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Charity Number: 1185941
THE GURUKULA TRUST **Annual Report and financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025**
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## Table of Contents
**Reference and administrative information...........................................................................................1 Trustees’ annual report................................................................................................................................2 Statement of responsibilities of the trustees........................................................................................5 Independent examiner’s report................................................................................................................6 Statement of Financial Activities as of 31st August 2025.................................................................7 Statement of Financial Position as of 31st August 2025...................................................................8 Notes to the Financial Statements............................................................................................................9**
## **Reference and administrative information**
**Charity number** 1185941 **Operational address** Hart Spring Cottage Elton Way, Watford WD25 8HB at the time of approving the report and accounts **Country of registration** England & Wales **Country of incorporation** United Kingdom Details of the trustees at the date of this report were as **Trustees** follows Mohan Luthra Chair Kunal Kotecha Trustee Nina Patel Trustee Tonmoy Mukherjee Trustee
**Bankers**
**Independent Examiner**
Metro Bank One Southampton Row, London WC1B 5HA STERLING YOUNG LIMITED Suite 50,238 Merton High Street Wimbledon London SW19 1AU
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## **Trustees’ annual report**
The trustees present their report and the independently examined financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025.
Reference and administrative information are set out on page 1 for forms as part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association, the requirements of a Trustees’ report as required under trust law, and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.
## **Structure, governance & management**
The organization is a charitable trust, incorporated and registered as a charity on 22 October 2019 the trust was established under a Memorandum and Articles of Association which established the objects and powers of charitable trust and is governed under its articles of association. All Trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefit from the charity.
The Trustees review the aims, objectives, and activities of the charity each year. The report looks at what charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work for the year ending 31 August 2025.
The Trustees report on the success of each key activity and the benefits the charity has brought to those groups of people that it is set up to help. The review also helps the Trustees ensure the charity's aims; objectives and activities remain focused on its stated purposes.
The trustees commenced their ongoing review of the Charity Governance Code in 2020/21.
## **Objectives and activities**
## **Purposes and aims**
## **Vision:**
- That Gurukula retains a personal and unique environment that should always be culturally rich, diverse, and creative. We strive to foster a spirit of devotion, expression and kindness to one and all, where a child creates bonds with both their teachers and fellow students that last a lifetime. Through rigorous and broad education, the Gurukula provides a student who gains the ability to pursue their ambitions in all aspects of life.
## **Mission:**
- To provide an environment where every child can awaken their loving devotion to Krishna in a natural and spontaneous way thus connecting with the Supreme in a manner, which is neither forced nor imposed, allowing children to discover their true identity by being joyful and knowledgeable. In our small classes, children are challenged in their academics to attain exceptional progress so that they can fulfill their potential, and continue their journey as bright, confident, kind and caring individuals who are eager to serve and can integrate into modern Britain.
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## **Achievements and performance**
## **Summary of Key changes in 2024/2025:**
- The Trustees worked closely with the school to ensure the Good rating with OFSTED
- The Trustees ensured the school was well staffed
- The Trustees worked with the headteacher and staff to ensure smooth running of the school in spite of health issues and bereavement issues faced by the headteacher
- The Trustees were active in fundraising and those funds will be used in the next academic year to improve the school site
- The Trustees are laying the groundwork to move the school from OFSTED inspectorate to the Independent Schools Inspectorate and have had lengthy conversations with the Independent Schools Association to start the process
## **Training and events for 2024/2025**
## **Training will cover the following topics:**
- Key documents such as School Development Plan (SDP) and Self Evaluation Form (SEF)
- ● Safeguarding
- Safer recruitment
- Independent Schools Standards
## **2024/2025 Event and training & attendees**
Three of the Trustees serve on the School’s Governing Body and have attended training on:
- Safeguarding and Keeping Children Safe in Education refresher
- School Development Plan
## **Other achievements and activities moving in 2024/2025**
The Trustees have worked closely with the School’s Senior Leadership and together have achieved the following:
- Curriculum: Extensive work was carried out by staff and subject leaders to further develop a comprehensive curriculum, with governor monitoring visits showing that improvements were being made across all areas of the curriculum over the course of the academic year.
