REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 11901504 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1187919
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
FOR
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
| Page | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1 | to | 10 |
| Report of the Independent Auditors | 11 | to | 13 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 14 | ||
| Balance Sheet | 15 | ||
| Cash Flow Statement | 16 | to | 17 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 18 | to | 30 |
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
The trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025. This report is also the directors’ report. The trustees have adopted the provisions of “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) (effective 1 January 2019) – (Charities SORP).
VISION, OBJECTIVES AND MAIN ACTIVITIES
a. Vision
Our vision is that young adults with learning difficulties are independent, confident, caring citizens that contribute through employment or meaningful roles in society. We aim to give young adults with learning difficulties opportunities to discover ways of learning that engage them and enable them to gain and develop new skills, knowledge and behaviours. Our mission is to “put young people with learning disabilities at the heart of all we do” and provide educational and physical programmes to develop their skills, capacities and capabilities – ensuring they are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps in life.
b. Objectives
To act as a resource for young people between ages 18 and 25 with learning difficulties and disabilities and/or special educational needs & disabilities living in the Southeast of England by providing advice and assistance and organising programmes of physical, educational and other activities as a means of:
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a) advancing in life and helping young people by developing their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as independent, mature and responsible individuals;
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b) advancing education;
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c) relieving unemployment; and
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d) providing recreational and leisure time activity in the interests of social welfare for people living in the area of benefit who have need by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disability, poverty or social and economic circumstances with a view to improving the conditions of life of such persons.
In setting objectives and planning for activities, the Trustees have given due consideration to general guidance published by the Charity Commission relating to public benefit, including the guidance ‘Public benefit: running a charity (PB2)’.
c. Main Activities
The Charity operated during the reporting period as “The Oaks Specialist College” and operates as a specialist further education College for young adult learners aged between 18 and 25 who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDDs).
d. Activities for Achieving Objectives
Accredited and Non-Accredited Learning
The Oaks offer accreditation in English and Maths Functional Skills and Certificate, ranging from Entry Level 1 to Level 1- 2. For some learners, qualifications and accreditation are not appropriate, therefore their study programme will be assessed using the RARPA (Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement) approach.
Preparation for Working Life, Work Experience and Work-Related Activities
Work related activity is included in our study programmes and all learners are able to participate in work related learning. We have an expanding range of supported placements and connections with local and national businesses. Preparing our learners for adulthood sits at the heart of our offer. Our individual learning routes will have their own distinct identity that allows for personalisation whilst maintaining the quality of each study programme.
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Curriculum Overview
The Oaks curriculum focuses on Embedding Learning, Work and Living Skills, Personal Development and Independence in all our learning routes.
Our study programmes are tailored to suit each learner's individual needs. Learners are not restricted by a profile and will access learning across our offer as appropriate.
Vocational programmes reflect the long-term aspirations of our learners. We gather this information before learners start their journey with us and throughout their time at College. We currently offer the following vocational programmes/options: Health & Fitness, Animal Care & Farm Skills, Performance Skills, Enterprise, Film Making, Outdoor Learning, Game Design, Art & Design. Vocational Programmes are also embedded into off-site employability opportunities.
We also have some outstanding on-site facilities including Spill The Beans Cafe; Commercial Poly Tunnel; Wood Workshop; Deja Brew - Coffee van; Tesco Training Centre.
Therapies & Wellbeing
The Oaks offer a range of therapies including Occupational Therapy; Speech & Language Therapy; Counselling; Physiotherapy, and Therapy Dogs.
Where appropriate, the delivery of therapy is embedded and integrated into learners’ learning programme. This enables them to build on the skills they have previously gained and maximise these in the context of life skills, independence and employment. Our therapy team work closely with learners and potential employers to ensure work placement opportunities are sustainable. Our therapists work across all pathways to provide strategies that enable our learners to be more independent and able to overcome challenges as they prepare to leave The Oaks.
Learner Voice
Throughout all curricula there is a focus on learner voice, personal development, greater independence and the skills, knowledge and behaviours acquired being transferable. We have a thriving Oaks College Council who meet regularly and help to drive forward change for people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Learners learn how to communicate their likes, dislikes and how to represent the thoughts of our other learners.
Careers and Employment
Careers and employment skills are embedded into the College curriculum. As part of the careers programme, we provide high quality careers information, advice and guidance in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks. We support our learners to access the workplace and to develop their skills and confidence within a working environment. On site, learners participate in enterprise projects which provides them with the understanding of how businesses operate.
Digital/Accessibility Skills
Our digital offer is crucial in assisting and enabling our young people to be autonomous in their independence - within the College setting, within the community and in the workplace. The aim of our Digital & Accessibility offer is to ensure that young people leave the College with the skills for independence they require embedded in their daily lives. The intent, innovation and impact of our digital offer has been recognised by Microsoft and Natspec Techability as being a powerful, leading-edge provision.
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e. Funding
Principal funds are received for each learner, for each academic year that they attend College. The funding comprises of three elements from two different sources:
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Element one being the base element, received from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). For the financial period of this report, Element 1 was £6,532 per learner, per academic year.
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Element two £6,000 is paid by the ESFA. Element two is then reclaimed from the local authority (LA) High Needs funding allocation.
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Element three is calculated individually by the LA using a range of metrics around the individual learner’s needs and the amount of time they spend in College, plus the level of learning and therapeutic support that is needed by the individual. The total amount per learner ranges from £6,037 to £69,708 per academic year.
f. Additional Fundraising
Fundraising activities at the College occur when our learners produce craft items for sale to the public. Any profits made from the sale of these items are put towards purchasing equipment for the College, usually chosen by our learners.
When appropriate, the college applies for grants/ financial support for specific projects or expenditure.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
a. Constitution
The charity is controlled by its governing document, the articles of association, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. It is also a not-for-profit organisation and a Registered Charity (No. 1187919). The charitable company was incorporated on 23 March 2019 and commenced operations on 1 May 2019.
The operating name is “The Oaks Specialist College”. The formal company name and associated elements remain unchanged.
The principal objects of the Charity are set out on page 1 of the Trustees’ Report.
There have been no changes in the objectives since the last annual report.
b. Methods of appointment or election of Trustees
The charitable company is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected under the terms of the Articles of Association. Trustees are expected to serve 3-year terms that may be extended.
c. Policies Adopted for the Induction and Training of Trustees
New trustees are assigned a mentor from the existing Board to induct them. The trustees have had regard to public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission/CCNI. There is an induction pack describing the role and expectations of trustees, and regular certification of alignment with the expectations.
d. Organisational Structure and Decision Making
Responsibility for the strategic management of the Charity and key decisions rests with the Trustees who generally meet quarterly. Day to day management of the Charity, including the implementation of policy determined by the Board of Trustees is carried out by staff who are employed directly by the Charity and provide services to the Charity, exercising authorities delegated by the Board of Trustees.
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The College is led by a Chief Executive Officer and Principal, supported by the College Business and Finance Lead & Project and Fund Raising Lead, plus a site team. The Chief Executive (Gordon Tillman), Principal (Ros Leach) and Business and Finance Lead (John Spavins) report to and are accountable to the Board of Trustees. Deputy and Assistant Principals and phase leaders are responsible for the quality and development of education provision. They report and are accountable to the Principal.
e. Regulators
The College is subject to supervisory body regulation by the ESFA, the Department for Education, Ofsted and the Charity Commission. The College provision is also monitored for quality and cost effectiveness by the commissioning local authorities.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
a. Financial Performance
The Charity is in sound financial health and fully met its obligations for the reporting period. The Charity's reserves are being accumulated to meet the current reserve policy requirement of a 12-month operating cost level. Cash flow remained positive throughout the period.
b. Review of Charitable Activities
Learner Retention and Growth
In the previous year 2023/2024 we had 116 learners. In July 2024 there were 29 leavers. At the start of the 2024/2025 year we retained 87 learners and added 41 new placements. At the end of this 2024/2025 reporting period there were 128 learners, of which 32 are leavers. We expect total learners on roll to increase again to about 140 for the reporting year 2025/26.
Service Provision
Achieving secure and appropriate onward destinations for our leavers is the priority outcome. Trustees are delighted to report that all 2025 leavers moved to secure onward destinations as per plan. Of those leavers 37% went into paid employment or supported employment (vs. 33% in the 2023/2024 year). Trustees are proud of this result considering that comparable national figures are less than 6%. Other leavers transitioned to combinations of volunteering and social care programs as appropriate.
Since September 2024, the college has used Earwig to more accurately track and report learner data. This system enables staff and tutors to identify skills gaps and target them effectively, and it ensures that Trustees can understand the relative progress and improvements from baseline for each learner. In Maths, most learners make strong or better progress from their starting points, with the majority achieving more than 20% progress across assessed targets. In English more than 80% of learners are achieving more than 20% progress. Trustees see this is as evidence that most learners are making betterthan-expected improvement; Teaching and support strategies are working effectively; Interventions are well targeted; and Learners are closing skills gaps faster than planned.
Our Learning for Life Pathway uses the Recognising and Rewarding Progress and Achievement framework (RARPA) to assess learners personalised targets for five EHCP strands. These strands are Cognition and Learning: Literacy; Cognition and Learning: Numeracy; Communication and Interaction; Social, Emotional and Mental Health; and Sensory and Physical. Learners on the RARPA pathway achieve higher average progress percentages, often above 60% for most EHCP strands. End-of-module data shows consistency, with the majority of learners achieving their targets - 54% of learners achieved three or more targets, while only 29% achieved one or fewer, indicating sustained progress throughout the year.
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Trustees were pleased to see our partnerships for employment and volunteering opportunities make continued progress in the year. We achieved all eight Gatsby benchmarks regarding Quality Careers Education. There were successful work placements and employment with Tesco, Runway Training and Bank of New York (BNY), as well as partnerships with Waitrose, The Entertainer, National Trust, and a range of local charity shops and churches.
Recognition
Trustees are delighted to report that three of our learners have been selected as finalists in The National Learning Disabilities and Autism Awards 2025, in recognition of their work as Oliver McGowan expert co-trainers. They carry out this service in collaboration with our partners at Runway Training.
The Oaks Horticulture Group designed and prepared a garden at Tonbridge station that won the Network Rail Southeastern in Bloom 2025 award.
The Accessibility team was honoured with a Silver Award from Pearson National Teaching Awards for the Transformational Use of Digital Technology. This recognised their outstanding work in embedding everyday technology into the learning environment, significantly boosting learners’ academic performance, participation, and self-esteem. Subsequently, the team have been entered by Pearson for a Gold Award.
