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2025-08-31-accounts

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

Charity Number: 1158226 Company Limited by Guarantee Number: 09083954

ANNUAL REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

CONTENTS

PAGE

GOVERNORS, OFFICERS AND ADVISERS 1
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS 3
STATEMENT OF GOVERNORS' RESPONSIBILITIES 16
AUDITOR'S REPORT 17
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES 21
BALANCE SHEET 22
CASH FLOW STATEMENT 23
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 24

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

GOVERNORS, OFFICERS AND ADVISERS

Governors, Charity Trustees, and Directors

The Governors listed below are the charity trustees of Withington Girls' School at the current time.

Mr M J Pike LLB (Chair) ^ Mr C M Poston BSc, FCA (Finance Governor) ^ Dr J P Allred MB, ChB, MRCGP, DRCOG, DFFP * Mr A H Chicken BA, MEd, FRSA ^~ Mr M J Griffin Mrs D M Hawkins DL JP LLB Dr R Dev-Jairath MBChB, MRCGP, OCH, DRCOG, DPD, FHEA # Prof D Leigh, BSc PhD CChem FRS FRSE FRSC MAE ~ Dr L Maynard Atem PhD ~ Mr A R Pathak BSc * Mr H P Sinclair Mrs S J Stuffins BA, MSc, MRICS Mr M Torevell BA Hons (Cantab), ACA *#

There were two changes within the Governing Body during the year.

Senior Leadership Team

Headmistress Mrs S J Haslam BA Deputy Head Pastoral Ms J Baylis MA Deputy Head Academic Mr T Bennett MA Assistant Head Dr S Madden PhD Assistant Head Academic Mrs E Suttle MA Assistant Head Pastoral Mrs J Johnson BA, NPQSL Director of Sixth Form Ms Elizabeth Robinson MA Head of the Junior School Mrs E Clark BA (appointed 1[st] September 2024) Chief Financial & Operating Officer Mr C Cross BA (appointed 22[nd] April 2025)

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WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Registered address Wellington Road Fallowfield Manchester M14 6BL Website www.wgs.org ADVISERS: Auditor Crowe U.K. LLP 3rd Floor, St George’s House, 56 Peter Street MANCHESTER M2 3NQ Bankers National Westminster Bank Plc 669 Wilmslow Road Didsbury MANCHESTER M20 6NW Lloyds Bank 223 Finney Lane Heald Green Cheshire SK8 3PY Insurance Brokers REICH Insurance Brokers Medal House 197 Chapel Street MANCHESTER M35EQ Solicitors Veale Wasbrough Vizards Orchard Court Orchard Lane BRISTOL BS1 SWS

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WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

The Governors present their annual report for the year ended 31 August 2025 under the Charities Act 2011, together with the audited accounts for the year, and confirm that the latter comply with the requirements of the Act, the Trust Deed, and the Charities SORP 2015.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

The Charity was founded in 1890 as a charitable trust and was registered with the Charity Commission under charity number 526632.

On 1st September 2015 a transfer of assets took place from this Charity to a new charitable company (company number 09083954 and registered charity number 1158226), which was set up by the Governors (as Trustees) to receive the assets of the Charity and the undertaking of Withington Girls' School as part of an "incorporation process" to modernise the legal structure of the Charity.

The Transfer Deed provided for all of the Charity's unrestricted assets and liabilities to be transferred to the new charitable company. The land and buildings, considered by the Charity Commission to be permanent endowment, remain within the charitable trust. The charitable company is the sole corporate trustee of the Charity.

On 9th December 2015, the Charity Commission made a "linking direction" which formally determined that the Charity (number 526632) be "linked" with charity number 1158226. This means that the two charities are registered under a single registration number and that the Governors can produce a single set of accounts for the reporting and linked charity. As a result of the linking direction, the Charity is now registered under number 1158226-1.

The Withington Girls' School Governors and Senior Leadership Team are listed on page 1. Particulars of the Charity's address and professional advisers are given on page 2.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing Document

The Charity is governed by its Trust Deed dating from 1890 which was amended by a Scheme dated 8th August 1985, a further Scheme dated 29th January 2004 as amended by Resolution dated 16th March 2015 and by Order dated 18th August 2015. The Company is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association which were amended by a special resolution dated December 2023.

Recruitment and Training of Governors

The power of appointing new Governors is vested in the existing board. Governors are generally appointed to fill a vacancy and to provide suitable skills, knowledge and experience as the board requires. The Headmistress and Chair of Governors meet prospective new Governors prior to ratification by the Governing Body.

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Following appointment, new Governors are inducted into the workings of the Charity by the Headmistress and Chief Financial & Operating Officer. All Governors are invited to attend external training courses and are invited to join School Committees and attend School events. A programme is in place to enable Governors to visit Academic and Support Departments and attend departmental meetings thus gaining enhanced knowledge and understanding of the life of the School, as well as satisfying themselves that the practice in School is in line with the policies approved at the start of each academic year and with regulatory requirements.

The annual Strategy Day for Governors and the Senior Leadership Team provides an opportunity to discuss strategic developments.

Organisational Management

The Governors, as the Trustees of the Charity, are legally responsible for the overall management and control of the School and meet at least four times a year. The work of monitoring the implementation of most of their policies is primarily carried out by the members of the Finance and General Purposes (F&GP) Committee who meet in advance of each Governors' meeting. The F&GP Committee approves the budgets and finalises the audited accounts and annual report for approval by the Governing Body. The F&GP Committee works under the Chairmanship of the Finance Governor of the Governing Body.

The Education Committee was established in September 2023 to allow for greater scrutiny and involvement of Governors in the academic development of the School.

The Remuneration Committee determines the salary levels for the Headmistress, the Chief Financial & Operating Officer, the Deputy Head Academic, the Deputy Head Pastoral and the Head of Junior School.

Nominated members of the Governing Body attend meetings of the Health & Safety Committee, Safeguarding Team (with the Deputy Head Pastoral and School Health Lead) and Learning Support Team.

The day to day running of the School is delegated to the Headmistress supported by the Senior Leadership Team. The Headmistress, Chief Financial & Operating Officer, Deputy Head Academic, Deputy Head Pastoral, Assistant Head and Head of the Junior School attend Governors' meetings. The Headmistress and Chief Financial & Operating Officer attend meetings of the F&GP Committee. The Headmistress, Deputy Head Academic and Head of the Junior School attend the Education Committee meetings.

