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2025-08-31-accounts

Charity Number: 1198230 Company Number: 13389872

The Queen’s School, Chester

Financial Statements

31[st] August 2025

The Queen’s School, Chester

Financial Statements

31[st] August 2025

Contents

ontents
Governors’ Report 1-20
Auditors’ Report 21-23
Statement of Financial Activities 24
Balance Sheet 25
Cash Flow Statement 26
Notes to the Financial Statements 27-40

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Contact Information and Professional Advisors

Headmistress: Mrs J Keville BSc (Hons)
Director of Finance and Mr M Lynch BA (Hons) ACMA
Operations:
Address: The Queen’s School
City Walls Road
Chester
CH1 2NN
Website: www.thequeensschool.co.uk
Charity Registration Number: 1198230
Company Registration Number: 13389872
Bankers: National Westminster Bank plc
Second Floor
33 Eastgate Street
Chester
CH1 1LG
Solicitors: Brabners LLP
Horton House
Exchange Flags
Liverpool
L2 3YL
Aaron & Partners Solicitors
Grosvenor Court
Foregate Street
Chester
CH1 1HG
Auditors: Xeinadin Audit Limited
First Floor,
The Foundation,
Herons Way,
Chester Business Park,
CH4 9GB

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Trustees

The Governors are also the Charity Trustees. Governors who currently serve and those who served during the year are:

Appointed by:

Appointed by:
The Bishop of Chester, The Right Reverend M Tanner Ex officio
Rev Dr L E Cooke PhD MA BEd (Hons)
Cantab Dip Theo AFBPsS C.Psychol FHEA Vice Chair The University of Chester ●
Professor Emerita
Mrs L J Cooper (Appointed 19/03/26) Governors ●
Mrs S C Danby BSc (Hons) MRICS MAPM Governors
Mr A J Dandy Dip The Queen’s School Parents’ Association ●
Cllr R Daniels (Appointed 14/01/26) Governors
Mrs L Fearnall BA (Hons) Vice Chair The Chester Bluecoat Charity
Dr Q M Jaffri BDS Biol BSc (Hons) The Queen’s School Parents’ Association
Mrs E M Johnson JP Dr Robert Oldfield Charity
Cannon A J Lees-Smith (Appointed 01/09/25) Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral in
Chester
Mrs H McKelvey BA (Hons) FCA CTA Governors ●
Mr N Pownall (Appointed 01/09/25) The Queen’s School Parents’ Association ●
Ms R Ridgeway (Appointed 01/09/25) Governors ●
Mrs K J Whiteley BA (Hons) PGCE NPQH Chair Governors ●
Mr P Wildes ACMA Governors ●
Ms J Benton Bed (Hons) NPQSL (Resigned 31/08/25) Governors
Mrs C Brooks BA (Hons) (Resigned 12/01/26) The University of Liverpool
Mrs F Roochove MA (Cantab) (Resigned 12/01/26) The Bishop of Chester
Mrs A L Unett MA (Cantab) TEP (Resigned 31/08/25) Governors

● Members of the Finance Committee

The above trustees and/or the Official Custodian, as custodian trustees, hold the titles to the Charity’s property on behalf of the Charity. As part of the ‘incorporation’ process discussed later in this Governors’ Report, title to the Charity’s properties have been transferred to the new charitable company.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

The Board of Governors present their annual report for The Queen’s School (the School, the Charity or Queen’s) for the year ended 31[st] August 2025 under the Companies Act 2006 , together with the audited financial statements for the year, and confirm that they comply with the current statutory requirements, the requirements of the Charity Commission and 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[st] January 2019) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)).

Objectives and Activities

Charitable Objects

The objects of the Charity, which are set out in the Scheme of 1912, as amended, and in the Articles of Association of the charitable company are to provide a day school for girls in or near the City of Chester. Under the terms of the Scheme, the School maintains a number of bursaries, scholarships and prizes; it also maintains a separate Foundation Bursary Fund, which provides total or partial exemption from tuition fees for pupils who need financial assistance.

Principal Activity

The School’s principal activity is the provision of single-sex education for girls aged 3 to 18.

Organisational Structure and Relationships

The Queen’s School comprises 2 girls’ day schools on separate Chester city centre sites; the Senior School for pupils aged 11-18 and the Lower School for pupils aged 3-11. Girls come from a very wide catchment area centred around the city of Chester and extending into North Wales, West Wirral and a wide radius around Chester into the county of Cheshire.

The Queen’s School is accredited by the Independent Schools Council and actively supports the attainment of the highest standards in the independent schools sector, partly through networking with other major girls’ schools and partly through bodies that are concerned with such standards, including the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), the Independent Schools Association (ISA), the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (AGBIS) and the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA).

The School benefits from its cultural and sporting links with the City of Chester and many local and national organisations, which provides pupils with an awareness of the social context of the education that they receive at Queen’s.

Vision and Values

In simple terms, Queen’s aims to educate and empower its young women to help lead and shape the world in which they live. The School captures this philosophy in 3 core values:

Central to all these values at Queen’s is a strong belief in, and a focus to deliver:

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Objectives

In setting their objectives and planning activities, the Governors have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, including its guidance on advancing education and fee-charging. In setting their objectives, the Governors have also had regard to the School’s commitments to:

The Governors work with the Headmistress and Senior Leadership Team throughout the year to consider the strategic priorities for the short and medium terms and future initiatives for the School.

The key objectives for the School include:

Strategies to Achieve the School’s Objectives

Governors monitor the delivery of the School’s key objectives via a comprehensive reporting cycle and regular Board and committee meetings. The strategies to achieve their objectives with regard to the School’s core educational provision, pastoral care, public benefit, staff and capital projects are set out in the following paragraphs, together with related achievements during the year.