The Careers Team was honoured with a Bronze Award from Pearson National Teaching Awards for Partnership of the Year. The award recognises our innovative internal placements and our strong employer collaborations with Tesco, Mitie, Charlie’s Angels Kitchens, The Amelia Scott Project, and our global recognition as a Microsoft Showcase college.
We have been awarded Microsoft Showcase College status for the last four academic years. Microsoft award this prestigious status to "an elite group of colleges that exemplify the best teaching and learning in the world today".
Given these results and recognition Trustees remain confident that our programs are delivering the intended outcomes.
Facilities
The Oaks Specialist College remains at the site on Cage Green Road - a refurbished, spacious, and repurposed premises and grounds including the new modular building we added in 2021. The facilities are near enough at the practical limit to host learners and staff.
As aligned to our stated strategic targets we are extending our provision so that we can welcome young adults with physical disabilities to The Oaks from September 2025. Our new building, The Point, will offer additional facilities that will enable these new learners to build upon their independence and life skills in an environment that fully caters for their physical needs.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
a. Going Concern
After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charitable company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
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b. Reserves Policy
It is the policy of the Charity to maintain its free reserves at a level to enable it to be administered efficiently, meet its shortterm expenditure requirements, and have adequate resources to fund its charitable activities. The Trustees want to ensure the charity is able to complete a full academic year for all learners, without loss of staff, student opportunities and quality of work, and to allow for sufficient time to find a new funding model if required, so that all students who wish to stay at the College can do so. As such it will reserve an absolute minimum level of unrestricted funds sufficient to sustain the charity without any income for a 12-month period.
Unrestricted funds held as fixed assets are not included as being free to meet any short-term need.
Free reserves at the end of the reporting period were £2,829,585 (2024: £2,052,363). Per the reserves policy above the 12 months operating costs target is £3,713,410 (as per total expenditure in the reporting period below less the costs of £1,474,392 for The Point building as these are not expected to occur each year). The charity will continue to build on these reserves over time to achieve the reserves policy.
At the year end, the charity held total funds of £4,251,601 (2024: £3,473,304) of which unrestricted general funds were £4,106,221 (2024: £3,404,203) and restricted funds were £145,380 (2024: £69,101).
c. Financial Summary
In the year ended 31 July 2025 the Charity reported total income as £5,966,099 (2024: £4,002,851). Total expenditure was £5,187,802 vs £3,055,575 in the previous financial year. Of the total spend, expenditure on charitable activities was £5,146,981 (2024: £3,003,779). Increases in income align to funding from the increase in learners. Increases in expenditure align to the expanded teaching and support staff to service the increase in learners and costs incurred for The Point building totalling £1,474,392 included in expenditure on charitable activities.
d. Staff Remuneration
Salaries are set by referencing pay-scales against our industry’s current set of salary benchmarking data - ensuring they remain competitive to help with staff retention, whilst being mindful of the charity’s ethos, aims and objectives and our status as a not-for-profit-organisation.
d. Risk Management
The charity trustees have considered the major risks to which the charity is exposed and satisfied themselves that systems or procedures are established to manage those risks.
Key risk areas include:
Governance risks which are managed by Trustee recruitment procedures and training; disclosure of conflicts of interest; appointment of suitably qualified staff; regular trustee board meetings; specific responsibility areas for Trustees on Safeguarding, Finance, and IT; and appointment and oversight of qualified, skilled and experienced leadership and management team and a fit-for-purpose organisational structure that is reviewed annually.
Operational risks which are managed by assigned safeguarding leads and safeguarding oversight; documented internal policies, processes and procedures; appropriate business management and contract reviews; resilient IT systems, data storage and Cyber security; robust HR planning, Safer Recruitment hiring procedures and professional development; and appropriate insurance coverage of assets.
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Financial risks which are managed by maintaining appropriate cash reserves; regular reporting and review of financial planning and performance; internal controls and external audits.
External risks which are managed by monitoring of demographic changes, number of potential learners, and demand for placements; monitoring of local and national government policy changes and funding models; and close engagement and communication with community partners and stakeholders.
Compliance risks which are managed by regular review of Department of Education, Ofsted and other requirements; planning for compliance and inspection; and ensuring access to appropriate professional advice.
PLANS FOR FUTURE PERIODS
Our long-term aim is that The Oaks Specialist College remains successful in meeting the needs of each learner; that the College remains financially stable and sustainable; is a great place to work; works in partnership and collaboration with others to develop and champion the skills and attributes that our learners and leavers have; and works tirelessly to develop opportunities for them to be able to live meaningful and independent lives and be confident, caring and contributing citizens.
To achieve our long-term aim means consolidating what we already do every day – maintaining all aspects of excellent provision and constantly seeking ways to become even better, including uses and applications of technology and assistive technology. And it means achieving long term financial stability and financial security to ensure consistency and longevity of our provision.