The Headmistress is a qualified Team Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The Chief Financial & Operating Officer is a member of the Independent Schools Bursars' Association (ISBA), and the Headmistress is a member of the Girls' Schools Association (GSA). The School is a member of the Heads' Conference (HMC) and the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (AGBIS).

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

Risk Management

The Governing Body is responsible for the management of the risks faced by the School. Detailed considerations of risk are delegated to the Finance & General Purposes Committee, who are assisted by the Senior Leadership Team. Risks are identified, assessed, and controls established throughout the year. A formal review of the charity's risk management processes is undertaken on an annual basis. Governors extract the most significant risks which are summarised in an Executive Summary from the Risk Register. The Executive Summary is reviewed at each F&GP meeting and all risks are reviewed annually in detail, when the likelihood and impact of each is risk is considered using a risk rating. The top ten risks include strategic, financial, operational and reputational risks.

The key controls used by the charity include:

Through the risk management processes established for the School, the Governors are satisfied that the major risks identified have been adequately mitigated where necessary. It is recognised that systems can only provide reasonable but not absolute assurance that major risks have been adequately managed.

OBJECTS, AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Charitable Objects

The objects of the Charity as set out in the Articles of Association as amended in December 2023, shall be to advance education for the public benefit by the provision and maintenance of a girls' school, where boys may be admitted to the Preparatory Department, and by ancillary or incidental educational activities and other associated activities for the benefit of the community.

School Ethos

The School aims to create an environment in which all pupils are supported and encouraged to reach their full potential, academically, socially and personally. True to our founding principles, we are a school where the pleasure of learning is its own reward. The Withington ethos recognises that understanding the value of learning and knowing how to learn sustains and enriches us throughout our lives.

The golden rule of respect for self, respect for others and personal responsibility underpins our school community where diversity is celebrated, teamwork valued, and every pupil is encouraged to play their part, older pupils and alumnae providing inspirational role models.

Combining a wealth of extra-curricular activities with an exceptional academic experience, each girl has the opportunity to develop her talents, skills, interests and character, as well as a strong sense of responsibility which extends beyond the classroom and into the wider world.

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

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Aims and Intended Impact

The specific aims and objectives of the School are:

Strategies to Achieve the Objectives

The School has sustained the quality and expertise of teaching and support staff through careful recruitment and ongoing support and staff development. Safeguarding of pupils is overseen by the team of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), who is the Deputy Head Pastoral and their Deputies (DDSLs), comprising the Assistant Head Pastoral, Director of Sixth Form, the Deputy Head of the Junior School and the School Health Lead.

Academic Heads of Department in the senior school report to the Deputy Head Academic who is supported by the Assistant Head Academic. The Heads of Year report to the Deputy Head Pastoral who oversees pastoral arrangements for pupils and staff in senior school. The Assistant Head oversees the Co-Curriculum and co-ordinates the School's programme of events.

The Head of the Junior School is responsible for its day-to-day running supported by a Deputy Head.

Our Ethos

The School is a registered charity and charitable company which seeks to benefit the public through the pursuit of its stated aims. Fees are set at a level to ensure the financial viability of the School and to provide a first-class education to our pupils.

The School welcomes pupils from all backgrounds. Entrance examinations, interviews, and references from candidates' current schools enable the School to select pupils who will best benefit from the full range of opportunities on offer.

We are an equal opportunity organisation and are committed to a working environment that is free from any form of discrimination. We will make reasonable adjustments to meet the individual needs of staff or pupils.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

An Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection was carried out in February 2025. Inspectors found that all Standards relating to leadership and management and governance, the quality of education, training and recreation, pupils’ physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing, pupils’ social and economic education and contribution to society, and safeguarding were met. The report highlighted the strong oversight provided by Governors, the warm and supportive culture of the school, and the high quality of teaching which enables pupils to make good progress, with examination outcomes above the national average. Inspectors also noted that leaders provide pupils with opportunities for discussion and reflection in relation to their own and other cultures, enabling pupils to develop respect and appreciation for different cultures. This, and the promotion of recognition and understanding of all faiths, was identified as a significant strength of the school.

Parents are given regular information about their daughters' social and academic progress through parents' evenings, half-termly progress grades, and written reports. Regular contact with parents is maintained throughout the year with a weekly email setting out the activities for the week ahead, Parents' Breakfasts, informal contacts, termly Bulletins and the annual Newsletter. Trained Sixthform pupils act as Peer Supporters for younger pupils, assisting the School's pastoral team in creating an environment where every child can feel valued and safe.

Access Policy

The School greatly values the denominational, cultural, and social diversity of its community. It is important to the School that access to the education it offers is not restricted to those who can afford to pay fees.

There is an established bursary policy and this, together with various Community Initiatives, contributes to a widening of access to the education offered and the facilities available.

Means-tested bursaries are available in the Junior School (for entry into Years 5 and 6) and the Senior School (for girls from age 11 to 18). Junior School bursaries were first offered from September 2015.

Bursary Policy

The School's bursary awards are available to pupils who meet the entry requirements and are made solely on the basis of parental means or, to relieve hardship where a pupil's education would otherwise be at risk, for example in the case of redundancy. In assessing parental means a number of factors are taken into consideration including family income; investments; savings; opportunity to generate additional income; and family circumstances (for example, dependent relatives).

The School receives funding for bursaries from the WGS Trust (Charity number 505207) and from several other charitable trusts.

The bursary awards range from 10% to 100% remission of fees. A small fund supplements bursary awards to support academic school trips, individual instrumental lessons, LAMDA lessons, uniform and equipment. Information about fee assistance through bursaries is provided to all parents of girls applying to the Senior School and Years 5 & 6 in the Junior School. The existence of meanstested bursaries is publicised through advertisements in the press and promotional materials. Details of the bursary policy and how to apply are also on the School website.

The success of the bursary scheme is illustrated in the review of activities and achievements section of this report.

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Other Policies on Assistance

Timely financial planning is often the key for many parents who are hoping to send their daughters to the School and flexible payment arrangements are available to fund tuition fees.

Family Discounts Policy

To underline the value placed on continuity for families, a discount of £100 per term, for the second and any subsequent siblings is offered.

Scholarship Policy

The School does not offer scholarships of any type.

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

The School enjoys strong links with the local community, and staff and pupils participate in local, national, and international initiatives. Comprehensive details of all the School's partnership work can be seen on the Schools Together website: www.schoolstogether.org

A summary of the activities undertaken for the year is shown below:

Partnerships with Local Schools

SHiNE Together Educational Programme

Withington Girls' School has organised and delivered a successful, community-focused series of Saturday School courses since 2007.

The WGS SHiNE Together educational programme is aimed at able students in Years 5 and 6 at maintained primary schools in and around South Manchester. The aim is to increase pupils' love of learning, boost self-esteem in the classroom, and provide opportunities for academic growth and development.

The programme provides, free of charge, specialist teaching in a range of courses and over the years subjects on offer have included Art, Science, Computing, Creative Writing, Design & Food Technology, Classics, Spanish, Drama and Music. Girls and boys from local state primary schools are invited to come to Withington on a Saturday morning to take part in this exciting programme of themed courses, allowing them to learn fresh skills and make new friends.

Classics Programme

The Latin department has a long-running partnership with a local maintained primary school. Withington Sixth Form Pupils deliver Latin lessons in a fun and entertaining way to Year 5 pupils over a 9-week period. These lessons introduce children to vocabulary, grammar and mythological stories.

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

Science Communicators

Science Communicators is a mutually beneficial partnerships programme having a positive impact on local primary and secondary schools. We have expanded this year to also support Manchester Hospital Schools. The audience i s given the opportunity to observe and experience science activities they would not ordinarily have access to, in terms of subject expertise and specialist resources.

Our students also benefit enormously from the process. They develop and demonstrate key valuable skills: organisation, collaboration, and communication. In order to commend this, a Gold Crest Award from the British Science Association is awarded to all successful participants (100%).

Feedback from these events (staff and students) is indicative of their success. Students are engaged, curiosity sparked, and aspirations raised. Staff are able to draw upon the learning in future curriculum links across all 3 Science disciplines.

Activities included:

Manchester Sings

Our exciting musical partnership, Manchester Sings, first took place in December 2019 and is now an annual event in the School's calendar. The inaugural event involved six maintained partner primary schools from across Greater Manchester and in 2021, this expanded to seven schools who performed alongside our Senior Choir and musicians.

The project brings together hundreds of children from across our region to celebrate music and recognise the power of community. The children come together at Manchester Cathedral after weeks of rehearsals - the event itself is the first time they all perform together.

The festival of song is a fundraiser for the Booth Centre and Wood Street Mission, both of whom are long-standing charity partners of the school.

Future Focus

The partnership with Manchester Academy goes from strength to strength. The inaugural Future Focus Conference took place in 2022, with the aim of equipping young women with 'soft skills' in order to succeed and flourish in their future. This was the first in a series of conferences to inspire young women with confidence, develop self-esteem and improve mental health.

Identity Maps

Year 4 pupils take part in a Schools Linking programme with a local maintained primary school. Pupils from both schools explore identity and belonging in creative and participatory ways.

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WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

Community Based Initiatives

Duke of Edinburgh Awards

From Year 9, the majority of our students embark on the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Participants volunteer in their communities, make a positive contribution to society and demonstrate social responsibility. This programme culminates in a challenging expedition, which encourages the pupils to work as a team and practice the outdoor skills that they have learned along the way.

Citizenship Day

This annual event is an opportunity for pupils and staff to think carefully about their roles as citizens in a variety of communities. Pupils undertake a variety of community projects, and the aim of the day is for pupils to gain a better sense of their roles and responsibilities as citizens both locally and globally.

Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party

The Christmas Party for local senior citizens is one of the highlights of the festive season. More than 200 Senior Citizens enjoy musical performances and a tea party prepared by pupils and staff. This is a wonderful occasion where links are forged across the generations.

Withington Foodbank

With great support from parents, pupils from both the Junior and Senior School organised a midsummer collection for the local Fallowfield and Withington Food Bank. By replenishing their stocks, it was hoped that they would be able to alleviate the significant issue of holiday hunger for those in need in the local area.

The Junior School's harvest collection was donated to the Fallowfield and Withington Food Bank again this year. With this being such a local charity, Year 5 and their teachers delivered the goods on behalf of the Junior School.

Summer Activities for the Local Community

The School was able to run summer activities for children in the local community for the first two weeks of the holidays. Multi-Sports, Theatre, and Art courses were delivered. Over 100 pupils took part, and the School received fantastic feedback from both parents and children.

Other

Withington staff have attended various Cluster Meetings, on a range of academic and pastoral subjects within GSA, HMC, and other professional networks.

The School is a long-standing member of ISTIP (the Independent Schools' Teacher Induction Panel) and hosts a day's training each term for this group. In the region of 30 Early Careers Teachers (ECTs) attend the workshops which are delivered by teachers from the School.

The School also supports the programme for PGCE students in conjunction with the University of Manchester.

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Free Use of Facilities

The School makes its facilities available to the following groups free-of-charge as part of its role in supporting the community.

Other Use

We hire our outdoor facilities to a local children's lacrosse team of which some of our pupils are members as well as hosting an England Lacrosse training weekend.

We hire our Arts Centre theatre facilities to a local school for their annual awards event.

The Gambia

The cultural and educational exchange programme with The Gambia has been running since 2003 and a group of Year 12 pupils visited the country in the Autumn term. There are huge benefits for those pupils taking part in the year-long fundraising initiative culminating in a week- long stay with a Partnership school in The Gambia. Our pupils interact with the local community and spend time on renovation work at the school, as well as teaching the primary-aged children. This is a wonderful learning experience for all involved as everyone involved learns from each other. WGS works with local community groups in the country, as well as a local health centre and the benefits of the support we can provide are social, economic, cultural and environmental.

Charity Fundraising

All pupils engage in charity fundraising throughout the year for local, national, and international charitable organisations. Each form in the Senior School runs a charity event at various times throughout the year, and the money raised goes to their chosen charity. Money was raised for a variety of causes, including local charities very close to Withington.

Parent Teachers' Association (PTA)

Current parents play a vital role on the Parent Teachers Association Committee which raises funds for School equipment and organises social events for all parents. The PTA is very grateful for the hard work of committee members particularly those involved in the sale of sustainable uniform.

Parents also offer invaluable support in the extracurricular programme including assistance with work placements, mock interviews for university candidates, and careers advice. Junior and Senior School parents have provided talks to pupils about their careers.

REVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE FOR THE YEAR

Pupil numbers and fees

This year the School averaged 756 (2024: 744) pupils. There were 164 (2024: 156) girls in the Junior School and 592 (2024: 588) girls in the Senior School. The School is over-subscribed for entry at age 11.

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WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

The fees for the academic year 2024/25 were set by the Governors at:

Junior School

£11,676 excluding VAT (Sept 2024) £13,428 including VAT (Jan 2025)

Senior School

£15,558 excluding VAT (Sept 2024) £17,892 including VAT (Jan 2025)

Academic Outcomes

Public examination results at GCSE and A Level in Summer 2025 were again very strong. At GCSE, 58.2% of entries were awarded Grade 9, with 82.2% achieving Grades 8 or 9 and 92.9% at Grade 7 or above, placing the School significantly ahead of other leading schools in the region in terms of the proportion of top grades. The overall value added score was +1.67 based on YELLIS baselines.

At A Level, 41.2% of grades were at A, 75.1% at A or A, and 91.3% at A* to B. Value added was +0.10 based on GCSE prior attainment and +0.54 when measured against ALIS test based predictions, reflecting strong progress for a cohort with exceptionally high baseline attainment. These outcomes continue the pattern of outstanding attainment and progress seen in recent years, against a national context in which grade distributions have returned to pre-pandemic standards.

Destinations for the 2025 leavers were similarly positive, with 79% of applicants securing their firm choice and 97% securing either their firm or insurance choice. Pupils progressed to a wide range of competitive courses and institutions, including Medicine, Dentistry, Music, PPE, Law, Architecture, Business Management, History, Film Production and Natural Sciences, with destinations including Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, Durham, LSE, Leeds, Edinburgh, Royal College of Music and Manchester. The School was once again recognised as the Sunday Times Parent Power Top Performing School in the North West.

Inclusion and Diversity

Alongside our fellow GSA and HMC schools, we are proud to be further developing our inclusion and diversity strategy which will allow us to reflect in depth on the inclusive culture of our school and to ensure that everyone benefits from the strength and success that a positive, active approach to inclusion brings.

The School has committed to an embedded, strategic approach which will enable us to continue to reflect on the inclusive culture of our school. This continues to be an ongoing focus, and our EDI Leadership Group continues to develop and implement our EDI Action Plan.

Facilities

The School continues to invest in its buildings, grounds and facilities and an extensive schedule of external and internal maintenance and decorating took place during the summer holidays.

The main school boilers have been replaced and the Food and Nutrition room has been completely refurbished.

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

Information Technology

As part of the School's ongoing IT strategy, we continue to invest in the IT infrastructure and hardware. The School has completed an upgrade to the Wi-Fi system, and the replacement of hardware continues on its normal cycle.

Cyber security continues to be a priority to the School and several of the systems used have received significant upgrades throughout the year. Regular phishing tests and staff training are undertaken to protect the systems further.

Environmental Initiatives: Cutting the 'carbon footprint'

The School community continues to promote sustainability, and the installation of more efficient boilers contributes to this. The School has also introduced a salary sacrifice scheme for some colleagues to enable them to lease an electric vehicle.

The Eco Society continues to be active in School life and we have been recognised continuously since 2010 as a Green Flag School. The Award recognises the efforts of the School's 'Eco' groups in creating and communicating a school 'eco-code' in which all pupils and staff cooperate and undertake to play their part.

Details of Bursary Awards - Policy into Practice

In addition to financial support received from other Educational Trusts, the School receives financial support from the WGS Trust (Charity Number 505207) for means-tested bursaries. (Details of the WGS Trust are provided in Note 12 on page 33 of these accounts.)

The WGS Trust made a donation to the School in the year of £500,000 (2024: £395,415).

The total value of bursaries for 2025 was £1,023,476 (2024: £976,689) representing 9% of fee income in 2024/25 (2024: 9%).

There were 100 pupils in receipt of bursaries for the year to 31st August 2025: 4 in the Junior School and 96 in the Senior School. This equates to 16% of pupils in Senior School and 2% of pupils in Years 5/6 of the Junior School receiving support. Twenty-six pupils in the Senior School benefited from a full bursary and a further twenty pupils in the Senior School obtained a bursary worth 80% or more of fees. In the Senior School, therefore, 27% of the bursaries were worth 100% of fees and 48% of the bursaries were worth 80% or more of the fees.

Fundraising Performance

Our fundraising activity continues to prioritise increasing support for means ‑ tested bursaries. Named in honour of our former Headmistress, the Marjorie Hulme Bursary Fund remains a cornerstone of the School’s commitment to widening access and ensuring that talented girls can thrive regardless of financial background.

Philanthropic income totalled £446,970 in the year to 31 August 2025. We are pleased to report ‑ that, despite challenging economic conditions, we have sustained long term growth in fundraising income.

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

During the year, descendants of one of Withington’s founders, Jane Louisa Lejeune, launched a bursary fund in her honour. Members of the Lejeune family, joining from the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia, gathered both in person and online for a signing ceremony at School in April 2025 to mark the official inauguration of the fund. Their aspiration is to grow the fund over time, ultimately enabling it to support a bursary in perpetuity. We are deeply grateful to the Lejeune family for their vision and generosity.

In March 2025, Withington hosted its second Iftar in support of the Marjorie Hulme Bursary Fund. The evening was expertly led by Year 13 pupils, and two Sixth Form Bursary Ambassadors spoke powerfully about the impact that bursary support has had on their education. A total of £10,000 was pledged during the event, and we extend our sincere thanks to all donors for their generosity.

Over the summer of 2025, we launched the Memories and Milestones direct mail appeal. Thanks to the generous contributions of alumnae, former parents, former staff, and the support of two match ‑ funding donors, the appeal raised over £30,000—equivalent to the funding required for two full bursaries for one year.

The School's Approach to Fundraising

‑ The School employs an in house Development Team to manage its fundraising activities, with the Director of Development reporting directly to the Headmistress. Where appropriate, external professional fundraising consultancies are engaged to support specific projects.

Fundraising activities at Withington are conducted in accordance with the Institute of Fundraising’s Code of Practice, and this is complemented by the School’s own published Fundraising Code of Practice.

The activities of the Development Office are closely monitored by the Governors of the School and the Trustees of the WGS Trust. The Director of Development provides regular reports to both bodies, ensuring transparency and effective oversight.

There were no complaints regarding fundraising activities in the year to 31 August 2025 (2024: nil).

FINANCIAL REVIEW AND RESULTS FOR THE YEAR

As an educational charity, all income is applied in furtherance of the School’s charitable educational objectives.

Financial Performance

For the year ended 31 August 2025, the School reported net incoming resources of £126,654 (2024: net incoming resources of £68,322). Capital expenditure on fixed assets during the year amounted to £541,993 (2024: £352,462), funded from cash reserves.

The Governors have considered financial performance in the context of inflationary pressures, the ongoing impact of VAT on school fees, and wider economic conditions affecting the independent education sector. Fee setting for 2025/26 has been undertaken with reference to maintaining affordability whilst ensuring long-term sustainability.

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

Reserves Policy

The Governors maintain a reserves policy intended to ensure sufficient financial resources are available to support the School’s operational and strategic requirements.

Free reserves, calculated as net assets less fixed assets, at 31 August 2025 amounted to £1,238,670 (2024: £816,099) which although below the target level of approximately one term’s teaching payroll (c. £1.9 million), is considered manageable in light of the School’s strong cash generation and absence of external debt.

The School continues to aim to build up free reserves through annual operating surpluses.

Cash Flow and Liquidity

The School maintains a strong liquidity position, with £3,954,616 cash reserves at 31 August 2025.

The School has no external borrowing and therefore no debt servicing or covenant requirements. The School also benefits from the support of the WGS Trust (Charity 505207), which provides funding for means-tested bursaries and capital projects. However, the School does not rely on this support for day-to-day operations.

Cash flow forecasts indicate that the School will maintain sufficient liquidity to meet its liabilities as they fall due for at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements, including consideration of the timing of termly fee receipts and payroll cycles.

Forecasts and Key Assumptions

Governors have approved detailed budgets for 2025/26 and 2026/27 - and considered budgets and pupil numbers for future years. These forecasts incorporate prudent assumptions regarding:

Risk Management and Sensitivity Analysis

Sensitivity analysis has been undertaken on key variables including pupil numbers, fee income, and staffing costs.

The analysis indicates that the School retains sufficient financial headroom to withstand reasonably plausible downside scenarios, including modest reductions in pupil numbers or delays in fee collection, without requiring external financing.

Mitigating actions available to the Governors include cost control measures, adjustment of discretionary expenditure, and utilisation of cash reserves if required.

Conclusion

Having considered the School’s financial position, approved budgets, cash flow forecasts, and associated sensitivities, the Governors and Senior Leadership Team are satisfied that the School has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

15

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

FUTURE PLANS

The Board approved the School Development Plan in June 2022. A review of these strategic priorities took place in June 2024.

The current strategic priorities are as follows:

May 26, 2026

Approved by the Governing Body of Withington Girls’ School on …………… and signed on its behalf by:

Mr Malcom Pike Chair of Governors

16

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOVERNORS

STATEMENT OF GOVERNORS' RESPONSIBILITIES

The Governors (who are also directors of Withington Girls' School for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Annual report of the Governors, which includes the strategic report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Governors to prepare financial statements for each financial year in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the Governors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the Governors are required to:

The Governors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and, accordingly, for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Financial statements are published on the charity's website in accordance with legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements, which may vary from legislation in other jurisdictions. The maintenance and integrity of the charity's website is the responsibility of the Governors. The Governors' responsibility also extends to the ongoing integrity of the financial statements contained therein it.

Statement as to disclosure of information to auditors

In so far as the Governors are aware at the time of approving our Annual Report of the Governors:

On behalf of the Board of Governors

Mr Malcolm Pike Chair of Governors

May 26, 2026

Date

17

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE GOVERNORS OF WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Withington Girls' School ('the charitable company') for the year ended 31 August 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Governors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Governors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The Governors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in

18

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE GOVERNORS OF WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors' report included within the Governors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of Governors

As explained more fully in the Governors' responsibilities statement set out on page 16, the Governors (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Governors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the Governors are responsible for assessing the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

19

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE GOVERNORS OF WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Details of the extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations are set out below.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on

the Financial Reporting Council's website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We identified and assessed the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements from irregularities, whether due to fraud or error, and discussed these between our audit team members. We then designed and performed audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the charitable company operates, focusing on those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The laws and regulations we considered in this context were the Companies Act 2006, taxation legislation together with the Charities SORP (FRS 102). We assessed the required compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which might be fundamental to the charitable company's ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. We also considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the charitable company for fraud. The laws and regulations we considered in this context for the UK operations were The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, Employment legislation and Health and Safety legislation.

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

We identified the greatest risk of material impact on the financial statements from irregularities, including fraud, to be within the timing of recognition of other income, and the override of controls by management Our audit procedures to respond to these risks included enquiries of management about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, sample testing on the posting of journals, reviewing accounting estimates for biases, reviewing regulatory correspondence with the Charity Commission, Independent Schools Inspectorate and reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance.

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have

20

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE GOVERNORS OF WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Kathryn Paul Senior Statutory Auditor For and on behalf of Crowe U.K. LLP Statutory Auditor 3rd floor St George’s House 56 Peter Street May 27, 2026 Manchester M2 3NQ Date

21

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

INCOME
Donations
Donation from WGS Trust
Other Donations
Income from Charitable Activities
Tuition Fees Receivable
School Meals
Other Income
Investment Income
Total Income
EXPENDITURE
Cost of Raising Funds
Expenditure on Charitable Activities
Total Expenditure
Net Income Before Actuarial Movements
Actuarial (Loss)/Gain on CARE Pension Scheme
Net movement in funds
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
TOTAL FUNDS BROUGHT FORWARD
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD		 Notes 2025
2024
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Funds
Funds
£
£
500,000
395,415
128,883
155,949
628,883
551,364
9,801,781
9,299,166
580,233
650,021
110,555
123,993
144,285
87,747
11,265,737
10,712,291
188,435
109,906
10,950,341
10,560,494
11,138,776
10,670,400
126,961
41,891
(307)
26,431
126,654
68,322
14,775,777
14,707,455
14,902,431
14,775,777
2
3
4
5
15
11
11

The notes on pages 24 to 37 form part of these accounts.

22

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

BALANCE SHEET

AT 31 AUGUST 2025

Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets
7
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
8
Cash at bank
CREDITORS
Amounts due within 1 year
9
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSETS LESS
CURRENT LIABILITIES
CREDITORS
Pension liability
10
NET ASSETS
ACCUMULATED
11
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS		 2025
£		 2025
£		 £ 2024
£
£
13,959,678
183,622
4,570,724
4,754,346
(3,813,165)
941,181
14,900,859
(125,082)
14,775,777
14,775,777
14,775,777		 2024
£
£
13,959,678
183,622
4,570,724
4,754,346
(3,813,165)
941,181
14,900,859
(125,082)
14,775,777
14,775,777
14,775,777
433,479
3,954,616
4,388,095
(3,069,505)		 f 13,663,761
1,318,590
14,982,351
(79,920)
14,902,431
14,902,431
14,902,431

14,775,777
14,775,777

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Governors

on May 26, 2026

and signed on its behalf by:

Mr Malcolm Pike Governor

Chris Poston

Chris Poston (May 26, 2026 17:22:50 GMT+1)

Mr Christopher Poston Governor

23

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash
flow from operating activity
Net movement in funds
Add back depreciation charge
Deduct interest income shown in investing activities
(Increase) in debtors
(Decrease) in creditors
(Decrease) in pension liability
Net cash flow from operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities
Interest income
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Disposals of tangible fixed assets
Cash used in investing activities
Reconciliation of net cash/debt
Increase in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Total cash and cash equivalents at the end of the
year		 2025
2024
£
£
126,654
68,322
637,661
600,000
(144,285)
(87,747)
(249,857)
(39,571)
(743,660)
2,510,888
(45,162)
(66,022)
(418,649)
2,985,870
144,285
87,747
(541,993)
(352,462)
200,249
__
-
(197,459)
(264,715)
(616,108)
2,721,155
4,570,724
1,849,569
3,954,616
4,570,724

24

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES

(a) Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) – (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

Withington Girls' School meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.

Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note

(b) Incoming resources

Fees receivable in respect of the provision of education to pupils are stated after deducting allowances and other remissions granted by the School. Fees receivable, charges for services and use of premises are accounted for in the period in which the service is provided. Fees for education in future years are carried forward as deferred income in the balance sheet.

Donations received for the general purposes of the Charity are credited to the general Unrestricted Fund.

(c) Resources expended

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis, is allotted directly to the category to which it relates and includes irrecoverable VAT.

Governance costs comprise those costs incurred complying with constitutional and statutory requirements

(d) Fund accounting

All funds held by the Charity are unrestricted and can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.

(e) Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost or valuation less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost or valuation of fixed assets over their expected lives on a straight-line basis at the following annual rates.

Buildings and external facilities: 2% to 10% Fixtures, fittings and equipment, and computers:5% to 25%

Individual items over £1,000 will normally be capitalised.

Capital grants are accounted for when the Charity is unconditionally entitled to receive the monies.

25

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(f) Expenditure on charitable activities

This includes all items required to provide schooling for pupils.

(g) Pensions

The School makes pension contributions in respect of eligible teaching staff to the Teachers' Pensions Scheme. The School also makes contributions to the personal pension plans of other employees.

The School contributes to the Career Average Revalued Earnings Scheme (“CARE”) Pension Scheme offered by TPT Retirement Solutions which has been made available to all non-teaching staff appointed since 1 September 2004 up until 31st March 2016 (when the Scheme closed). From 1st April 2016 the School has offered a Defined Contribution Scheme through TPT Retirement Solutions (the Growth Plan Series 4).

The pension charge represents the amount payable in respect of the pension schemes mentioned above.

(h) Financial Instruments

Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at amortised cost with the exception of investments which are held at fair value. Financial assets held at amortised cost comprise cash at bank and in hand, together with trade and other debtors. A specific provision is made for debts for which recoverability is in doubt. Cash at bank and in hand is defined as all cash held in instant access bank accounts and treasury reserve accounts with a maximum term of 6 months. Financial liabilities held at amortised cost comprise all creditors except social security and other taxes and provisions. Assets and liabilities held in foreign currency are translated to GBP at the balance sheet date at an appropriate yearend exchange rate.

(i) Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the accounting policies, Governors are required to make judgements, estimates, and assumptions about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affected current and future periods.

In the view of the Governors, no assumptions concerning the future or estimation uncertainty affecting assets or liabilities at the balance sheet date are likely to result in a material adjustment to their carrying amounts in the next financial year other than the provision for any pension deficit levy. The School has an obligation to pay deficit funding contributions towards the support staff defined benefit pension plan. This provision is dependent on a number of factors including discount rate, life expectancy and asset valuations. The assumptions reflect historical experience and current trends.

26

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(k) Going Concern

The Governors and Senior Leadership Team have reviewed the Financial Forecast and Budget and consider that the School is a Going Concern. The Statement of Cash Flows shows the cash inflow from Operating Activities which enables investment in the fabric of the School. The School is also grateful for the support of the WGS Trust (Charity 505207) which provides financial assistance to the School for means-tested bursaries and capital projects. Governors have critically appraised the School's financial position and have taken appropriate measures to limit the fee increase for parents in the 2025/2026 academic year.

2. DONATIONS

Donation from WGS Trust
Other Donations
Ad Lucem Fund
3. OTHER INCOME
Entrance Examination Fees
Miscellaneous Income		 2025
2024
(£)
(£)
500,000
395,415
128,883
148,349
-
7,600
628,883
551,364
2025
2024
(£)
(£)
21,499
21,381
89,056
102,612
110,555
123,993

27

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

4. COSTS OF RAISING FUNDS

Salaries
Pension Costs
Social Security Costs
Total Staff Costs
Administration expenditure
Total Costs		 2025
(£)
2024
(£)
120,309
59,765
13,406
6,795
14,974
6,973
148,689
73,533
39,746
36,373
188,435
109,906

The costs shown above represent 100% of the direct running costs of the Development Office. In the prior year, the costs represented 50% of the direct running costs of the Development Office. This is because in the prior year 50% of the costs were borne by a separate charity, the WGS Trust (charity number 505207). Any income raised by the Development Office was previously included in the accounts of the WGS Trust.

5. EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

Teaching Costs
Teachers' Salaries
Pension Costs
Social Security Costs		 2025
2024
(£)
(£)
4,073,234
3,942,372
1,098,872
952,036
471,769
413,577
5,643,875
5,307,985

28

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Support Costs
Wages and Salaries
Pension Costs
Social Security Costs
Apprenticeship Levy
Supplies Equipment and
Tools
Miscellaneous Expenses
Administration Expenses
Operating Lease Payments
Professional Fees
Interest and Charges for CARE
Pension Scheme
Insurance
VAT Costs
Loss On Disposal Of Fixed
Assets		 2025
(£)
2024
(£)
2,134,747
1,892,671
172,979
160,959
200,196
148,233
13,667
12,058
728,142
980,682
340,680
384,760
188,088
197,634
9,161
9,161
150,036
172,835
19,156
22,525
90,476
94,036
11,635
-
24,721
-
4,083,684
4,075,554