Core Educational Provision

The Governors’ Education Committee continues to oversee the quality of teaching and learning across the School, ensuring that curriculum development remains ambitious, well-structured and aligned with the needs of pupils. Meetings provide Governors with clear insight into current educational priorities, national developments and the School’s strategic direction. Queen’s maintains a holistic approach to education, recognising its role in developing confident, thoughtful and responsible young people who understand the world around them and are equipped to contribute positively to it.

Across both the Lower and Senior Schools, staff work hard to create a nurturing and purposeful learning environment in which pupils are known as individuals. Teachers understand how pupils learn and use this knowledge to plan lessons that support progress, encourage curiosity and build independence. Schemes of work are designed to help pupils develop strong learning habits and critical thinking skills from an early age. Individual progress is monitored through a range of assessment methods, ensuring that pupils receive timely support and appropriate challenge. Parents are kept well informed, and the School’s personalised approach continues to support strong academic outcomes.

The School remains committed to high quality teaching and ongoing professional development. Staff are supported in keeping up to date with pedagogical developments, and the quality of teaching and learning is reviewed regularly to inform training and INSET priorities. Quality First Teaching remains central to classroom practice, ensuring that the needs of all learners are met. Internal evaluation processes, alongside feedback from parents, pupils and staff, help the School to identify areas for further development and to embed best practice across departments.

Strong relationships with parents continue to play an important role in supporting pupils’ academic and personal development. Regular communication with Form Teachers and subject staff helps ensure that pupils receive consistent guidance both in school and at home. Small class sizes allow teachers to tailor learning effectively, providing the right balance of stretch and support.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Academic tracking remains a key feature of provision. At the Senior School, progress is reviewed by Heads of Department and discussed following each reporting cycle to evaluate the impact of interventions and share effective practice. Pupils who would benefit from additional guidance are supported through mentoring programmes in Key Stages 4 and 5, as well as targeted learning support where appropriate. In the Lower School, assessment for learning is strengthened using standardised testing in Mathematics and English, enabling staff to build a clear learning profile for each pupil.

This year, pupils in Year 6 have been able to bring their own iPad into school to support their transition to the Senior School and to develop confidence in using digital devices safely and responsibly. Specialist teachers from the Senior School deliver PE, Music, Spanish and French to Lower School pupils, helping to ensure subject expertise and a smooth transition between phases. Outdoor education continues to be an important part of the curriculum, with pupils benefiting from both Beach and Forest School. These experiences promote collaboration, communication, independence and resilience, while also supporting wellbeing and a connection with the natural world.

Pastoral Care

Pastoral care remains central to the ethos of Queen’s, with every pupil known and supported as an individual. Form Tutors play a key role in building strong, trusting relationships with their tutees, and all staff contribute to a culture of care, respect and openness. The School’s approach to wellbeing is grounded in compassion, fairness and integrity, ensuring that pupils feel listened to and supported.

Pupil voice continues to be an important part of the pastoral framework. Pupils are encouraged to express their views and take on leadership roles through opportunities such as form captaincy and participation in Student Parliament committees. These experiences help pupils develop confidence, responsibility and a sense of belonging within the School community.

For pupils who require additional support, the Wellbeing Hub provides a calm and accessible space staffed by the Pastoral Support Worker, offering tailored guidance and intervention. The PSHE curriculum reinforces key themes such as online safety, healthy relationships and emotional resilience, helping pupils to develop positive habits and make informed choices about their wellbeing.

Staff and Governors receive regular safeguarding training to ensure that they are equipped to support pupils effectively. Positive behaviour is promoted through clear expectations and the recognition of pupils’ contributions to school life. At the Senior School, merits, commendations and awards celebrate effort, achievement and community spirit. In the Lower School, positive behaviour is reinforced through weekly Learning Powers Certificates for Infants and Good Conduct awards in Key Stage 2. The introduction of the Head Queen Bee roles has further strengthened peer support, with Year 6 pupils helping to build connections with younger pupils.

Public Benefit: Overview

The Governors confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 4 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, “Charities and Public Benefit”.

Governors are committed to broadening access to the School and recognise the importance of bursaries to ensure that girls are able to attend the School who would otherwise not be able to benefit from the education offered at The Queen’s School. The School’s Governing Document sets out the School’s undertaking to provide fee support for pupils and broaden access to the School, and Governors are committed to delivering on this undertaking and extending access wherever possible. The School’s Bursary Policy, which is similar to that of many other independent schools, is to make awards based on academic merit and financial need, subject to any conditions imposed by the original donor, where the award is out of Restricted Funds.

Public Benefit: Financial Support

Governors recognise the importance of replenishing bursary funds to meet future demand for bursaries and to provide wider access to the School; accordingly, the School is continuing with its fundraising to achieve this aim and is very grateful for the support received from local charitable trusts and individuals. The 150 for 150 Bursary Campaign Appeal is an ongoing priority for the School and continues to be promoted to raise awareness across the School community. This fund

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

and continued support from individual donors, the Wildes Foundation and Chester Bluecoat Charity are important sources of financial support now and into the future for families with talented daughters who otherwise would not attend Queen’s.

Information about fee assistance through bursaries is available to all families applying to the Senior School and Sixth Form; details are also available on the School website. Bursaries range from smaller contributions to the full value of tuition fees and are reviewed annually, considering family circumstances and parental income and assets. The School provides an external review of bursary applications by its partner company, Bursary Administration Limited. Requests from families for financial assistance have risen over the past two years and demand continues to be significant. This year, means-tested bursaries totalled £430,259 (2024: £416,208) representing 7.3% (2024: 6.9%) of gross fees. The value of scholarships, bursaries and grants made to the School’s pupils out of Restricted Funds amounted to £126,999 (2024: £103,042); the balance being funded from unrestricted funds.

Public Benefit: Educational Community Initiatives

The School’s Synergy outreach programme continued to flourish throughout 2024/25. Pupils from local primary schools ‑ once again attended science based interactive workshops during the summer term, with strong participation from Year 4 and 5 pupils across the region. These sessions, designed by Queen’s Science Department and aligned with the Key Stage 2 Science national curriculum, remain a popular and impactful element of the School’s community engagement. Queen’s continues to strengthen links with key feeder primary schools and those visited by the Year 7 and Transition team to widen access further.

The Saturday Series outreach programme maintained its momentum, completing another full cycle of its two ‑ year curriculum. Open to girls from any local school, the programme offers a distinctive learning experience across a broad range of subjects. Pupils typically begin in the summer of Year 4 and attend one session each term until the spring of Year 6. Attendance remained strong across all six sessions, with consistently positive feedback from both internal and external participants.

Queen’s Mandarin outreach programme also continued to attract pupils from surrounding state schools. Delivered by specialist staff, the programme supports the promotion of Mandarin language and culture locally and complements the School’s provision of Mandarin at GCSE and A ‑ Level.

The School hosted its annual Model United Nations conference, QMUN 4, which brought together students from a wide range of schools across the North West. Delegates engaged in committee debates, supported by Queen’s student organisers who contributed as chairs, press team members and runners. The keynote speaker offered valuable insights drawn from professional experience in global affairs, inspiring students to think critically about international issues and diplomacy.

During the Spring term, the Queen’s Academic Lecture Programme once again provided students with access to ‑ university style teaching delivered by leading academics. Aimed primarily at Year 12 but open to pupils from Year 10 ‑ upwards, the programme supports informed decision making around university applications and offers a valuable ‑ introduction to undergraduate level study. This year’s programme included lectures on:

These lectures continue to broaden pupils’ academic horizons, offering intellectually stretching content across a diverse range of disciplines and reinforcing the School’s commitment to supporting progression into Higher Education.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Public Benefit: Wider Community Engagement and Benefit

The School has continued to open its facilities to outside users through its established partners and service providers. The swimming pool is used for children’s lessons delivered by Puddleducks, the Senior School hosts language programmes run by English in Chester during the summer holidays, and Little Learners Nursery makes weekly use of the Lower School outdoor areas for Forest School activities. Following the opening of the new hockey astro pitch, the School has also entered into partnership with Chester Hockey Club, with several age groups now using the pitch for training and matches throughout the week.

During 2025, the Chester Festival of Performing Arts hosted both the Chester Drama and Speech Festival and the Chester Music Festival at the School. These events bring together pupils from schools across the region to showcase their talents in the spoken arts. Designed to encourage confidence, creativity and communication, the festivals offer young performers the opportunity to compete in a variety of disciplines while receiving detailed feedback from experienced adjudicators. Their presence at Queen’s further strengthens the School’s role as a hub for community engagement and cultural enrichment.

The whole School encourages and participates in a wide range of regular fundraising and charitable activities, supporting an extensive list of causes. The ethos of the School is to promote confidence and a wider sense of community, justice and fair play and girls enjoy the sense of achievement that comes from reaching a fundraising goal or making a difference, at the same time building their understanding of effort and reward. Charities are often proposed by the pupils for support via the Charity Committee, and events are organised by small groups, forms or via the House system. In 2024-25 the School raised money for several charities which included Children in Need, MacMillan and Tanzania Better Lives. In total, across both sites, the schools raised nearly £7,000.

Pupils are encouraged to give their time to support the wider community in a variety of meaningful ways, including public performances, volunteering initiatives and service-based activities. Throughout the year, pupils have taken part in a range of opportunities that promote social responsibility, teamwork and personal development. These have included musical and choral performances within the local community, participation in charitable projects, and engagement with organisations that provide support to vulnerable groups. Older pupils are encouraged to develop their leadership and service skills through volunteering placements, community partnerships and enrichment activities linked to their academic interests. Many choose to support local charities, educational organisations and care settings, gaining valuable experience while contributing positively to the lives of others. The Duke of Edinburgh programme continues to be a popular route through which pupils volunteer across a wide range of charities and community organisations, reinforcing the School’s commitment to fostering compassion, initiative and civic engagement.

Members of Queen’s staff continued to be Governors local primary schools, offering their time, commitment and expertise working with local schools in the community.

Staff

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for all staff is a core element of the School Development Plan. Leaders have continued to ensure that CPD is sustained over time and is prioritised by the School. The School also has an in-house staff development system which includes weekly staff meetings, five INSET days per year as well as regular time allocated for departmental and pastoral matters. The School’s model of CPD has been well received by staff and is continually developed and refined. The School also works with external providers to develop staff, including supporting several staff in gaining the National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership (NPQSL) and National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH). The benefits for our middle and senior leaders are very evident, and this programme has been expanded to a wider range of staff.

At Queen’s, the wellbeing of staff is prioritised equally alongside the wellbeing of pupils. This commitment is reflected in various initiatives, including an annual wellbeing survey to gather feedback, regular staff briefings to keep everyone informed, and one-on-one and small group meetings with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the JCC. Additionally, we provide catering services, organise social events, and a healthcare package through Aviva Smart Health. These efforts ensure that staff can concentrate on delivering the best possible experience for the girls.

To help attract and retain high calibre staff, the School offers fee discounts to all members of staff who choose to educate their daughters at The Queen’s School. High staff retention rates are indicative of the excellent working conditions at

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Queen’s, with engaged pupils, supportive parents and staff enjoying considerable autonomy, working in beautiful surroundings in the historic city of Chester.

Capital Projects

The Director of Finance and Operations together with the Estates Manager works closely with the Senior Leadership Team and Governors via the Estates Committee to deliver a programme of building maintenance across both sites, with a rolling maintenance plan to prioritise work across the School. The Headmistress has a strong focus on environmental impacts and sustainability and work with pupils via Eco-Societies to ensure this thinking is embedded and pupils are engaging and delivering on these aims. It remains an absolute priority of the Governors to deliver the best possible appropriate and attractive facilities to support the education of its pupils.

The most significant ongoing capital project through the year at Queen’s was the continuing work towards the installation of a multi-sports Astroturf pitch at the Senior School. This is a complex project due to the School’s city-centre site, balancing the interests of different external agencies and service providers. Significant progress was made during the year, and the pitch was completed and handed over in September 2025.

In addition to the essential maintenance programme and the refurbishment of classrooms and corridors, which form part of the normal Estates’ team workplans, several other separate estates and IT projects were completed over the course of the year. Completed works included:

Additionally, the Environment Committee - consisting of a group of pupils from the School Parliament - worked with the Estates Manager to identify the best use of the soon to be cleared green space around the new multi sports astro turf pitch.

Achievements and Performance

Operational Performance

The Governors would like to acknowledge the outstanding contributions and achievements of all Queen’s pupils and staff, who strive for excellence as a matter of course; parents, for their continuous support and endorsement of the School's values; the Queen's School Parents’ Association for their fundraising and friend-raising efforts; and the Alumni for their continued contributions in all senses of the word to The Queen’s School community.

Academic Activities

The school is focused on high academic attainment and girls achieving their maximum potential. This is reflected every year in the very impressive achievements of pupils and the university destinations and course choices of leavers. A-Level and GCSE results are consistently above the national average for maintained schools. At the end of Key Stage 4 most girls sit 9 GCSEs, and at the end of Key Stage 5 most girls sit 3 A-Levels, with many pupils also submitting high quality Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) reports for assessment.

This was an exceptionally successful year, at A-Level 24% of grades were awarded at A (compared to the national average figure of 9.4%) and 62% at A or A (compared to the national average of 28.2%). The school achieved 90% A*-B at A-Level compared to a national average of 55.0%. On results day August 2025, most pupils secured their first choice offers with only one or two having to rely on their insurance choice. The majority of these were applications for prestige courses at Russell Group institutions. No pupils were placed through clearing as this was not needed. This reflected both the strength

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Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

of the cohort and the excellent grades they achieved and but also some increased flexibility from institutions on results day.

100% of grades were A - A in English Language and DT, and 100% of grades were A- B in Art, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Economics, Further Maths, History, Latin, Maths, Music, PE, and RS. More than half of all students opted to take at least one STEM subject at A-level, with 90% of the grades achieved at A*- B, proving once again the value of all-girls education in removing barriers and empowering students to not be afraid to pursue traditionally perceived male-dominated subjects.

In total, the school supported 32 pupils in Year 13 and an additional pupil from 2024 who was on a gap yeara and making UCAS applications through Queen’s. Three pupils gained entry for Medicine – one to the University of Liverpool, one to the University of Exeter and one to the University of Hong Kong. Another pupil gained entry to the University of Nottingham for veterinary. Once again it was very pleasing to see some flexibility from the medical schools reflecting the calibre of candidate rather than just focusing too narrowly on grades achieved with Exeter making an offer to a candidate who was one grade below their original offer. The excellent A level grades meant most pupils secured their first-choice university with no girls at all entering the UCAS clearing system in this year.

Sixth Form students attribute much of their success to the academic and career support offered to them, where the tutorialstyle learning is much like university and pupils learn to listen and present their ideas clearly, as topics are debated and discussed in small groups led by specialist teachers. The year also saw the completion of the new Q-Elevate programme with Year 12. Entirely new programmes of enrichment activities were developed for the Q-Lead, Q-Enrich and Q-Global elements of the programme. The Q-Scholar programme continued the successful Extended Project Qualification but also introduced support for candidates entering national essay competitions with two candidates securing commendations for their entries. The support activities for university interviews and entrance test preparation also continued in relation to the most competitive university courses.

At GCSE 18% of grades were awarded at Grade 9 (compared to a national average of 5.1%) and 34% at Grade 9 or 8. The School achieved 76% at Grade 9-6 at GCSE compared to a national average of 35.4%.

In the Lower School, pupil outcomes consistently exceed expectations, with standardised tests (Quest Progress and CEM) showing attainment well above the national average for maintained schools. A notable highlight is in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), where all children met the expected level of development, providing a strong foundation for future success. Across all key stages, value-added measures demonstrate that many pupils exceed their assessed potential, highlighting the effectiveness of our tailored teaching approach.

New pupils, including those joining at various entry points, adapt and progress rapidly, as evidenced by their work, assessments, and positive feedback from parents. Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), English as an additional language (EAL), and more able and talented (MAaT) are also supported to achieve exceptional progress, thanks to targeted interventions and a nurturing learning environment. The seamless transition between year groups and key stages is a testament to the combination of robust pastoral care, academic confidence, and resilience instilled in every child.

Careers

Our School Careers Fair for pupils Year 10 to Sixth Form was an outstanding success in April as judged by pupils, parents, teaching staff and also the delegates from the over 40 companies, universities and organisations represented. Hosting it again at the Racecourse but in a much larger and prestigious venue felt befitting for what was described as a professional event. This was a bespoke event many months in the planning with an inclusive and targeted approach. Each pupil voted for sectors they would like to see represented, meaning that in any one year the representatives will be both varied and inspiring for that specific cohort. For example, the large number of current pupils looking at creative futures were able to talk to universities, businesses, large organisations, Alumna and friends of Queen's representing careers such as architecture, landscape gardening, floristry, design, engineering and so on. We will be running our next Careers Fair in Spring 2027 and contacts are already being made to suit the next group of pupils.

The refurbished careers library has created a wonderful space for inspiration for the pupils and indeed staff. It is also a main venue for visiting potential parents to be brought by our admissions team, and the compliments continue. Mrs Dawson has

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Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

seen a growth in the number of older pupils using the space for studying when there are free times between careers interviews, but also pupils in the younger years making full use it at lunchtime which did not happen previously. It is also a perfect space now for meeting current parents to talk about subject and university choices, and for careers small group work with sixth formers.

Careers lessons are timetabled for all pupils in Years 7-10, who also benefit from early access to the online Unifrog careers platform we subscribe to. The School recognises the vital importance of interview practice, offering a range of opportunities for students including specialist mock interviews for healthcare and Oxbridge applicants, such as a multiple mini-interview event for Year 13 medics, dentists and vets and one to one interviews with Alumni in a variety of subjects. The School is proud of its dedicated National Award winning Careers Department, which also offers individual appointments with the Head of Careers for parents seeking advice on options for their daughters, as well as assisting sixth form pupils gaining work-experience in their chosen fields. We have held the Careers Quality Award (Quality Mark) for 3 years now and will be going to re-validation in the summer term with every expectation of success.

Co-curricular Activities

Co ‑ curricular provision continues to be a major strength of the School and a core contributor to pupils’ personal development, confidence and leadership. Across both sites, participation remains high and the breadth of opportunities ‑ reflects the School’s commitment to developing well rounded young women.

At Senior School, 98 clubs ran throughout the year, covering academic enrichment, creative arts, sport, debating, Model United Nations, STEM, wellbeing and community service. Participation stands at 76%, a strong position given that Year 11 and Year 13 are not required to attend clubs. The School continues to refine its tracking of engagement through iSAMS and SOCS, enabling more consistent oversight and early identification of pupils who would benefit from greater involvement.

Participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme remains strong across the School, with healthy numbers of pupils engaging at Bronze, Silver and Gold level. The introduction of a new expedition provider has supported the delivery of a varied and challenging programme, with pupils undertaking expeditions in a range of suitable outdoor locations. The School continues to offer an extensive programme of extracurricular clubs and activities, enabling many pupils to complete significant elements of their award in house. The scheme remains an important part of the School’s wider commitment to developing resilience, independence and leadership in young people.

CCF continues to attract strong interest from Queen’s pupils, with healthy levels of engagement across all year groups. This year saw an excellent turnout for the Chester Remembrance Parade, where the cadets’ commitment and smart turnout were commended. Two sets of Range Days were delivered at Kinmel Army Camp in March, with almost all eligible Queen’s pupils taking part. Our Year 11 cohort has proved particularly dedicated, attending Friday parade nights regularly and volunteering for every opportunity available, with early promotions anticipated as they move into the Sixth Form. At Easter, three Queen’s pupils were selected for the Silver National Navigation Award weekend and all successfully achieved the award following two demanding days of mountain navigation and a night exercise near Capel Curig. One Year 12 RAF cadet also attended a flying experience at RAF Woodvale in the spring. During the summer term, Year 9 pupils completed their 1 ‑ star weekend exercise, Year 8 took part in their one ‑ day field activity, and cadets from both services attended their ‑ ‑ respective eight day Summer Camps. The contingent feels it has finally emerged from the lingering post Covid impact, with pupils from both schools increasingly taking ownership of their cadet journey and embracing the wider opportunities available to them.

The Lower School continues to provide a well-rounded programme that balances academic, creative and sporting pursuits. Pupils have access to a wide variety of clubs designed to spark new interests, nurture existing passions and develop important skills. Activities offered throughout the year have included a broad mix of sports, arts, music, languages, STEM, outdoor learning and wellbeing-based clubs. With opportunities changing each term, pupils can explore new experiences while finding activities that inspire their individual interests and talents. The breadth of provision reflects the School’s commitment to supporting the whole child and fostering curiosity, creativity and confidence.

Sport

Sport continues to hold a position of significant importance at Queen’s, playing a central role in developing teamwork, character and resilience across all year groups. The school remains committed to providing every pupil with access to a

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

broad and engaging range of sporting opportunities, encouraging participation at all levels and fostering a lifelong appreciation of physical activity. This commitment is supported by a dedicated team of PE teachers and specialist coaches, whose work is further enhanced by older pupils who regularly lead coaching sessions. These leadership opportunities allow senior pupils to gain valuable hands on experience while contributing meaningfully to the development of younger pupils and strengthening their own confidence, communication and organisational skills.

Throughout the year, pupils have taken part enthusiastically in a wide range of sporting activities, including inter house competitions in netball, badminton, rounders, tennis and athletics. Lower School pupils have also benefitted from opportunities to compete in biathlon and to experience new sports such as Tri Golf. Many pupils continue to compete at a high level, and their academic progress is carefully supported to ensure that sporting excellence enhances rather than compromises their success in the classroom. This balanced approach has enabled Queen’s pupils to represent the school at national level in hockey, netball, skiing and pistol shooting, alongside strong achievements in tennis, cross country and athletics.

This academic year also marked an important milestone with the school’s first Sports Scholarship Day. We look forward to welcoming our inaugural cohort of scholars in September, each of whom will contribute to an increasingly dynamic and aspirational sporting culture.

Hockey has enjoyed another outstanding year across both Lower and Senior School. The 1st XI established themselves as a formidable team, securing the Cheshire Cup title in both indoor and outdoor formats and progressing to the quarter finals of the Independent Schools Hockey Cup. Their journey in the ISHC England Hockey Nationals took them to Round 4, and they delivered an impressive second place finish at the Cheadle Tournament.

The U13 and U14 teams benefitted from the valuable experience of an overnight tournament in Nottingham, where they faced a variety of opponents and significantly strengthened their match play and teamwork. Both the U14 and U12 squads performed strongly in Chester and District competitions, with the U12 team finishing an impressive second. In the Lower School, the U11 pupils also enjoyed considerable success, securing third place in the Cheshire Cup. The U13 and U14 hockey tour to Nottingham further enriched the programme, giving pupils the chance to compete against unfamiliar teams while developing skills and resilience both on and off the pitch.

Netball has been a standout sport this year, with achievements across the school reaching record breaking levels. The U14A team made school history by becoming the first Queen’s team to qualify for the England Netball National Schools Finals, where they finished fifth nationally. Their season also included a fourth-place finish in the Sisters n Sport Cup, victories in both the Chester and District and Cheshire tournaments, and consistent performances against older age groups.

The U14B team added to this success by winning the Chester and District Plate, while the U13B squad secured a strong fourth place finish in their district competition. The U12A team continued this momentum, winning the Chester and District competition and demonstrating excellent progress throughout the season. The Year 9 netball team extended the school’s success even further, enjoying a historic run that included winning the U15 Chester and District Tournament, the Cheshire Schools Tournament and the North West National Schools Qualifiers. Their achievements earned them a place in the England Netball National Schools Finals in Sheffield, one of the highest honours at school level.

Lower School netball also flourished. The U11 team won the Chester Schools Tournament before progressing to the Cheshire Finals, where they finished third. They further demonstrated their strength by achieving second place in the AJIS Plate competition. Queen’s was also proud to host the U9 AJIS Netball Competition, welcoming over fifteen schools to our site for a vibrant and highly successful event. Younger pupils participated enthusiastically in the U9 Cheshire Schools Festival, and a whole school inter house netball tournament helped to foster community spirit and encourage participation. Football continues to grow in popularity across the school. The U13 team enjoyed a notable achievement in the Cheshire Cup, progressing to Round 4 following a determined 2–1 victory over Catholic High School. The U10 to U15 teams also played a range of friendly fixtures, reflecting the increasing strength and confidence of the school’s football programme.

Athletics remains a highlight of the sporting calendar, with impressive individual and team performances across both Lower and Senior School. Senior athletes secured first place finishes in long jump, javelin, discus and the 1500 metres, alongside a strong second place in the 300 metres. One outstanding athlete qualified for the English Schools Athletics Finals, achieving seventh place nationally in the discus, a remarkable accomplishment reflecting both talent and dedication. Lower School pupils also performed exceptionally well at the Chester Schools competitions, earning first and third places in javelin, second

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

place in the 200 metres and second place in both the Year 4 and Year 6 relay events. These results highlight the depth of emerging talent and the effectiveness of early development programmes within the school.

Lower School swimmers demonstrated impressive capability at the ESSA North West Regional Relay Championships, achieving times that secured qualification for the ESSA National Relay Championships in June. This success reflects both strong team cohesion and the effectiveness of the school’s swimming programme. The Lower School indoor athletics teams also enjoyed significant success, winning the Girls Division at the U11 Chester Schools competition. At the AJIS Indoor Athletics event, pupils delivered a series of excellent performances, achieving first place in one event, second place in three events and third place in two further events.

Tennis continues to be a strength for Queen’s. The U14 team were crowned Chester and District Champions, while the U13 team achieved second place in their district competition. Year 8 pupils were also introduced to Padel Tennis, currently the fastest growing sport in the world. They enjoyed a specialist coaching session at Destination Padel and concluded the experience with a competitive tournament in which several pupils won prizes.

A Year 10 pupil delivered a remarkable performance at the National Schools Biathlon Finals, finishing seventh nationally, an achievement that showcases both dedication and athletic versatility. In pistol shooting, the inters team represented Queen’s at the British Shooting Schools National Finals, where they also secured seventh place nationally. Their resilience, concentration and teamwork contributed significantly to this strong result.

This has been an exceptional year for sport at Queen’s, characterised by impressive participation, remarkable individual and team achievements and a growing culture of aspiration and leadership. The breadth of opportunities offered ensures that sport remains inclusive while enabling pupils with particular talents to excel at the highest levels. The dedication of pupils, staff and coaches, together with the introduction of our first Sports Scholarship Day, reflects a forward-looking approach that will continue to strengthen the school’s sporting excellence in the years ahead.

Performing Arts

‑ Music and Drama continue to play a central role in the School’s extensive extra curricular programme, with pupils across ‑ all year groups engaging in high quality performance opportunities that build confidence, creativity and technical skill.

Recruitment for vocal and instrumental lessons has remained strong, with more pupils than ever receiving individual music tuition. The Autumn ABRSM examinations once again saw excellent results, maintaining the School’s tradition of high achievement. LAMDA participation also remained a significant strength across the School. This year, 19 pupils took their examinations in March, with 16 achieving distinctions and 3 gaining merits, and further entries were completed in June with results pending. In addition, Queen’s hosted the Chester Festival of Performing Arts in March, where all four Year 7 entrants received commended certificates. As noted in the Drama Department report, “19 pupils took part and gained some fantastic results,” demonstrating the continued success of performance-based communication skills.

The Drama Department has enjoyed another vibrant year “filled with creativity, achievement and memorable performances.” The year began with an A Level theatre trip to London’s Lyric Theatre to see Our Country’s Good, offering students the opportunity to see a set text brought to life through a contemporary interpretation. GCSE Drama students also worked intensively throughout the year on both devised and scripted pieces, showcased in performance evenings in November and March, which highlighted their “impressive creativity and growing talent on stage.”

Drama clubs across the School contributed significantly to the performing arts calendar. Cabaret evenings featured a wide ‑ range of dramatic performances, including a lively mini pantomime of Sleeping Beauty from Drama Fun Club and a fully ‑ committed melodramatic performance of The Black Hearted Villain by Drama Queens. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 also presented thoughtful and engaging pieces from Time, Macbeth, The Importance of Being Earnest and Anne of Green Gables, demonstrating both range and maturity in performance.

The School continued its partnership with The Paper Birds theatre company, who returned in June to deliver an inspiring devising workshop for pupils in Years 9–12. The session was “highly engaging and interactive,” enabling students to explore new creative approaches and build confidence in collaborative performance.

Music remained equally active throughout the year. The Senior School Cabaret evenings in March once again brought together talented musicians, singers, dancers and actors, with all ensembles performing alongside a wide range of soloists

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Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

from Years 10–13. The Summer Soirée in June provided another highlight, featuring performances from the chamber choir, pop choir and musical theatre choir, accompanied by refreshments for families.

The annual Queen’s School Music Festival continued to be a major event in the School calendar, attracting a large number of entries across all categories. External adjudicators praised the exceptionally high standard of musicianship, and the afternoon winners’ concert was well attended by parents and families.

At the Lower School, performance remains central to the curriculum, with every child taking part in a major production each year. Highlights included A King is Born for the Infants, Wiz, Wham, Alakazam for Years 3–4, and Forever Treasure Island for Years 5–6, performed on the Senior School stage. These productions continue to nurture confidence, teamwork ‑ and public speaking skills. Pupils also took part in a wide range of public performances, including the Infant Harvest Service, the Cathedral Carol Service, the Daffodil Service and the Little Summer Serenade, where the Lower School Orchestra and ensembles showcased their developing musical talents.

Lower School choirs—Songbirds, Nightingales and Queen’s Young Voices—remained extremely popular, and the Junior Choir achieved notable success by placing first in the Chester Music Festival competition. Twelve Lower School pupils also achieved distinctions in their LAMDA examinations in March. The School continued its partnership with Little Beats, enabling pupils to visit Upton Dean Nursing Home to perform and build meaningful connections with residents.

Overall, 2024/25 has been a year of exceptional creativity, collaboration and achievement across the Performing Arts. Pupils have benefited from a rich programme of opportunities that develop confidence, resilience and artistic expression, and the School remains committed to nurturing these talents in the years ahead.

Debating and public speaking

It has been another exciting year for MUN at Queen's, propelled by the dynamism and experience of our seasoned MUNers as well as enriched by Year 9 students dipping their toes into MUN waters. Through MUN students have the opportunity to simulate a diplomatic summit at the UN, debating current topics of geopolitical relevance, developing their communication and teamworking skills, and grow and develop as individuals by stepping outside their comfort zones.

In November, Queen’s hosted QMUN 4, which has become a regular fixture on the MUN circuit in the North West. Run by our experienced MUNers, it saw 220 students from Queen's and 12 other schools from across the North West were involved in a variety of roles. To make full use of all the opportunities offered by QMUN beyond the core debating activities, we always have a Yr7/ 8 team of 'Runners' helping with logistics and a Press Team producing a newsletter and video for publication at the Closing Ceremony.

Delegates and chairs from Queen's also participated in a range of other conferences: hard on the heels of QMUN 4, in December we travelled to Manchester Grammar School; in January, to Altrincham Girls' School; in February, to the King's School, Chester; in June, to Moreton Hall School; and in July, to Withington Girls' School.

External competitions

Participation in externally organised academic competitions continued to be an important feature of school life during 2024/25, with pupils across all key stages engaging enthusiastically in a wide range of national challenges, Olympiads and enrichment activities. Departments across the School encouraged pupils to extend their learning beyond the classroom, and once again there were many strong performances that reflected both commitment and high academic standards.

In STEM subjects, pupils from the Lower and Senior Schools took part in a variety of mathematics and science competitions, ‑ ‑ including national problem solving challenges and Olympiad style assessments. Many pupils achieved awards across the ‑ different levels, with a number progressing to follow on rounds or receiving commendations for their work. Computational thinking and computer science remained areas of strength, with pupils from multiple year groups entering national coding and logic ‑ based challenges and achieving a broad spread of merits, distinctions and higher ‑ level awards.

‑ Younger pupils in the Lower School continued to participate in age appropriate mathematics and computational thinking competitions, performing well against regional and national benchmarks. Older pupils in the Senior School engaged in a

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

‑ range of subject specific Olympiads and online challenges, developing their analytical skills and gaining valuable experience ‑ of advanced problem solving.

Beyond STEM, pupils took part in a variety of literacy, reading and creative writing competitions, with entries submitted across several year groups. Teams represented the School in regional book quizzes and national writing initiatives, and a number of pupils had their work recognised or selected for publication. Engagement in enterprise, economics and financial literacy activities also continued, with pupils benefiting from opportunities to develop presentation, teamwork and research skills through national programmes and competitions.

The Performing Arts remained an important part of the School’s enrichment offer, with pupils from both the Lower and Senior Schools taking part in local festivals and competitions. Choirs and ensembles performed strongly, and pupils across the age range gained valuable experience in public performance and adjudicated events.

Overall, 2024/25 was another year in which pupils embraced the opportunity to challenge themselves, represent the School ‑ and celebrate their achievements across a wide range of academic and co curricular competitions. Their successes reflect the School’s commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity, confidence and ambition in every pupil.

Educational Visits

Educational visits remain an important element of the School’s curriculum, providing structured opportunities for pupils to extend their learning beyond the classroom, develop independence and apply knowledge in real ‑ world contexts. A broad ‑ programme of day trips, residential experiences and subject specific visits took place across all year groups during the year..

‑ Lower School pupils participated in a wide range of curriculum linked visits. Reception and Year 1 visited the Blue Planet Aquarium and attended a performance at Chester’s Storyhouse, with Year 1 also undertaking a history ‑ focused visit to Chirk Castle. Year 2 pupils took part in science and history visits to Knowsley Safari Park and Nantwich and joined Year 3 for a residential at Tattenhall. Year 3 also visited the Eureka! Science and Discovery Centre.

Year 4 undertook visits to the Liverpool World Museum and Weaver Hall, alongside a residential at Robinwood. Year 5 combined a Chester Zoo workshop on sustainability with a residential at Rhos y Gwaliau, and Year 6 completed visits to ‑ Safety Central before concluding their Lower School experience with a week long residential in France.

These trips are carefully designed to provide engaging outdoor challenges, fostering resilience and teamwork, while the French experience broadens cultural horizons. Complementing these adventures, the Lower School also delivers a comprehensive outdoor learning programme. All Lower School groups participate in enriching beach visits during the autumn and spring terms, while the summer term features Forest School experiences that promote learning, creativity, and well-being across all year groups

Senior School pupils benefited from a comprehensive programme of academic, cultural and outdoor learning opportunities. Residentials included the Year 12 Sixth Form Residential at the Conway Centre and the Year 7 residential at High Adventure. Overseas visits included a cultural and language trip to Barcelona for Years 8 and 9, a French Riviera visit for pupils in Years 8 to 10, and a Sixth Form Physics visit to CERN in Geneva.

‑ Departments offered a wide range of subject specific enrichment. These included theatre visits for Drama and English, Chinese culture workshops for Mandarin pupils, gallery visits for Art students, and a visit to Amazon’s Fulfilment Centre for Business and Economics. Psychology students visited Shrewsbury Prison, and Physics pupils attended a STEM activity day at Liverpool University.

Fieldwork remained a core component of the Geography and Biology curricula. Geography pupils undertook coastal, river and tourism studies across the Wirral, North Wales and Liverpool, while Biology students participated in workshops at Chester Zoo and ecological fieldwork at Preston Montford.

The year culminated with the return of the whole-school educational visits day in the final week of term, when each year group went on a trip specifically tailored to suit their age and stage of learning.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

National and global connections

The School continued to strengthen its international outlook during 2024/25, with pupils benefiting from a range of global connections and cultural experiences. The Virtual Boardroom remained an important tool for enabling meaningful engagement with partners, alumnae and professionals across the world. These sessions supported academic enrichment, careers guidance and wider cultural understanding, and continue to demonstrate the value of digital connectivity in broadening pupils’ horizons.

The Alumni Manager facilitated three well-attended reunion events during the year, ensuring important connections were nurtured. We welcomed back alumnae from the Classes of 1975, 1985 and 1995 for milestone reunions filled with laughter, memories and meaningful connections. The School’s Alumni community has been running since 1897 and continues to grow, with over 7,000 current connections and is increasing in number.

Alumni are an important and valued asset for the school and by working in conjunction with the Careers Department, we can host popular careers talks for pupils with a wide range of former pupils from diverse sectors. Alumni also help conduct mock interviews for pupils applying for competitive courses, such as medicine, vet science and applications to Oxford and Cambridge. These meetings can be held virtually (on Teams) or in person. As always, this ethos of giving back and mentoring remains strong across Queen’s Alumni community.

The school also held its annual Prizegiving and Commemoration Service with inspiring Alumni guest speakers. The Michaelmas Supper held in September at the beginning of the academic year, for our newest alumnae is the springboard for the next steps in their alumnae journey and continued connection with The Queen’s School.

Fundraising Performance

In total, the School secured donations of £113,353 during the year, including £75,090 towards bursaries and £9,979 towards its Building Fund. Many parents contribute to the Building Fund through a termly contribution and Governors are grateful for all donations of any size which enhance the educational offering to pupils.

The School has raised £71,670 for the 150 for 150 Bursary Foundation Appeal since its launch. The School continues to engage with its parents, Alumni, and the wider community to fulfil its aim to support those families who could not otherwise afford an education at Queen’s. Governors recognise that everyone benefits from a diverse environment and from meeting and interacting with people who have different perspectives and backgrounds, and they want to ensure that the School continues to reflect the community that it serves. In addition to the focus on its bursary provision, the School is raising funds for a multi-sport Astro pitch project at the Senior School - in total, direct fundraising has contributed £53,458 towards the Astro Project since the project’s launch.

The School is committed to nurturing a culture of giving across the entire Queen’s community and this remains a continuing focus going forwards.

Financial Review

The net deficit for the year after depreciation and bad debt provision was £130,057 (2024: surplus of £585,398). Despite these pressures, the School’s underlying operating performance remained stable. Before depreciation and the bad debt provision, the School generated a small surplus of £21,882, demonstrating careful management of day ‑ to ‑ day operations. The final position includes a depreciation charge of £84,127, reflecting continued investment in the School’s estate, and a prudent bad debt provision of £67,815. