Charity Number 1136552
Montessori Education for Autism
Report of the Trustees and
Independently Examined Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2025
Montessori Education for Autism
Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Trustees of the Charity | 1 |
| Reference and administratve details of the charity | 1 |
| Statement of Financial Acitvites | 2 |
| Balance Sheet | 3 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 4 - 5 |
| Accountng Policies | 6 |
| Report of the Independent Examiner | 7 |
| Report of the trustees | 8 - 12 |
| Treasured Testmonials | 13 |
Montessori Education for Autism
Trustees of the Charity
Wendy Fidler ** Chair, Academic Director Roger Patenall ** Treasurer Shalini Modi ** Katalin Lovassy Ashok Kumar Rachel Spooner David Stott Delphine Marcillaud Nick Tedstone
** Members of the Executive Committee
Reference and administrative details of the charity
Charity Registered Number 1136552
Registered Office
Montessori House, 135 Westcombe Hill, Blackheath, London, SE3 7DP
Bankers
CAF Bank Ltd
Insurance Brokers NC Insurance
Principle Liability Insurer
Ansvar Insurance Limited
page one
Montessori Education for Autism
| Statement of Financial Actvites | for the year ended 31 December 2025 | for the year ended 31 December 2025 | for the year ended 31 December 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note Incoming resources Voluntary income 1 Actvites 2 Investment Income 3 Total Incoming Resources Resources Expended Charitable actvites 4 Governance costs 5 Total resources expended Movement in total funds for the year Total funds at 1 January 2025 Total funds at 31 December 2025 |
Restricted Funds 2025 £ 0 0 0 0 0 |
Unrestricted Funds 2025 £ 56,484 12,521 186 69,191 62,904 500 63,404 5,787 13,680 19,467 |
Total Funds 2025 £ 56,484 12,521 186 69,191 62,904 500 63,404 5,787 13,680 19,467 |
Total funds 2024 £ 57,596 15,787 202 |
| 73,585 | ||||
| 78,234 500 |
||||
| 78,734 | ||||
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| Montessori Educaton for Autsm | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance Sheet | as at 31 December 2025 | |||
| Note Current Assets Pety Cash Floats Debtors 7 Total at Bank Creditors Due within one year 8 Charity Funds Unrestricted Funds 9 Restricted Funds 9 |
£ | 2025 £ 19,467 19,467 19,467 - 19,467 |
£ | 2024 £ |
| 36 4,368 15,855 20,259 792 |
387 2,750 10,532 |
|||
| 13,669 | ||||
| 13,669 | ||||
| 13,669 | ||||
| 13,669 - |
||||
| 13,669 |
The notes and policies on pages 4 to 6 form part of these Financial Statements
The Financial Statements were approved by the Trustees on June 23rd, 2026 and signed on their behalf by:
Roger Patenall FCA
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page three
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Montessori Education for Autism
Notes to the Financial Statements
for the year ended 31 December 2025
| 1 Voluntary Income Donatons Gif Aid 2 Income from Actvites Registratons Donatons to Nurture Groups Donatons for SEN & Waldon Training Other fundraising 3 Investment Income Bank Interest 4 Expenditure on Charitable Actvity Summary by Fund Type: General Overheads Administraton costs Nurture Groups Training MEfA Fundraising Events Summary by expenditure type: Overheads and Admin Nurture Groups Training MEfA Conference & Events |
Restricted Funds 2025 £ - - - - - - - |
Unrestricted Funds 2025 £ 46,110 10,374 56,484 180 12,287 - 54 12,521 186 1,946 6,700 54,758 - - 63,404 8,625 54,779 - - 63,404 |
Total Funds 2025 £ 46,110 10,374 56,484 180 12,287 - 54 12,521 186 1,946 6,700 54,758 - - 63,404 8,625 54,779 - - 63,404 |
Total Funds 2024 £ 43,478 14,048 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57,526 | ||||
| 180 14,633 450 594 |
||||
| 15,857 | ||||
| 202 | ||||
| 1,810 8,165 63,008 5,425 326 |
||||
| 78,734 | ||||
| 9,975 63,008 5,425 326 |
||||
| 78,734 |
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Montessori Education for Autism
Notes to the Financial Statements, continued
| 2025 £ 5 Employee In 2025 there were no employees (2024 - nil) involved in the provision of charitable actvity There were no employees whose annual remuneraton was £60,000 or more. 6 Governance Costs Accountancy Costs 500 500 |
2024 £ 500 - - |
|---|---|
| 500 |
7 Net Income
This is stated after charging Accountancy Fees £500 (2024 - £500) During the year, no Trustee received any remuneration for acting as a Trustee (2024 - nil) During the year, no Trustee received any benefits in kind (2024- nil) During the year, no Trustee received any reimbursement of expenses (2024- nil)
| 8 Debtors Prepayments Donaton Pledged Sundry Debtors 9 Creditors Expenses to be setled within one year 10 Statement of funds Unrestricted funds Restricted funds |
Brought Forward £ 18,818 0 18,818 |
Incoming Resources £ 73,585 73,585 |
- - 2,750 - Resources Expended £ 78,734 78,734 |
2,750 Carried Forward £ 13,669 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13,669 |
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Montessori Education for Autism
Accounting Policies
1. Basis of preparation of the Financial Statements