29

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Premises Costs

Repairs, Maintenance, and Replacement of Buildings
Repairs, Maintenance and Replacement of Fixtures and
Fittings
Depreciation
Maintenance of Grounds
Utilities
Rates
CCTV
Governance Costs
Audit fee
Legaland associatedcosts
Total costs
TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
 Repairs, Maintenance, and Replacement of Buildings
Repairs, Maintenance and Replacement of Fixtures and
Fittings
Depreciation
Maintenance of Grounds
Utilities
Rates
CCTV
Governance Costs
Audit fee
Legaland associatedcosts
Total costs
TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
 2025
2024
(£)
(£)
60,475
99,589
20,405
18,482
637,661
600,000
18,961
36,294
288,453
294,873
160,753
76,586
5,960
7,648
1,192,668
1,133,472
2025
2024
(£)
(£)
22,714
29,175
7,400
14,308
30,114
43,483
2025
2024
(£)
(£)
10,950,341
10,560,494

30

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

6. STAFF COSTS

Payroll Costs
Teaching Staff
Academic SupportStaff
CateringStaff
Cleaners
Premises Staff
Administration Staff

Development Staff
Pension Costs
Social Security Costs		 2025
(£)
4,073,234
508,567
465,829
149,326
159,248
865,445
2,148,414
120,309
6,341,957
1,285,257
686,939
8,314,153		 2024
(£)
3,942,372
472,628
374,147
151,596
144,995
761,363
1,904,729
59,765
5,906,866
1,119,790
568,783
7,595,439		 2024
(£)
3,942,372
472,628
374,147
151,596
144,995
761,363
1,904,729
59,765
5,906,866
1,119,790
568,783
7,595,439
7,595,439

The average number of full and part time employees during the year was 150 (2024: 148) including temporary appointments to cover members of staff on maternity leave.

The average number of full and part time employees during the year, expressed as full-time equivalents, was 112 (2024: 110).

The average number of full and part time teachers during the year, expressed as full-time equivalents, was 80 (2024: 80).

No termination payments were made during the year (2024: £NIL)

The number of employees with emoluments exceeding £60,000 was as follows:

2025 2024
£60,000 to £70,000 7 5
£70,000 to £80,000 2 3
£80,000 to £90,000 2 2
£90,000 to £130,000 - -
£130,000 to £140,000 - 1
£140,000 to £150,000 1 -

31

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

Contributions were made to the Teachers' Pensions Scheme which is a defined benefit scheme for nine of the above higher paid employees. Two employees are members of the TPT Retirement Solutions Growth Plan.

The cost of the contributions in respect of the above higher paid employees was £217,113 (2024: £183,796).

The remuneration of the Senior Leadership Team, including social security and pension costs, was £1,004,170 (2024: £947,294).

None of the Trustees received any remuneration during the year (2024: £NIL)

Trustees received travel expenses of £NIL (2024 as restated: £NIL).

Further details about the Teachers' Pension Scheme, the CARE Pension Scheme and the Growth Plan 4 pension scheme are provided in Notes 13, 14, 15 and 16 in these accounts.

7. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Cost or valuation
At 1 September 2024
Additions for the year
Disposals for the year
Transfers
At Governors’ valuation
at 1 September 1995
At cost
Depreciation
At 1 September 2024
Charge for the year
Eliminated on disposals
At 31 August 2025
Net book value
At 31 August 2025
At 31 August 2024		 Freehold
buildings and
grounds
Fixtures and
equipment
Asset under
construction
Total
£
£
£
£
19,252,354
4,918,512
168,617
24,339,483
167,401
374,592
-
541,993
-
(2,903,690)
-
(2,903,690)
168,617
-
(168,617)
-
19,588,372
2,389,414
-
21,977,786
2,750,000
250,000
-
3,000,000
16,838,372
2,139,414
-
18,977,786
19,588,372
2,389,414
-
21,977,786
6,055,327
4,324,478
-
10,379,805
434,808
202,853
-
637,661
4,964
(2,708,405)
-
(2,703,441)
6,495,099
1,818,926
-
8,314,025
13,093,273
570,488
-
13,663,761
13,197,027
594,034
168,617
13,959,678

The charity has taken advantage of the transitional provisions available under FRS102 Tangible Fixed Assets not to update the revaluation of its fixed assets. The Governors are confident that the current value of the land and buildings is not less than the value stated above.

32

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

On 1st September 2015 a transfer of assets took place as part of the incorporation process as described on Page 3 of this Annual Report. The Transfer Deed provided for all the Charity's unrestricted assets and liabilities to be transferred to the new charitable company (company number 09083954 and registered charity number 1158226). The School's land and buildings, considered by the Charity Commission to be permanent endowment, remain within the Charitable Trust. The charitable company is the sole corporate trustee of the Charity.

The land is registered at HM Land Registry under the title number MAN246365.

8. DEBTORS

Fees Owing from Parents
Sundry Debtors
Amount Due from WGS Trust
Prepayments
VAT recoverable
9. CREDITORS
Tuition fees
Tax and Social Security
Capital Accruals
Other Accruals
10. PENSION LIABILTY
Pension Liability		 2025
2024
(£)
(£)
7,912
30,879
6,057
25,266
137,925
6,201
90,376
121,276
191,209
-
433,479
183,622
2025
(£)
2024
(£)
1,757,519
2,990,582
27,284
268,206
39,825
54,922
1,244,877
499,455
3,069,505
3,813,165
2025
2024
(£)
(£)
79,920
125,082

33

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

11. ACCUMULATED FUNDS

Unrestricted Undesignated Funds
As at1 September 2024
Surplus/(Deficit)forthe year
Lesstransfer toDesignatedFund
PlustransferfromDesignatedFund
Total Funds
As at 1 September 2024
Surplus/(Deficit) for the year		 2025
(£)
2024
(£)
14,775,777
14,707,455
126,654
68,322
-
-
-
-
14,902,431
14,775,777
14,775,777
14,707,455
126,654
68,322
14,902,431
14,775,777

The reserves shown above include those which have financed Fixed Assets (as shown in Note 7). Free reserves are £1,238,670 as at 31 August 2025 (2024: £816,099).

12. RELATED PARTIES

The Governors of Withington Girls' School appoint the Trustees of the WGS Trust, a registered charity. Transactions with the WGS Trust have been identified and disclosed within the accounts and annual report as appropriate.

The operation of the WGS Trust is independent of the School. The objects of the Trust are the advancement of the educational work of Withington Girls' School, the charitable purposes of, or associated with, the School and the advancement of education. A specific aim of the Trust is to maintain and enhance the level of means-tested bursary support to safeguard and diversify the school community.

Two of the Charity's Governors: Dr R Dev-Jairath and Mr Martyn Torevell (as listed on page 1), are parents of current pupils at the School. Fees charged to these Governors during the year to 31st August 2025 were in line with the School's standard terms & conditions. There were no fees outstanding for these parents at 31 August 2025.

Included within Donations shown on page 26, is income from WGS Trust of £500,000 (2024: £395,415).

There were no other related party transactions.

34

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

13. PENSION COSTS

The School's employees belong to two principal pension schemes: the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) or a Scheme provided by TPT Retirement Solutions. Up until 31st March 2016, the Scheme offered through TPT Retirement Solutions was the CARE Pension Scheme (a Defined Benefit Scheme). This was closed to further contributions from that point and staff were able to join the Growth Plan Series 4 (a Defined Contribution Scheme) run by TPT Retirement Solutions from 1st April 2016. The Teachers' Pension Scheme is a Defined Benefit Scheme.

The total pension cost for the year ended 31 August 2025 was £1,285,257 (2024: £1,119,790)

14. TEACHERS' PENSION SCHEME

The School participates in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (“the TPS”) for its teaching staff. The pension charge for the year includes contributions payable to the TPS of £1,098,872 (2024: £952,036) and at the year-end £NIL (2024: £NIL) was accrued in respect of contributions to this scheme.

The TPS is an unfunded multi-employer defined benefits pension scheme governed by The Teachers’ Pensions Regulations 2010 (as amended) and The Teachers’ Pension Scheme Regulations 2014 (as amended). Members contribute on a “pay as you go” basis with contributions from members and the employer being credited to the Exchequer. Retirement and other pension benefits are paid by public funds provided by Parliament.

The employer contribution rate is set by the Secretary of State following scheme valuations undertaken by the Government Actuary's Department. The most recent actuarial valuation of the TPS was prepared as at 31 March 2020 and the Valuation Report was published in October 2023. The Valuation Report shows notional assets of £222.2bn and liabilities of £262bn, resulting in a scheme deficit of £39.8bn.

The employer contribution rate for the TPS is 28.6%, and employers are also required to pay a scheme administration levy of 0.08% giving a total employer contribution rate of 28.68%.

15. TPT RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS - "CARE" Pension Scheme

The School participates in the Career Average Revalued Earnings ("CARE") Pension Scheme, a multi-employer scheme, which provides benefits to some 36 non-associated employers. The scheme is a defined benefit scheme in the UK.

It is not possible for the School to obtain sufficient information to enable it to account for the scheme as a defined benefit scheme. Therefore, it accounts for the scheme as a defined contribution scheme.

The scheme is subject to the funding legislation outlined in the Pensions Act 2004 which came into force on 30 December 2005. This, together with documents issued by the Pensions Regulator and Technical Actuarial Standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council, set out the framework for funding defined benefit occupational pension schemes in the UK.

The scheme is classified as a 'last-man standing arrangement'. Therefore, the School is potentially liable for other participating employers' obligations if those employers are unable to meet their share

35

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

of the scheme deficit following withdrawal from the scheme. Participating employers are legally required to meet their share of the scheme deficit on an annuity purchase basis on withdrawal from the scheme.

A full actuarial valuation for the scheme was carried out at 30 September 2022. This valuation showed assets of £49.6m, liabilities of £57.1m and a deficit of £7.5m. To eliminate this funding shortfall, the Trustee asked the participating employers to pay additional contributions to the scheme as follows:

DEFICIT CONTRIBUTION FOR ALL EMPLOYERS

From 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2027, £1,672,000 per annum, (payable monthly and increasing by 3.0% each year on 1st April).

The recovery plan contributions are allocated to each participating employer in line with their estimated share of the scheme liabilities.

Where the scheme is in deficit and where the School has agreed to a deficit funding arrangement the School recognises a liability for this obligation. The amount recognised is the net present value of the deficit reduction contributions payable under the agreement that relates to the deficit. The present value is calculated using the discount rate detailed in these disclosures. The unwinding of the discount rate is recognised as a finance cost.

PRESENT VALUE OF PROVISION

Present
Value
of
Provision		 31st August 2025
£000's		 31st August 2024
£000's		 31st August2023
£000's
80 125 191

RECONCILIATION OF OPENING AND CLOSING PROVISIONS

31stAugust 31st August
2025(£000's) 2024 (£000’s)
Provisionatthestartof period 125 191
Unwinding of thediscount factor(interest expense) 5 9
Deficit contribution paid (50) (49)
Remeasurements-impact of any change in assumption - (26)
Provision at end of period 80 125

36

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

INCOME AND EXPNDITURE IMPACT

31stAugust 31st August
2025(£000's) 2024 (£000’s)
Interest expense 5 10
Remeasurements-impact of any change in assumptions 0 2
Remeasurements - amendments to the contribution 0 (28)
schedule
Contributions paid in respect of future service 0 0
Contributions r e c o g n i z e d i n income and expenditure 0 0
account

ASSUMPTIONS

Rate of discount 31stAugust 2025
%perannum
31stAugust 2024
% perannum
31stAugust 2023
%perannum
4.36
4.90
6.03

The discount rates shown above are the equivalent single discount rates which, when used to discount the future recovery plan contributions due, would give the same results as using a full AA corporate bond yield curve to discount the same recovery plan contributions.

16. TPT RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS - GROWTH PLAN SERIES 4

This pension scheme has been offered to Support Staff from 1st April 2016 following the closure of the CARE Scheme.

Growth Plan Series 4 is a Defined Contribution ("DC") pension arrangement where the contribution rates are determined by the employer. A number of options are made available to members to invest the contributions paid into the Plan by members and employers. If a member does not make a decision where to invest their contributions, a "default" fund is made available. The default fund for Growth Plan Series 4 is a Target Date Fund that is provided by an external investment manager, AB (formerly known as Alliance Bernstein).

The Employer contribution rate is 10.6% and the Employee is able to make any contribution from 1% upwards subject to the limits in place with HMRC.

There are 63 members of the Growth Plan Series 4 as at 31 August 2025 (2024: 72 employees).

37

WITHINGTON GIRLS' SCHOOL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2025

17. CAPITAL COMMITMENTS

There were no capital commitments at 31st August 2025 (2024: NIL)

18. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

18. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
Financial assets measured at amortised cost (a)
Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost (b)
Net financial assets measured at amortised cost		 2025
2024
£
£
4,388,095
4,754,346
(1,284,702)
(554,377)
3,103,393
4,199,969

19. OPERATING LEASES

The future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:

Plant and Equipment
Less than 1 year
Between 2 and 5 years
Over 5 years		 2025
£
2024
13,683
8,154
48,105
18,800
-
-
61,788
26,954

38