- Enrichment and Community Engagement: Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities, special guest visits, and educational and cultural experiences. Highlights included visits from local Lord, which helped deepen pupils’ understanding of the British value of democracy. Pupil wellbeing remains a key focus, with initiatives to promote mental health, resilience, and a positive school culture. This included an emotional wellbeing and coping strategies workshop for parents, organized in partnership with Herts Young Minds.
- Parental engagement: During 2024/2025, steps were taken to strengthen communication with parents and gather feedback through surveys, meetings and informal discussions, and participation in school events. Building on this, increasing parental voice and engagement will be a key focus for 2025/2026, with plans to create more structured opportunities for involvement and collaboration.
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## **Learning Journey of the Trust**
Throughout 2024/2025, the Trustees have continued to deepen their understanding of their roles and responsibilities, maintaining a strong focus on strategic priorities and advancing the Trust’s vision. They have worked closely with senior leadership, the Governing Body, and staff to ensure ongoing compliance with independent school standards.
Communication and feedback channels between Trustees, staff, parents, and the parent governor have been further strengthened through regular meetings, open forums, emails, and surveys. This continued engagement demonstrates that parents value the school’s efforts, while staff wellbeing has remained a key priority, supported by targeted initiatives to promote a positive and resilient school community.
## **Financial review**
The trust incurred a deficit of £63,011 during the 2024/25 period, reflecting significant expenditure by the trustees on student welfare initiatives.
## **Principal risks and uncertainties**
Financial sustainability and the charity’s financial model remain a key risk, given its dependency on trust and foundation income. Having identified the basic/lean core team and associated costs that are needed to operate the charity, income generation focuses on securing funding for this; additional project-specific expenditures, including associated staffing costs, are only committed once funding has been secured.
Ensuring the well-being of a small team to deliver a significant workload is also a key area on the trustee’s agenda. More will be done in the refreshed strategy to address this.
## **Reserves policy and going concern**
The Trustees have examined the charity’s requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organization. Trustees are committed to generating sufficient funds to support current organizational activities to meet the following requirements:
- Safeguarding the charity’s service commitment in the event of delays in receipt of grants or other income.
- Providing a financial cushion against risk and future uncertainties.
- Resourcing the research and development of services and initiatives.
The Trustees established a reserves policy that is reviewed annually to ensure that the appropriate levels of reserves are maintained, and SCC can continue to fund its activities without unnecessary disruption because of peaks and troughs in income.
## **Plans for the future**
- The Trustees will continue to work closely with the School’s Senior Leadership Team to maintain and enhance standards of teaching and learning, while ensuring full compliance with all statutory requirements. Trustees will also continue to focus on increasing admissions across all year groups, with the aim of raising pupil numbers towards the school’s full capacity of 70 pupils.
- Strengthening parental engagement remains a priority, with plans to develop more structured opportunities for parent involvement and feedback.
- The Trustees are looking to create new facilities on the site, these include a reading bus and playground with also an expanded kitchen.
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## **Statement of responsibilities of the trustees**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report the financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period.
## **In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:**
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP (FRS 102 Section 1A));
- Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts; and
- Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable trust and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable trust and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable trust website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees on 24[th] June 2026 and signed on their behalf by
______________________ **Kunal Kotecha** Trustee
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## **Independent examiner’s report**
I report to the trustees on my examination of accounts of The Gurukula Trust for the year ended 31 August 2025.
## **Responsibilities and basis of the report**
As charity Trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). You are satisfied that the accounts are not required to be audited by charity law and have chosen instead to have an independent examination.
I report in respect of my examination of your charity accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Act; In carrying out my examination I have followed the directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the Act.
An independent examination does not involve gathering all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently does not cover all the matters that an auditor considers giving their opinion on the accounts. The planning and conduct of an audit go beyond the limited assurance that an independent examination can provide. Consequently, I express no opinion as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and my report is limited to those specific matters set out in the independent examiner’s statement
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:
- 1) Accounting records were not kept as required by section 130 of the Act; or
- 2) The accounts do not accord with those records; or
- 3) The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination: or
- 4) The accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102 Section 1A).
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.
**_________________________________** Shoolin Girishkumar Yagnik FCCA For and on behalf of STERLING YOUNG LIMITED Suite 50, 238 Merton High Street Wimbledon London SW19 1AU
Date: 24 June 2026
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## **Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account) Year ended 31 August 2025**
|**Income**
**Notes**
1
Fees & events income
Donation & grants from trust
Other
**Total income**
2
Administrative expenses
Wages and salaries
3
NEST pension
HMRC PAYE and NI
Audit Fees
**Expenditure on Charitable activities**
Insurance
**Total expenditure**
**Net income / (expenditure) before net gains**
**/ (losses) on investments**
**Transfer Between Funds**
**Net movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
**Total funds brought forward**
**Total funds carried forward**|**2025**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**2024**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
£
£
£
191,931
191,931
198,462
198,462
54,894
54,894
95,826
95,826
903
903
7,030
7,030|
|---|---|
||**247,728 247,728**
**301,318 301,318**|
||
60,299
60,299
71,449
71,449
226,985
226,985
173,631
173,631
3,600
3,600
7,061
7,061
11,678
11,678
28,115
28,115
1,995
1,995
3,795
3,795|
||**304,557**
**304,557**
**301,318 301,318**|
||6,181
6,181
4,561
4,561|
||**310,738**
**310,738**
**288,612 288,612**|
|||
||(63,010)
(63,010)
12,706
12,706|
||-
-
-
-
(63,010)
(63,010)
12,706
12,706|
||64,134
64,134
51,428
51,428|
||1,124
1,124
64,134
64,134|
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## **Statement of Financial Position as at 31[st] August 2025**
||**Assets:**
**Notes**
**2025**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**
**2024**
**Unrestricted**
**Total**|
|---|---|
||£
£
£
£|
||**Fixed assets**|
||**Property, plant and equipment**
7
883
883
-
-|
|||
||**Current Assets**|
||Prepaid
1,490
1,490
2,556
2,556|
||Cash at Bank in hand
8
13,661 13,661
63,393
63,393|
||Other
375
375
-
-|
|||
||**Liabilities:**|
||**Creditors: amounts falling due**
**within one year**|
||Accruals
1,995
1,995
1,815
1,815|
||Accounts Payable
2,178
2,178
-
-|
||VAT Payable
6,876
6,876
-
-|
||Paye Payable
4,004
4,004
-
-|
||Pensions Payable
232
232
-
-|
|||
||**Net current assets**
**241**
**241**
**64,134**
**64,134**|
||**Total net assets**
**1,124**
**1,124**
**64,134**
**64,134**|
||**The funds of the charity: **|
||**Restricted income funds**
-
-
-
-|
||**Unrestricted income funds**
1,124
1,124
64,134
64,134|
||**Total charity funds**
**1,124**
**1,124**
**64,134**
**64,134**|
Approved by the trustees on 24[th] June 2026 and signed on their behalf by
__________________
**Kunal Kotecha** Trustee
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## **Notes to the Financial Statements**
## **Year ended 31 August 2025**
## **Accounting policies**
## **Statutory information**
The charity is not a registered company, incorporated in England and Wales. The members of the trust are the Trustees named on page one. There is no ultimate controlling party.
The charitable trust meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102 Section 1A.
## **A. Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP FRS 102), The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (March 2018) and the Companies Act 2006.
Assets and liabilities are initially recognized at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy or note.
The fictional currency of the charity s GBP (Great Britain Pound)
## **B. Going concern**
The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable trust's ability to continue as a going concern. There are no key judgments that the charitable trust has made which have a significant effect on the accounts. The Trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.
## **C. Income**
Income is recognized when the charity has an entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and that the amount can be measured reliably.
## **D. Expenditure**
Expenditure is accounted for on an accrual basis. Expenditure on raising funds represents an apportionment to staff costs based on time as well as the cost of external support. Support costs are those costs relating to premises and support functions. Governance costs are those incurred in connection with the administration of the charity and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements. The charity is not registered for VAT. In common with many other charities, the Small Charities Coalition expenses are inclusive of VAT which cannot be recovered.
## **E. Cash at the bank and in hand**
Cash at the bank and cash in hand includes cash and the charity's current and deposit accounts; which are immediately accessible.