The Financial Statements have been prepared using the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities. The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice - "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" and with applicable accounting standards.
The books of account are kept on a Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with Charity Commission advice for a charity of this size. The Financial Statements have been prepared making adjustments to reflect timing differences between the receipt and payment of monies and the year in which the activity takes place.
Payments of deposits to landlords in respect of rent obligations have been carried forward as debtors.
2. Fund Accounting
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for specific purposes.
Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with the specific restrictions imposed by donors and which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes.
3. Incoming Resources
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with accuracy.
Gifts in Kind donated to the charity are included at valuation (subject to de minimis) and recognised as income at the time of receipt.
No amounts are included in the Financial Statements for services donated by volunteers. Donated services or facilities are included in income (subject to de minimis) at a valuation which is an estimate of the financial cost borne by the donor where such cost is quantifiable and measurable. Income Tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid is recognised at the time funds are received from HMRC.
4 Resource expended
All expenditure is accounted for at the time the funds are expended, except where detailed in note 1 above. Where costs cannot be be directly attributed to one particular activity they have been allocated, so far as is practicable, on a basis consistent with the use of the resources.
Governance costs are those incurred in connection with the administration of the charity and in compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.
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Montessori Education for Autism
Report of the Independent Examiner to the trustees of Montessori Education for Autism for the year ended 31 December 2025.
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of Montessori Education for Autism (‘the charity’)
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of the report
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the charity are not required to be audited and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of the 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
Since your charity’s income does not exceed £250,000 I can confirm that I am empowered to carry out this examination.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
-
1) accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity, or
-
2) that the accounts do not accord with those records, or
-
3) the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of The 2011 Act, or
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4) that the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities.
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,
Richard W Carey London.
24[th] April, 2026
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Montessori Education for Autism
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 December 2025
The trustees present their Annual Report together with the Financial Statements of Montessori Education for Autism (“the charity” also “MEfA”) for the year ended 31 December 2025. The trustees confirm that the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the charity comply with current statutory requirements, the requirements of the charity’s governing document and the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) Accounting and Reporting by Charities.
Objectives and Activities .
The principal objectives of the charity, as defined by the Constitution, are:
1) to advance education of children with autism (and conditions related to autism) through methods of learning and education developed by Dr Maria Montessori and in connection with this:
2) to provide advice and support to families and carers of children with autism;
3) to provide information, advisory and advocacy services, training, day services, education, leisure and recreation for children with autism and to support others making similar provision;
4) to promote, conduct and engage in research into autism, and to publish the useful results of such researc;.
5) to collect and disseminate information relating to autism and to exchange such information with other bodies having similar objects.
The principal activities of the charity, are to:
1) provide classes during term time aimed at all children, but principally those with special education needs;
2) provide post-graduate training to professionals and others with interest in the development of children and the principles of Montessori Education;
3) provide input to conferences and workshops, both those organized by the charity and by third parties;
4) provide support to families and schools by means of telephone and email helplines, and by personal meetings and presentations.