Strategic targets aligned to our quality improvement plan that Trustees review and monitor include:
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Completing and embedding “The Point”, our new bespoke onsite provision for learners with physical disability – expanding the current physical facility
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Collaborate with KCC transport to jointly develop a universal method of assessing progress that demonstrates eligibility/non eligibility status for post 19 learners, whilst seeking alternatives and also cost saving arrangements for transport
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Develop partnerships and settings to provide permanent employment opportunities for leavers
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Reacting to any stated need, replicating our model of provision elsewhere in the Southeast region to meet the needs of a greater number of 19-25 LLDDs
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Build on our Microsoft Showcase successes and create digital learning opportunities and apps that are accessible to 19-25 LLDDs, and create an accessibility profile and embed this into the transitions process
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Develop and lead on a SEND ‘short’ course primarily for trainee and early career teachers, followed by collaboration with the University of Kent to design a SEND teaching degree
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Plan and implement our ‘Let’s go Zero 2030’ plan
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Monitor possible ways forward to facilitate /signpost families to “move-on/supported” accommodation in the local community and community opportunities for our college leavers
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REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Registered Company number
11901504 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity number 1187919
Registered office
The Oaks Specialist College Cage Green Road Tonbridge Kent TN10 4PT
Trustees
Robert Marsh David Martin Richard Pone (Chair) Daniel Broad David Carter Katie Lloyd Charlotte Steggles Geena Vabulas
Directors
Robert Marsh David Martin Richard Pone (Chair) Daniel Broad John Spavins David Carter Katie Lloyd Charlotte Steggles Geena Vabulas
Key management
Gordon Tillman (Chief Executive Officer) Ros Leach (Principal)
Auditors
Hilden Park Accountants Limited Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditors Hilden Park House 79 Tonbridge Road Hildenborough Kent TN11 9BH
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REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Bankers
Close Brothers 10 Crown Place London EC2A 4FT
NatWest 3 High Street Maidstone Kent ME14 1HJ
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STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES
The trustees (who are also the directors of Skills for Independence and Employability Limited for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare 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 year. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In so far as the trustees are aware:
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there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and
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the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.
AUDITORS
The auditors, Hilden Park Accountants Limited, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies subject to the small companies’ regime in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.
Report of the trustees approved by order of the board of trustees, as the company directors, on 13 March 2026 and signed on the board's behalf by:
Trustee – Richard Pone
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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Skills for Independence and Employability Limited (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 July 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
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In our opinion the financial statements:
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give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 July 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
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have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
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have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.
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 Auditors' 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 trustees’ 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 trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, including the trustees’ report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. 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 the course of 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 the audit:
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the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the directors’ report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
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the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
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Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report included within the trustees’ 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:
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adequate and proper accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
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the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
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certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
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we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit
Responsibilities of trustees
As explained more fully in the Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities, the trustees (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 trustees 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 trustees 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.
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.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.
We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the charitable company, and determined that the most significant which have a direct material effect on the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements are the Companies Act 2006, the Charities Act 2011 and Charities SORP FRS102.
We also identified other laws and regulations which do not have a direct effect on the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, but which compliance is fundamental to the entity’s operations including Employment Law, Health and Safety Law, Data Protections Laws (including UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Food Hygiene Standards and safeguarding regulations and enquires were made with management regarding procedures in place to ensure compliance.
Having reviewed the laws and regulations applicable to the charitable company, we designed and performed audit procedures to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence. Specifically we:
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Assigned an engagement team to the audit that collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
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Enquired with management on any non compliance with laws and regulations.
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Reviewed the legal expense accounts and legal correspondence to identify potential litigation or claims involving the entity.
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Reviewed internal policies and procedures and external guidance.
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Reviewed the completeness and accuracy of associated disclosures made in the financial statements.
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We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company's financial statements to material misstatement and fraud and in doing so:
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Considered whether there were areas of the financial statements particularly susceptible to fraud and enquired with management as to any known or suspected instances of fraud and their assessment of fraud risk.
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Considered whether management have incentives and opportunities to manipulate financial results and determined the key audit risks related to completeness of income, management override of controls and restricted funds.
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The risk of management override of controls has been reviewed and audited, including through testing journal entries, accounting estimates and other adjustments for appropriateness. Furthermore, analytical procedures were undertaken to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships and transactions and the rationale behind these was investigated.
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The risk of completeness of income has been reviewed and audited, including through substantive testing, along with a review of the appropriateness of the accounting policy concerning income recognition and completing detailed cut off testing either side of the balance sheet date.
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Designed and performed audit procedures to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence including substantive testing in relation to restricted funds.
The audit has been planned and performed in such a way as to best identify risks of material misstatement, however the inherent limitations of audit procedures means that there remains a risk that we will not detect all irregularities, including those leading to a material misstatement in the financial statements or non-compliance with regulation. This risk increases the more that compliance with a law or regulation is removed from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, as we will be less likely to become aware of instances of non-compliance. The risk is also greater regarding irregularities occurring due to fraud rather than error, as fraud involves intentional concealment, override of controls, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.
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 Report of the Auditors.
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.
Paul Chewter FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Hilden Park Accountants Limited Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditors Hilden Park House 79 Tonbridge Road Hildenborough Kent TN11 9BH
Date: 18 March 2026
Note:
The maintenance and integrity of the company’s website is the responsibility of the trustees; the work carried out by the auditors does not involve consideration of these matters and, accordingly, the auditors accept no responsibility for any changes that may have occurred to the financial statements since they were initially presented on the website.
Page 13
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
| Note Income from: Donations and legacies 2 Charitable activities 3 Other trading activities 4 Investment income Total Expenditure on: Raising funds 5 Charitable activities 6,7 Total Net income/(expenditure) Transfers between funds 19 Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/25 31/07/24 31/07/25 31/07/24 31/07/25 31/07/24 £ £ £ £ £ £ 94,578 134,458 1,635,517 272,800 1,730,095 407,258 4,178,891 3,552,356 - - 4,178,891 3,552,356 21,286 29,941 - - 21,286 29,941 35,827 13,296 - 35,827 13,296 |
|---|---|
| 4,330,582 3,730,051 1,635,517 272,800 5,966,099 4,002,851 |
|
| 40,821 51,796 - - 40,821 51,796 3,626,305 2,885,525 1,520,676 118,254 5,146,981 3,003,779 |
|
| 3,667,126 2,937,321 1,520,676 118,254 5,187,802 3,055,575 |
|
| 663,456 792,730 114,841 154,546 778,297 947,276 38,562 238,357 (38,562) (238,357) - - |
|
| 702,018 1,031,087 76,279 (83,811) 778,297 947,276 3,404,203 2,373,116 69,101 152,912 3,473,304 2,526,028 4,106,221 3,404,203 145,380 69,101 4,251,601 3,473,304 |
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 14
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED - REGISTERED NUMBER 11901504
BALANCE SHEET
For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
| Note FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 12 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 13 Cash at bank and in hand CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 14 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES CREDITORS Amounts falling due after more than one year 15 NET ASSETS FUNDS 18 Unrestricted funds Restricted funds TOTAL FUNDS |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/25 31/07/24 31/07/25 31/07/24 31/07/25 31/07/24 £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,276,636 1,351,840 - - 1,276,636 1,351,840 425,297 38,439 - - 425,297 38,439 2,822,715 2,329,148 145,380 69,101 2,968,095 2,398,249 |
|---|---|
| 3,248,012 2,367,587 145,380 69,101 3,393,392 2,436,688 (397,844) (315,224) - - (397,844) (315,224) |
|
| 2,850,168 2,052,363 145,380 69,101 2,995,548 2,121,464 |
|
| 4,126,804 3,404,203 145,380 69,101 4,272,184 3,473,304 (20,583) - - - (20,583) - |
|
| 4,106,221 3,404,203 145,380 69,101 4,251,601 3,473,304 |
|
| 4,106,221 3,404,203 - - 4,106,221 3,404,203 - - 145,380 69,101 145,380 69,101 4,106,221 3,404,203 145,380 69,101 4,251,601 3,473,304 |
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 13 March 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:
Trustee – Richard Pone
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 15
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
CASH FLOW STATEMENT For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
| Notes Cash flows from operating activities Cash generated from operations Interest paid A Interest element of hire purchase payments paid Net cash provided by operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of tangible fixed assets Interest received Net cash used in investing activities Cash flows from financing activities Capital repayments in year Net cash (used in)/provided by financing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period |
Year Ended 31.7.25 £ 789,620 (753) 788,867 (182,617) 35,827 (146,790) (72,231) (72,231) 569,846 2,398,249 2,968,095 |
Year Ended 31.7.24 £ 1,066,366 - (14,129) 1,052,237 (272,146) 13,296 (258,850) (72,231) (72,231) 721,156 1,677,093 2,398,249 |
|---|---|---|
The notes form part of these financial statements
Page 16
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE CASHFLOW STATEMENT For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
A. RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
| Year Ended | Year Ended | |
|---|---|---|
| 31/07/2025 | 31/07/2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Net income for the reporting period (as per the Statement of Financial | ||
| Activities) | 778,297 | 947,276 |
| Adjustments for: | ||
| Depreciation charges | 257,821 | 218,711 |
| Interest received | (35,827) | (13,296) |
| Interest element of hire purchase and finance lease rental payments | 753 | 14,129 |
| (Increase)/ decrease in debtors | (386,858) | 7,376 |
| Increase/(decrease) in creditors | 175,434 | (107,830) |
| Net cash provided by operations | 789,620 | 1,066,366 |
B. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS
| At 01/08/2024 Cash flow At £ £ Net cash Cash at bank and in hand 2,398,249 569,846 2 2,398,249 569,846 2 Debt Finance leases (72,231) 72,231 (72,231) 72,231 Total 2,326,018 642,077 2 |
31/07/2025 £ ,968,095 ,968,095 - - ,968,095 |
|---|---|
Page 17
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of preparing the financial statements
Skills for Independence and Employability Limited is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. In the event of the charity being wound up the liability to members in respect of the guarantee is limited. The address of the registered office is given in the charity information on page 8 of the report of the trustees. The nature of the charity's operations and principal activities is the operation of Oakley College to assist 18 to 25 year olds with learning difficulties in West Kent and the surrounding areas.
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
The financial statements are presented in pounds sterling and rounded to the nearest pound.
The trustees have prepared the accounts on a going concern basis due to the level of net assets and cash reserves and they do not believe there are material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue. Since the year end, the charity has again increased its activity in terms of grant funding, increased student and staff numbers as well as entering negotiations to expand its provision on its current site. The college continues to receive more consults than it’s able to accommodate and EHCP data from Local Authorities gives a clear indication that demand for provisions such as The Oaks will continue over the coming years
Income
Income from donations and grants, including capital grants, is included in income when the charity is entitled to the funds, the receipt is probable, and the amount can be measured reliably. For donations, this is usually on receipt. For grants, this is usually when a formal offer letter is made in writing, unless the grant contacts terms and conditions outside of the charity’s control which must be met before the charity is entitled to the funds. Where such conditions exist, the income is deferred until those periods.
Income from charitable activities includes income from government grants and local authorities and is recognised when any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met. The company receives core funding from Kent County Council and East Sussex County Council as well as from the UK Education and Skills Funding Agency. This funding is provided for various reasons and is determined based on criteria such as the number of students as well as the needs and requirements of said students.
Income for other trading activities is recognised in the period in which the charity is entitled to receipt, which is either when the event has taken place or over the period in which the income relates.
Expenditure
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Page 18
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued
Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme as well as contributions being made to the Teacher’s Pension Scheme. Contributions payable to the schemes are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
Tangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Individual assets costing £500 or more are capitalised at cost. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:
Leasehold improvements Over the remaining period of the lease College equipment Straight line over 3 years and 5 years
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Hire purchase and leasing commitments
The interest element of these obligations is charged to the Statement of Financial Activities over the relevant period. The capital element of the future payments is treated as a liability.
Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.
Financial Instruments
The charity only has financial instruments which qualify as basis financial instruments. Short term basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently at amortised cost.
2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
| Donations Other government grants Other grants Total |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,024 3,146 1,342 1,967 2,366 5,113 93,554 118,961 1,584,166 177,766 1,677,720 296,727 - 12,351 50,009 93,067 50,009 105,418 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,024 3,146 1,342 1,967 2,366 5,113 93,554 118,961 1,584,166 177,766 1,677,720 296,727 - 12,351 50,009 93,067 50,009 105,418 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 1,024 3,146 1,342 1,967 2,366 5,113 93,554 118,961 1,584,166 177,766 1,677,720 296,727 - 12,351 50,009 93,067 50,009 105,418 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94,578 134,458 |
1,635,517 272,800 |
1,730,095 407,258 |
Page 19
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
3. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
| Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ Core Government grants 4,178,891 3,552,356 - - 4,178,891 3,552,356 Total 4,178,891 3,552,356 - - 4,178,891 3,552,356 4. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ Fundraising events 21,286 20,221 - - 21,286 20,221 Rents received - 9,720 - - - 9,720 Total 21,286 29,941 - - 21,286 29,941 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 4,178,891 3,552,356 - - 4,178,891 3,552,356 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 4,178,891 3,552,356 - - 4,178,891 3,552,356 |
Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ £ £ £ £ 4,178,891 3,552,356 - - 4,178,891 3,552,356 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,178,891 3,552,356 |
- - |
4,178,891 3,552,356 |
5. EXPENDITURE ON RAISING FUNDS
Total Funds
| Wages and salaries Contributions paid Total |
31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ 40,821 32,676 - 19,120 40,821 51,796 |
|---|---|
Page 20
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
6. ANALYSIS OF DIRECT COSTS
| Wages and salaries Professional services Learning resources Catering costs College trips Total |
Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ 2,005,365 1,679,777 19,474 15,173 19,246 12,283 9,703 10,606 48,194 40,856 2,101,982 1,758,695 |
|---|---|
7. ANALYSIS OF SUPPORT COSTS
| Wages and salaries Advertising Bank charges Hire purchase interest Depreciation Sundry expenses Postage and stationery Other staff costs Operating leases Telephone Staff training Repairs and maintenance Cleaning Rates and water Light and heat Premises rent The Point building costs Insurance Travel Computer expenses Governance costs: Auditors’ remuneration Accountancy Total |
Total Funds 31/07/2025 31/07/2024 £ £ 757,210 445,104 - 1,176 1,297 1,119 753 14,129 257,821 218,711 7,230 8,115 11,437 15,556 43,700 39,550 54,362 86,223 7,336 6,602 33,614 34,734 56,798 49,441 70,789 62,119 5,031 23,392 2,635 4,057 108,336 99,954 1,474,392 - 37,775 30,561 21,878 21,773 66,413 62,216 9,300 8,700 16,892 11,852 3,044,999 1,245,084 |
|---|---|
Page 21
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
7. ANALYSIS OF SUPPORT COSTS (continued)
Construction of the new purpose-built provision for learners with physical disabilities formally named ‘The Point’ began during the year. Kent County Council (KCC) are funding the construction in full and therefore own the provision as this is situated on land owned by KCC. The terms of the agreement are that the charity is invoiced for all costs incurred for the construction of the provision and receive grant funding from Kent County Council as the costs are incurred. Therefore, the charity has not capitalised the total costs incurred of £1,474,392 for The Point as they do not own the building and instead these costs are included within support costs. The grant funding received from KCC is classified as restricted income as per note 19 of the financial statements and was fully spent in the year.
The construction was not fully completed by the year end and as such additional costs will be incurred in the subsequent year. In addition, after practical completion 1.5% retention is due to be paid with the remaining 1.5% due 12 months after practice completion. The retention deducted on the invoices incurred up to the year-end has been accrued in the financial statements within other creditors, with the amount split between creditors due within one year in note 14 and due in more than one year in note 15 accordingly.
8. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 July 2025 nor the year ended 31 July 2024.
Trustees' expenses
During the year expenses totalling £86 were reimbursed to 2 trustees in relation to travel and training expenses (2024: £29 reimbursed to 1 trustee in relation to travel expenses.).
9. STAFF COSTS AND REMUNERATION OF KEY PERSONNEL
| Year ended | Year ended | |
|---|---|---|
| 31/07/2025 | 31/07/2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Wages and salaries | 2,184,729 | 1,722,902 |
| Social security costs | 222,828 | 154,310 |
| Other pension costs | 395,839 | 280,345 |
| 2,803,396 | 2,157,557 |
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
| Year ended | Year ended |
|---|---|
| 31/07/2025 | 31/07/2024 |
| 74 | 62 |
The average monthly number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees during the year was as follows:
| Year ended | Year ended |
|---|---|
| 31/07/2025 | 31/07/2024 |
| 59 | 49 |
Page 22
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
9. STAFF COSTS AND REMUNERATION OF KEY PERSONNEL (continued)
The total employment benefits including employer pension contributions of the key management personnel were £563,213 (2024: £499,319).
The number of employees whose employment benefits (excluding employer pension contributions) exceeded £60,000 was:
| Year ended | Year ended | |
|---|---|---|
| 31/07/2025 | 31/07/2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| In the band £60,000 - £70,000 | 3 | - |
| In the band £70,001 - £80,000 | 1 | 2 |
| In the band £80,0001 - £90,000 | 1 | - |
10. AUDITOR’S REMUNERATION
The auditor’s remuneration of £9,300 (2024: £8,700) related solely to the audit with additional work being undertaken of £16,892 (2024: £11,852) in relation to other accountancy services.
11. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) AND NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Net income/(expenditure) and net movement in funds is stated after charging/(crediting):
| Year ended | Year ended | |
|---|---|---|
| 31/07/2025 | 31/07/2024 | |
| £ | £ | |
| Depreciation | 257,821 | 218,711 |
| Auditors’ remuneration for audit services | 9,300 | 8,700 |
| Auditors’ remuneration for non-audit services | 16,892 | 11,852 |
| Operating lease rentals | 54,362 | 86,223 |
Page 23
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
12. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
| Improvements to property £ COST At 1 August 2024 1,722,212 Additions 93,147 At 31 July 2025 1,815,359 DEPRECIATION At 1 August 2024 545,056 Charge for year 196,536 At 31 July 2025 741,592 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 July 2025 1,073,767 At 31 July 2024 1,177,156 |
College equipment Totals £ £ 277,830 2,000,042 89,470 182,617 367,300 2,182,659 103,146 648,202 61,285 257,821 164,431 906,023 202,869 1,276,636 174,684 1,351,840 |
|---|---|
The net carrying value of tangible fixed assets includes the following in respect of assets held under finance leases or hire purchase contracts:
| Improvements to property College equipment 13 DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR |
2025 2024 £ £ - 644,714 - 1,450 - 646,164 |
|---|---|
| Trade debtors Other debtors Prepayments and accrued income |
2025 £ 15,573 500 409,224 425,297 |
2024 £ 12,995 500 24,944 |
|---|---|---|
| 38,439 |
Page 24
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
14. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
| Hire purchase (see note 16) Trade creditors Social security and other taxes Other creditors Accruals and deferred income |
2025 £ - 342,082 311 35,358 20,093 397,844 |
2024 £ 72,231 211,018 125 11,774 20,076 315,224 |
|---|---|---|
15. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR
| Other creditors 16. LEASING AGREEMENTS Minimum lease payments under hire purchase fall due as follows: Net obligations repayable: Within one year Between one and five years 17. OPERATING LEASE Minimum lease payments under operating leases fall due as follows: Net obligations repayable: Within one year Between one and five years More than five years |
2024 £ - |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 £ 72,231 - 72,231 |
|||
| 2024 £ 146,153 68,468 - 214,621 |
|||
| 654,870 |
Page 25
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
18. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
| Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Restricted fund TOTAL FUNDS Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Restricted fund TOTAL FUNDS Comparatives for movement in funds Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Restricted fund TOTAL FUNDS |
At 1.8.24 £ 3,404,203 69,101 3,473,304 Incoming resources £ 4,330,582 1,635,517 5,966,099 |
Net movement At in funds 31.7.25 £ £ 702,018 4,106,221 76,279 145,380 778,297 4,251,601 Resources Movement expended in funds / transfers £ £ (3,628,564) 702,018 (1,559,238) 76,279 (5,187,802) 778,297 |
Net movement At in funds 31.7.25 £ £ 702,018 4,106,221 76,279 145,380 778,297 4,251,601 Resources Movement expended in funds / transfers £ £ (3,628,564) 702,018 (1,559,238) 76,279 (5,187,802) 778,297 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 778,297 | |||
| Net movement At At 1.8.23 in funds 31.7.24 £ £ £ 2,373,116 1,031,087 3,404,203 152,912 (83,811) 69,101 2,526,028 947,276 3,473,304 |
Page 26
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
18. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS (continued)
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Unrestricted funds General fund Restricted funds Restricted fund TOTAL FUNDS |
Incoming resources £ 3,730,051 272,800 4,002,851 |
Resources expended £ (2,698,964) (356,611) (3,055,575) |
Movement in funds £ 1,031,087 (83,811) 947,276 |
|---|---|---|---|
Page 27
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
19. RESTRICTED FUNDS
The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes;
| Colyer Ferguson Free school meals 3H Royal Botanical Gardens Justgiving Worshipful Company of Information Technologists Kent Community Foundation NINVEHEH Trust Masonic Charitable Foundation Sponsored Walk All About Modular Donations Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Charlie’s Angels Kitchen Trinity Hire and Sound Beams BNY Mellon Department for Education The Point KCC Funding The Mears Foundation The Education People Lifegate Project |
Movement in funds Balance at 1 August 2024 Incoming resources Resources expended Transfers Balance at 31 July 2025 £ £ £ £ £ 3,468 8,500 (7,900) - 4,068 12,777 9,298 (5,449) - 16,626 1,177 - (343) - 834 116 - (116) - - 1,236 - (196) - 1,040 478 - (478) - - 42 - - - 42 702 - (702) - - 791 - (628) - 163 - 1,342 - - 1,342 - 176 - - - 176 - 9,000 (572) - 8,428 1,559 9,000 (5,500) - 5,059 - 5,900 (2,000) (3,900) - 587 4,109 - (3,385) 1,311 45,992 100,476 (20,892) (24,377) 101,199 - 1,474,392 (1,474,392) - - - 1,000 (1,000) - - - 2,500 (508) (1,992) - - 10,000 - (4,908) 5,092 |
|---|---|
| 69,101 1,635,517 (1,520,676) (38,562) 145,380 |
Page 28
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
19. RESTRICTED FUNDS (continued)
Colyer Ferguson - £8,500 – A Kent based charity who award grants to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people living in Kent. Grants are capped at a maximum of £500 per grant but there is no limit to the number of grants that can be applied for. Our College Projects Manager applies for grants on behalf of learners at the College based on the learner’s individual needs. Examples of grants applied for include providing a learner with a new suit and shoes to attend job interviews and paying for a learner to attend twelve one-to-one counselling sessions. The grants can only be spent on the specific project applied for and expenditure against income for each grant is tracked by the Projects Manager.
Free school meals - £9,298 – The College indicate which learners are eligible for free school meals, the cost of each meal and the number of meals each learner will receive during the academic year. The Education and Skills Funding Agency provide funding based on this calculation plus an additional 5% to cover administration costs.
Sponsored Walk - £1,342 – Fundraised by staff and learners for a ‘Keep Moving Challenge’ sponsored walk, the money raised went towards learner residential trips across academic year 2024/2025.
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council - £9,000 – Stage 3 payment of a grant to support the employability opportunities for our learners. The grant has paid for salaries and oncosts for the College’s Careers Team who support our learners with employability daily.
Charlie’s Angels Kitchen - £9,000 – (£7,500 TWBC and £1,500 TMBC) supports the College partnership with Charlie's Angels cafe in Tunbridge Wells, where Learners go for work experience in a cafe environment. We purchased laptops, screens and kitchen equipment for the café to support our leamers. It also funds monthly payments for the learners' use of the cafe facilities as they are supported during their work experience.
Trinity Hire and Sound Beams - £5,900 – (£2,000 Kent Community Foundation, £3,900 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council) Funded new equipment (Sound beams, 6 controllers, 4 sensor clips, 4 mic broom stand, 8 switches, 1 mic, 1 pair of speakers, 1 storage trolley, 1 training session) Also funded the hire of Trinity Theatre for a learner led performance in June 2025.
BNY Mellon – £4,109 - Volunteers from BNY Mellon have been supporting staff and learners at The Oaks through their Community Impact Program. In addition to the knowledge, experience and expertise BNY Mellon volunteers bring to The Oaks, the Program also attracts funding from BNY Mellon. The funding is based on the number of volunteer hours spent at The Oaks and the funds are re-invested in the activities which the Community Impact Program support.
DFE grant - £100,476 - The DfE provided funding in the year to help maintain and improve the condition of school buildings and grounds.
The Point KCC funding - £1,474,392 – Kent County Council provided funding for the construction of the new purpose-built provision for learners with physical disabilities.
The Mears Foundation - £1,000 - Grant donated for the purpose of purchasing new goals, training items, water bottles and shin pads, socks etc.
The Education People (£1,000) & Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (£1,500) - £2,500 : Funded us for a new Pottery kiln, including delivery and installation, as well as initial supplies such as clay, glaze and underglaze.
Page 29
SKILLS FOR INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY LIMITED
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued For The Year Ended 31 July 2025
19. RESTRICTED FUNDS (continued)
Lifegate Project - £10,000 - Night Sky Foundation and Spectris Foundation contributed £5,000 each to fund the purchase of iPhones and Apple watches for leaners to be used in conjunction with ‘Assistiv’ app which enables learners to complete step by step tasks at work and home independently.
Transfers represent the purchase of fixed assets during the year from a restricted fund which are held for a general purpose.
20. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 July 2025 or 31 July 2024 other than the trustee expenses incurred as detailed in note 8.
21. CAPITAL COMMITMENTS
As at 31 July 2025 the charitable company was committed to £349,354 (2024: £Nil) in relation to construction work for the purpose-built provision for learners with physical disabilities formally known as The Point.
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