Primary School, NEPI adopts a local ecosystem approach involving five additional primary schools. The group meets twice each term to collaborate, share practice and develop professional learning with a shared commitment to placing creativity at the heart of education. CCE continues to support NEPI as a strategic partner, expert adviser and critical friend.

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• North East Leaders of Creative Thinking: This strand involves a focused professional learning community of seven individual leaders from two secondary schools and a special education setting. Working closely with CCE, participants are developing their leadership in creativity and building the capacity to lead others in creative thinking within their respective contexts.

In March 2025, Cragside Primary School received its first Ofsted inspection in ten years and was judged Outstanding in all areas with their work on developing creativity highlighted:

“The school has created a well-considered, ambitious and exciting curriculum…Teachers are highly skilled in delivering the curriculum creatively. For example, in science, pupils act as liquids, solids and gases.”

“[Pupils] relish opportunities to take on leadership responsibilities, such as the ‘Creativity Champions’ who introduced a reward token system for pupils displaying any of the creative traits of persistence, collaboration, creativity, discipline or imagination.”

This recognition reinforces the long-term impact of CCE’s support and the value of embedding creativity at the core of school practice and culture.

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Leading for Creative Thinking

As part of CCE’s broader strategy to support sustainable systems change in education, Leading for Creative Thinking exemplifies our commitment to developing the leadership capacity required to embed creativity at scale. By equipping leaders with the tools to understand and influence their local and wider education ecosystems, the initiative directly contributes to our goal of catalysing collective action and embedding creative thinking as a core educational outcome.

Leading for Creative Thinking is a professional learning approach designed to support leaders at all levels, teacher, school and system, in cultivating the conditions necessary for creativity to thrive.

It is underpinned by the five Creative Habits framework, which emphasises the need for everyone within the system to develop a daily practice of awareness and active improvement of their creative habits, before expecting children and young people to cultivate them.

The principle of creative leadership is at the heart of this work, the belief that leadership for creativity begins with the individual, and that effective leaders must model openness, courage and adaptability. This kind of leadership is essential to enabling the cultural and structural conditions needed for creativity to take root and endure.

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Leading for Creative Thinking (cont.)

As Stoll and Temperley (2009) note, “creative leadership is about seeing, thinking and doing things differently in order to improve the life chances of all students.” CCE’s work through Leading for Creative Thinking reflects this ethos, contributing to the long-term goal of transforming not just individual classrooms, but education systems as a whole.

The Creative Thinking is Schools: A Leadership Playbook which published in 2023 was translated into Welsh, Thai and Urdu during this financial year, supporting our continued international presence and influence. There are also future plans to translate the playbook to Marathi.

The leading for creative thinking website has evolved. We create a monthly newsletter with over 300 subscribers; we organised 7 free online community events with educational experts, as well as industry and system leaders with over 485 participants; and we created 3 free educational resources for leaders.

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Public Benefit (cont.)

- Principle 2 Benefit must be to the public, or a section of the public.

All of these benefits are clear, evidenced and relate directly to CCE’s aims. As Trustees, we do not consider that any significant detriment or harm flows from CCE’s work.

CCE’s programmes prioritise schools serving disadvantaged communities, both in the UK and internationally. This is an essential part of our systems-change strategy, by working in the most challenging contexts, CCE is able to test and refine approaches that not only support individual schools but also inform broader policy and practice.

In Pakistan, we continue to work with schools facing extreme levels of poverty and deprivation. In December 2024, we undertook our first in-person visit since the Covid outbreak, launching a new Leading for Creative Thinking programme that equips participants with the confidence and tools to lead others’ learning.

“The Leading for Creative Thinking (LfCT) training has been a transformative journey, one that we at Alif Laila embraced not just as learners but as leaders shaping a more creative, thoughtful, and empowered educational landscape in Pakistan. Since 2015, I have walked the path from trainee to co-trainer, leading this initiative and witnessing its evolution. Workshop by workshop, the impact unfolds, hesitation turns into confidence, ideas bloom into action, and schools awaken to the power of creative leadership. It is not just training, it is a quiet revolution, one teacher, one classroom, one school at a time.”

Amna Hassan Kazmi, CEO, Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Lahore

Since 2015, CCE has also worked in Thailand with the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) and its partners to strengthen capacity and improve provision for disadvantaged children and young people. In 2024–25, CCE facilitated a workshop at EEF’s flagship conference All for Education, Education for All, coinciding with the launch of the Thai edition of Creative Schools: A Leadership Playbook. Lisa Hall, Assistant Headteacher at Cragside Primary School, joined CCE as a co-facilitator, sharing her school’s approach to leading creativity.

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Through these international partnerships, CCE continues to demonstrate how local innovations can inform global dialogue, and how global collaboration can in turn strengthen local systems. This reciprocal exchange of ideas and practice is central to CCE’s ambition to influence sustainable, system-level change in education worldwide.

In 2024-2025 our work had the following reach:

Conferences and events reaching 1,924 education stakeholders.

Countries reaching 5410 schools and educational settings; 1082 Teachers and leaders; and 97,380 children and young people.

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New CCE Website

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The programmes we advise and manage are frequently of a considerable scale and reach and are generally of a significantly higher financial value than the value of CCE’s own work on the contract. In 2024/25 CCE worked with partners in Australia, England, Pakistan, Republic of Ireland and Thailand.

In addition to its international programmes, CCE’s consultancy and partnerships continue to play an important role in shaping education policy at regional, national and international levels.

In Wales, the Welsh Government and Arts Council of Wales have continued to invest in Creative Learning Through the Arts – An Action Plan for Wales for more than ten years, extending the original five-year plan launched in 2015. CCE contributed to the design and delivery of the Lead Creative Schools programme, which remains influential to the plan going forward.

In the Republic of Ireland, CCE has worked with Creative Ireland and its Creative Youth Programme 2017–22 to shape changes in education practice, ensuring long-term benefits for all children and young people. The Government’s decision to extend the Creative Youth Programme for a further five years provides further evidence of the legacy of this work. During the year, CCE completed its contract with Creative Ireland to support the professional learning of practitioners across stakeholder and partner organisations.

CCE has been an active participant in the BIC Foundation’s Community of Practice since its inception. In 2024, a new partnership enabled the CCE team to design and deliver an online professional learning course for teachers around the world: Curious Classrooms: Unleashing Creativity in Education.

“This was such an exciting opportunity! I really needed a unique connection in the world of creativity. I feel honoured to have had the opportunity to engage with so many like-minded people from around the world who had so many innovative perspectives and ideas to share. Thank you so much for this opportunity and providing me with so many amazing ideas and practical research. I hope that we can all connect again sometime!”

Course Participant, Curious Classrooms: Unleashing Creativity in Education

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Public Benefit (cont.)

Our international programmes are designed to build local capacity by developing strong, skilled teams to lead and sustain the work within each country or region. This approach ensures that expertise in both the theory and practice of CCE’s programmes is embedded locally. Strong teams are now established in Australia, Chile, Czech Republic, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Thailand and Wales, enabling our international work to reach a wide range of learners and stakeholders. Beyond schools and teachers, this work often engages individuals and organisations with influence over policy and decisionmaking, further amplifying CCE’s impact.

CCE also plays an important coordination and networking role in bringing together the international teams it has supported as part of the CCE International Community of Practice (COP). This COP comes together regularly to share practice, to reflect and to plan activities and events to increase the profile and reach of creative learning programmes globally.

CCE also uses a wide range of measures to assess the impact and outcomes of its interventions in schools. This has enabled us to show that the outcomes for leaders, teachers and pupils are positive. Creativity supports learning, engagement, confidence and attainment levels and creative schools supports teacher agency and professional identity.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

CCE Logic Model 2024

Key Performance Indicators

In delivering the above work, CCE has met the following key performance indicators for the year:

• Implemented a new three-year strategic plan, embedding a systems approach across all areas of activity.

• Enhanced CCE’s visibility through engagement with stakeholders, networks and events.

• Broadened CCE’s network and established new strategic partnerships to strengthen our influence and reach, particularly in the UK.

• Designed and facilitated new programmes with a focus on creative leadership, contributing to capacity-building across the education system.

• Advanced the field of creativity in education by shifting emphasis from individual project participation towards whole-school embedding and sustainability.

• Reviewed and developed the organisation’s capacity to ensure effective delivery of strategic objectives.

• Maintained strong financial management, ensuring costs were controlled within the budget agreed by the Board.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Financial Review

The financial out-turn for the year is an unrestricted deficit of £(300,119) (2023/24: unrestricted deficit of £164,084), before transfers of funds and the net movement on investments.

After a net gain on investments of £30,209, (2023/24: Gain of £93,510) the net movement on Unrestricted Funds is a decrease of £(269,910) (2023/24: decrease £70,574).

The Trustees consider this result to be satisfactory.

Following settlement of the significant liability owing to the Arts Council Retirement Plan in 2019/20 and the subsequent release of the remaining Restricted Funds held for that purpose into Unrestricted Funds (in accordance with the terms of the original funds awarded), CCE now holds significant Unrestricted Funds in excess of those required for known liabilities plus a reasonable level of contingency.

In response the Trustees agreed a three-year strategic plan intended to begin reducing these reserves by investing in an agreed programme of work supporting CCE’s charitable purpose with funds anticipated to be available to support work over a further 6 year period. This ‘spend down’ strategy is reflected in the revised Reserves Policy detailed below.

Reserves Policy

As Trustees, we have reviewed the charity's needs for reserves in line with the guidance issued by the Charity Commission.

The Trustees seek to retain sufficient Unrestricted Reserves to cover all known liabilities and to provide for six months’ running costs to ensure an orderly winding-down of the organisation, should that ever prove necessary.

At present, the Trustees estimate that the Unrestricted Reserves required for the purposes outlined above amount to c£120,000. In addition, the Trustees prefer the charity to hold an additional level of contingency to enable the charity to respond flexibly to appropriate initiatives which might be identified outside of its annual budgeting process or to provide appropriately for any additional liabilities identified. This contingency is estimated at £65,000, such that total Unrestricted Funds required amount to £185,000.

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YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

CCE currently holds Unrestricted Reserves of £1,657,561 (2024: £1,927,471), including £65,000 (2024: £50,000) Designated Funds.

Free Reserves, defined as non-designated Unrestricted Funds, minus the value of Tangible Fixed Assets, are £1,590,143 (2024: £1,925,672).

At 31 March 2025, £Nil is held as Restricted Funds, (2024: £16,357 representing as yet unspent funding from the Arts Council of Wales).

The Trustees agreed a strategic plan every three years which is reviewed annually. The Trustees intend to reduce these reserves by investing in an agreed programme of work supporting CCE’s charitable purpose with the expectation that there will be reserves available for 4-5 years. The plan will involve an average annual net spend from Unrestricted Funds of c£250,000 - £350,000.

This policy is reviewed by the Trustees on an annual basis as part of the charity’s budgeting processes.

Fundraising Policy

The charity is required to report how it deals with fundraising from the public. The charity does not use a professional fundraiser or commercial participator to raise funds. Any monies raised direct from the public follows all guidelines set out by the Charity Commission and UK law in every respect. We respect the privacy and contact preferences of all public donors.

Investment Policy

CCE’s Board takes a long-term view in terms of the investment of its cash reserves. Investment managers were appointed in March 2014 following a tendering process.

The charity has wide investment powers which are specified in its Articles of Association and all Trustees are involved in setting investment policy.

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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

The investment objective is a balanced return between income and capital growth with a medium risk. The income yield was set a 3% and this was reviewed down as capital was withdrawn to support the organisations operating costs.

The Trustees are mindful of ethical considerations and seek to avoid direct investment in any area which might directly cause harm to CCE’s key beneficiaries of children and young people.

The intention is to build a conservative asset mix not overly dependent on any single economic scenario or asset class.

Funds are invested in such a way that, if required, sufficient capital can be liquidated to meet the charity’s liabilities and commitments.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Led by the Director of CCE and agreed by the Board, the new strategic plan 2024-2027 builds on CCE’s established reputation and the expertise accumulated over 16 years.

The strategy focuses on coalescing a fragmented network of system, school and teacher leaders across the UK, and the world – and working with these leaders to improve knowledge exchange, and influence others. The second strand aims to build capacity by working with and creating new leaders of creative thinking through professional learning, and wonder-filled communities will enable CCE to support continuous professional development for breadth, depth and length in integrating creativity in education - for the benefit of children and young people worldwide.

CCE will continue to leverage its significant expertise in the design and delivery of both digital and face-to-face professional learning, enhancing reach nationally and internationally. This includes developing ethical frameworks and reflective practices to ensure that all programmes are delivered with integrity, respect for local contexts, and a commitment to equity and inclusion. Ethical considerations will underpin programme design, delivery, and evaluation, ensuring that the organisation maintains its high standards in safeguarding, transparency, and accountability.

Looking ahead, CCE intends to further strengthen its role as a systems-aware, learning organisation, supporting schools, educators, and policymakers to embed creativity sustainably across the education ecosystem. By fostering positive relationships, collaboration, trust, and innovation, CCE aims to achieve long-term, positive outcomes for children and young people.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

The delivery of the strategic plan is supported by the charity’s unrestricted funds.

The Board will continue to receive regular reports from Rathbones, CCE’s investment managers as to the performance and value of the charity’s investment portfolio. It will also continue to review the ongoing financial performance of the organisation against the budget agreed by the Trustees.

Our Key Performance Indicators for 2025/26 are:

• To embed the strategic plan (2024–27)

• Strengthen systemic impact and reach

• Develop organisational capacity and resilience

• Maintain financial stability by controlling costs within the budget agreed by the Board, and securing new sources of income.

Going Concern

We, as Trustees, have considered and approved a business model and budget and have agreed a long-term strategic plan. We believe that the plan is robust and that sufficient Reserves remain to meet any costs and liabilities arising.

We, as Trustees, have always taken steps to ensure that, throughout the life of CCE, the charity only makes financial commitments which can be met from within agreed existing funding, reserves or within a level of earned income which is realistically likely to be generated.

In addition, we have continued to adopt a prudent approach to generate a level of Reserves which ensures that all potential liabilities which might arise (including redundancy liabilities) can be met, even in the unlikely event that no further income can be secured.

Consequently, the Trustees believe that it is appropriate for the financial statements to be drawn up on a going concern basis.

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YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Independent Examiner

A resolution proposing that Simon Brown BA ACA DChA Azets Audit Services be reappointed as independent examiner for the ensuing year will be put to the Members.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

As the Trustees (who are also directors of Creativity, Culture and Education for the purposes of company law), we are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires us to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, we, as Trustees, are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

As Trustees, we are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. We are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as we, as Trustees, are aware:

• there is no relevant information of which the charitable company’s independent examiner is unaware; and

• we have taken all steps that we ought to have taken to make ourselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the independent examiner is aware of that information.

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YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

We, as Trustees, are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

This report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 12 November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Laurence Newman Trustee

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

I hereby report to the Trustees/Members of Creativity, Culture and Education (Charity Registration Number 1125841) on my examination of the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s Trustees (and also its directors for the purposes of company law), you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the 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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

• 1.accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

• 2.the accounts do not accord with those records; or

• 3.the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

• 4.the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods or principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102)).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the

examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

..................................... Simon Brown BA ACA DChA For and on behalf of Azets Audit Services Regent Centre , Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne , NE3 3LS

Date: 18 September 2025 Azets Audit Services is a Trading Name of Azets Audit Services Limited.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2025

(incorporating a summarised Income & Expenditure Account)

The notes on pages 31 to 47 form part of the financial statements. There are no recognised gains and losses during the year other than as shown above.

All the activities for the year are continuing activities.

The Statement of Financial Activities also complies with the requirements for an Income & Expenditure Account under the Companies Act 2006.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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BALANCE SHEET

YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2025

The notes on pages 31 to 47 form part of the financial statements.

For the financial year ended 31 March 2025 the charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Trustees’ Responsibilities:

The Members have not required the charity to obtain an audit of the financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006

The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial statements.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board, and authorised for issue, on 12 November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

Laurence Newman Trustee Company Registration Number: 0660073

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

1. Accounting Policies

Charity Information

Creativity, Culture and Education is a private company, limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 20 Portland Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1QQ.

The charity is a public benefit entity.

Basis of Accounting

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable United Kingdom accounting standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 – 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland' ('FRS 102'), and with the Companies Act 2006 and the Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP FRS 102) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" and the Charities Act 2011.

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, modified to include certain financial instruments at fair value.

Advantage has been taken of the provisions in the SORP for Charities applying FRS 102 Update Bulletin 2 not to prepare a statement of cashflows.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity.

Going Concern

The charity’s Trustees have concluded that there is no associated material uncertainty in respect of Going Concern.

Consequently, we, as Trustees, have considered and approved a business model and budget through which the charity is seeking to develop new income streams to support its planned activities in 2024/25 and beyond after reviewing the latest management accounts and forecasts.

We believe that the plans are robust, but also that, in the events of the plans for income generation not coming to fruition, sufficient Reserves remain to meet any costs and liabilities arising.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

Since its inception, we, as Trustees, have taken care to ensure that the organisation has not entered into any material commitments beyond the end date of whatever funding has been in place or in excess of the income realistically likely to be generated, whilst a prudent approach has been taken to generate a level of Reserves which ensures that all potential liabilities which might arise at that date (including pension and redundancy liabilities) can be met should no further income be secured.

Consequently, the Trustees believe that it is appropriate for the financial statements to be drawn up on a going concern basis.

Estimation Uncertainty and Judgements

The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported.

Management have approved depreciation, prepayments, accruals and other cut-off adjustments. Whilst management believe that these estimates and judgements are accurate, there is every likelihood that they will not be exact.

The Trustees include an investment portfolio at market value and annually consider the market value.

These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

Income

All income, including grant income, is included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA), net of VAT, when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.

Such income is only deferred when the donor or funder has specified that the grant or donation can only be used in future accounting periods or where the donor or funder has imposed conditions which must be met before the charity has unconditional entitlement.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

Turnover is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable and represents amounts receivable for services provided in the normal course of business, net of discounts, VAT and other sales related taxes.

Income from Investments

Dividends are included on a receivable basis. Interest receivable on fixed interest securities and bank deposits is included on an accruals basis.

Expenditure

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and is recognised when a liability is incurred.

Costs of Raising Funds are those costs of seeking potential funders and applying for funding.

Charitable activities include expenditure associated with the provision of grant funding, research, advocacy and the direct provision of creative learning-related activities. This includes both the direct costs and support costs relating to these activities.

Support or Indirect costs are those costs incurred in support of the charitable objectives. These have been allocated to the resources expended on a consistent basis that fairly reflects the true use of those resources within the organisation, such as allocating staff costs by time spent and other costs by their usage.

Governance costs are those incurred in the governance of the charity and its assets and are primarily associated with constitutional and statutory requirements.

Irrecoverable VAT

All resources expended are classified under activity headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of resources expended for which it was incurred.

Operating Leases

The charity classifies the lease of certain printing equipment as operating leases as the title to the equipment remains with the lessor. Rental charges are charged against income on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation

Depreciation is provided on the fixed assets at rates calculated to write off the assets over their remaining useful lives as follows:

Office Equipment - 20% per annum straight line

Computer Equipment - 33% per annum straight line Furniture & Fittings - 25% per annum straight line

A full year’s depreciation charge is applied in the year of acquisition and no charge is made in the year of disposal.

Impairment of Fixed Assets

At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

Fixed Asset Investments

Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.

Fund Accounting

The charity has a number of restricted income funds to account for situations in which a funder requires that a grant must be spent on a particular purpose or where funds have been raised for a specific purpose. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in Note 16 to the financial statements.

All other funds are considered Unrestricted Funds and are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

Pensions

CCE contributes to a defined contribution scheme, as detailed in Note 11.

The amount charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in respect of pension costs is the contributions payable in the year. Differences between contributions payable in the year and contributions actually paid are shown as either accruals or prepayments in the balance sheet.

Taxation

Creativity, Culture and Education is a registered charity and, as such, is not liable to taxation on its income in the current year.

Foreign Currencies

Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the date of the transaction. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the surplus/deficit.

Financial Instruments

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues’ of FRS102 to all its financial instruments.

The charity only has financial assets and liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

2. Legal Status

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of each member in the event of winding up is limited to £1. The company law members of the charity are the members of its Board of Trustees for the time being.

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

Staff Costs (Cont.)

No remuneration was paid to or waived by Trustees/Directors in the year, but Trustees are able to claim re-imbursement at cost for any out-of-pocket expenses they incur in the course of their Trustee duties. Travel and subsistence expenses of £69 were reimbursed to 2 Trustees (2024: £204 to 2 Trustees) in respect of their attendance at meetings of the charity.

The charity has purchased third party insurance for all serving Trustees and Officers of the charity against liability arising for wrongful acts in relation to the charity.

11. Pension Scheme

Pension benefits are provided through a Group Personal Pension Scheme, which is a defined contribution scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in a separately administered fund. CCE make an employer's contribution of 10% of pensionable pay, provided that the employee makes a minimum contribution of 3%. These amounts are paid over to the Fund on a monthly basis.

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 TRUSTEES’ REPORT (including Directors’ Report)

[e-mail]

CCE and Leading for Creative Thinking

@cceengland.bsky.social and @lfct.bsky.social

creativitycultureeducation.org leadingforcreativethinking.org

20 Portland Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1QQ

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