Public Benefit and delivering Social Value
This year, again, all of our activities have provided immediate and visible benefit to those with special needs (principally autism related), their families and their carers. MEfA aims to keep its objects under review and to continue directing its energies to those who may benefit from the expertise of its people.
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Montessori Education for Autism
Structure, governance and management:
Organisational structure and decision making :
Trustees
All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity in their role as trustees.
The trustees consider that the Board of Trustees provides a wide spectrum of experience to MEfA. This experience covers autism, special needs education, the principles of learning devised by Dr Maria Montessori and others and also provides an insight into care and education in countries other than the United Kingdom.
Risk Management
The trustees are aware of their obligations and the need to provide a safe, healthy environment in which staff, volunteers, visitors and clients and their families can have confidence.
Policies are in place, and are reviewed on a regular basis, covering, inter alia, Protection of Children and Vulnerable People; Health and Safety, Use of Cameras and Mobile Recording Devices, Data Protection and Staff, Trustee and Visitor protocols, which include induction into the ethics, standards and procedures of MEfA.
Achievements and Performance:
Activity Report
All our child and parent activities, and assessments, are held at Montessori House. These groups continue their evolution from an Early Intervention Class for very small children and their parents with a strong focus on developing children’s social, sensory, communication, language and coordination skills. Our flagship project, the Montessori Moles after-school nurture group for children ages 4-12 years, is often operating at capacity, helping children who are struggling to access their education at primary school because of difficulties associated with autism, such as sensory issues, social, communication and physical difficulties, anxiety, low self-esteem and poor self-regulation which often leads to behavioural problems.
We now have the following groups running each week during term time:
Baby Montessori (children aged up to 18 months);
Toddler Montessori (children aged from 15–36 months); Montessori Inclusive School (children aged from 2-12 years: 5 weekly groups); Montessori Moles: After-School Nurture Group (aged 4-12 years);
Forest School / Wellbeing Sessions (three weekly groups for all ages);
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Montessori Education for Autism
We are hugely indebted to the teachers, volunteers and interns who have supported our activities again this year; we have a continuing stream of interest and enquiries about this aspect of our work. We are grateful also to the young people from overseas who spend time with us in spite of the procedure of obtaining the necessary visas.
By 31 December 2025 we had completed 24 cohorts of the MEfA Montessori post-graduate SEN CPD Short Course: Part 1 - A Blueprint for Observation, and as a result we have trained teachers, psychologists, social workers, early years educators, parents, a choreographer, an environmental designer, and other mastersgrade students so they can apply Montessori special education methodology and philosophy to their work, thus providing other avenues for reaching out to children and adults with autism. We are also justifiably proud of our increasing professional links with mainstream organisations.
In 2025 the number of children registered to our various sessions at Montessori House remained below the level pre-pandemic. This was expected and our budgets were reduced accordingly. Building up to our prepandemic level of activity is taking time. This aim has been further set back with the introduction by the local authority of areas of ‘Low Traffic Networks’, resulting in significant road closures at the start and end of each school day. For many families public transport does not provide a viable means of reaching MEfA, and have sadly ceased to attend. We are starting 2026 with moderate activity in all classes.
Financial matters
Funding
The total income of MEfA for 2025 was £69,191 (2024 - £73,585). Expenditure amounted to £63,404 (£78,734 in 2024). General overheads in 2025 amounted to £1,946 (2024 - £1,810). Every item of expenditure has been scrutinised and the control of our overhead reflects this. The trustees believe that this level of overhead is acceptable for a charity of this size and includes: Subscriptions made, Insurance, Fundraising, Bank and Credit card charges and Professional Fees.
These financial results reflect the ongoing challenging fundraising climate faced by MEfA in 2025, but also demonstrate the responsive manner in which the trustees have been able to match much of the expenditure to the income available. In line with many organisations in similar sectors, it is proving challenging to match our existing financial model to the increases in energy and utility costs. The surplus of £5,787 in the accounts reflects the manner in which expenditure has been controlled.
The trustees attach great importance and commensurate effort into raising as much of our financial needs from the activities run on a regular basis, and thereby minimise our dependence upon grants from outside donors. This policy will continue during 2026 and we expect the coming year to be equally challenging. Nevertheless, MEfA is extremely grateful to the donors listed below, and acknowledges that such donations will continue to be a vital part of our funding programme.
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Montessori Education for Autism
Donations
During 2025 grants, donations (including donations in kind) and funds were received from the following:
The Stephen Taylor Foundation The Bimal Family The Souter Charitable Trust The Hunter Family The Page Family The Elder and Harris Famil1es The Arthur Family Design for Print
MEfA is grateful to all donors, including many whose time has been freely given but are not acknowledged above.
Expenditure
As noted elsewhere, trustees are not reimbursed in respect of their activities as trustees and no expenses have been reimbursed to trustees during the year.
In accordance with Charity Commission guidelines the accounts have been kept using the receipts and payments method. In the Financial Statements, Deposit rents paid to agents of the landlord in respect of the properties at 135 and 135A Westcombe Hill are carried forward as prepayments. Payment of insurance premia for 2026 has been made in December 2025 on behalf of the charity. The charge is carried forward as a prepayment whilst a creditor is carried forward for reimbursement of the payment to the insurer. Deposits received in advance of future year programmes are carried forward as creditors.
As anticipated 12 months ago, our energy costs remained during 2025 at the high levels following the pandemic. New agreements were put in place in September 2025 and these, together with reduced gas use in the office will lead to a substantial reduction in 2026. The large increase in water costs, to which notice was drawn in 2024, has materialised and, unless the water company is nationalised, further increases are expected 2026.
Reserves
The trustees are aware that the level of reserves is below an ideal level. All leaseholds are subject to three month notice of cancellation periods and the landlord holds deposits against much of this liability. Other than these leases the charity has no liabilities.
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Montessori Education for Autism
Investment Review
MEfA funds not immediately required are held on a bank deposit account. Investment returns have, for some years, been negligible. However, 2025 generated modest income and the trend so far in 2026 is for interest rates to hold steady. The trustees consider that any extra returns that may be earned by seeking other uses for funds are outweighed by the inherent risks in taking such action
Plans for the future and appreciation
Our Forest School / Wellbeing Garden continues to be developed and is evolving with an eye to the future. Elsewhere our plans are all focussed on preparation of the environment and, in particular, staff training, to ensure that we are well prepared should numbers of children attending MEfA recover.
We are confident that, whatever challenges are encountered, we will continue to offer as full a range as possible of activities through 2026. MEfA, in turn, could not operate without the continuing efforts of our staff, volunteers, donors and families for which we place on record our heartfelt thanks.
This report was approved by the Trustees on 28[th] April 2026 and signed on their behalf by:
Wendy Fidler
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MEfA Montessori
Montessori House, 135 Westcombe Hill, Blackheath SE3 7DP
Contact - Wendy Fidler 07710 433 994 or 020 8305 2202
Some of our Treasured Testimonials . . .
Dearest Wendy. I also want to take a moment to thank you – you and MEfA’s work landing by accident in our lives was heaven sent! I can see that now that my madam is a teenager. . .
Thank you so much to you and the team for caring and guiding G and I over the last couple of years. We really have had a wonderful experience with you all . . .
I just wanted to say thank you so much for your help with the girls. We really enjoy attending and we’ve learnt so much already . . .
I wanted to thank you for the most wonderful, captivating, emotional, inspiring course I have ever been on . . . (following a conference presentation by MEfA in Bergen)
Thank you so much for the programme for M – we are Implementing it well.
I just wanted to send you . . . and your team a huge thank you for the support and tutelage. We really appreciate the time you have spent planning and personalising the sessions and activities. Your commitment (to the children) is admirable and we have been very grateful for this.
I have such fond memories of MEfA. I remember you introduced me to the concept of children working hard through observation, that they are constantly learning. . .
MEfA Montessori - Charity Registration Number 1136552