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## **1. Analysis of Income (Current Year)**
|||**2025**||**2024**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Notes**|**Unrestricted**|**Total**|**Unrestricted**|**Total**|
|**Income**|1|£|£|£||
|**Fees**||178,014|
178,014|
171,939|171,939|
|**Books/Clubs/Trips/Events/Sports**||13,917|
13,917|
26,523|26,523|
|**Donation**||23,574|
23,574|
48,435|48,435|
|**Grants from Trusts and Foundations and**||||||
|**council**||31,320|31,320|
47,391|47,435|
|**Other**||903|
903|
7,029|7,029|
|**Total income**||**247,728**|**247,728**|**301,318**|**301,318**|
## **2. Analysis of Expenditure (Current year)**
|||**2025**|**Total**|**2024**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Expenditure on Charitable activities**|2|||||
|**Children's activities**||3,248|3,248|2,481|2,481|
|**Tools/gardening/Maintenance**||3,432|3,432|5,556|5,556|
|**Bookkeeping Expense**||300|300|-|-|
|**Audit Fees**||1,995|1,995|3,795|3,795|
|**Art & Studio**||600|600|14,460|14,460|
|**Staff Resources**||5,576|5,576|8,800|8,800|
|**Insurance**||6,181|6,181|4,561|7,117|
|**Ofsted**||2,373|2,373|2,592|2,592|
|**Sports**||2,410|2,410|4,200|4,200|
|**Refunds/Other Expenses**||-|
-|
1,277|1,277|
|**Admin Fees**||2,703|2,703|3,003|3,003|
|**Legal andprofessional fee/Supply Teaching**||33,740|33,740|29,080|29,080|
|**Staff Costs**|3|226,985|226,985|173,631|173,631|
|**NESTpension**||3,600|3,600|7,061|7,061|
|**HMRC PAYE and NI**||11,678|11,678|28,115|28,115|
|**Staff Training and Welfare**||998|998|-|
-|
|**Motor Expense**||1,643|1,643|-|
-|
|**Travel & Subsistence**||2,517|2,517|-|
-|
|**IT Software and Consumables**||463|463|-|
-|
|**Depreciation on office equipment**||295|295|-|
-|
|**Total expenditure**||**310,738**|**310,738**|**288,612**|**288,612**|
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## **3. Analysis of staff costs, trustee remuneration and expenses, and the cost of key management personnel**
There are employees on roll of the trust also, the staff cost is analyzed as follows.
|||**2025**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|---|
|||£|£|
|**StaffCost**||||
|**PayrollCharges**|Non-teaching Staff|101,112|31,964|
|**PayrollCharges**|Teaching Staff|125,873|141,667|
|**Total StaffCost**||**226,985**|**173,631 **|
No employee earned more than £60,000 during the year (2024: nil). Redundancy and termination payments made in the period were zero.
The charity trustees were neither paid nor received any other benefits from employment with the charity in the year (2024: £nil).
No charity trustee received payment for professional or other services supplied to the charity in the year (2024: £nil). Trustees' expenses are nil.
## **4. Staff Number**
Staff number during the year is 16.
## **5. Related Party Transaction**
Nil
## **6. Taxation**
The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes
## **7. Fixed assets**
**Property, plant and equipment**
|**Cost**
At 1 September 2024
Additions
At 31 August 2025
**Depreciation and impairment**
At 1 September 2024
Depreciation charged for the year
At 31 August 2025
**Carrying amount**
At 31 August 2025||**Office Equipment**|
|---|---|---|
|||
£|
|||0
1178|
|||1178|
|||0
295|
|||295|
|||883|
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## **8. Movement of Funds (Current year)**
||||||**At 31st**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**At 1st Sep 2024**|**Income & gains**|**Expenditure & losses**|**Transfer **|**Aug-2025**|
||£|£|£|£|£|
|**Unrestricted funds: **||||||
|MetroBank|63,393|264,743|-314,475|0|13,661|
|||||||
|**Total Unrestricted funds**|63,393|264,743|-314,475|0|13,661|
|||||||
|**Total Funds**|**63,393**|**264,743**|**-314,475**|**0**|**13,661 **|
## **9. The legal status of the charity**
The charity is not a company. Hence, there is no liability that arises.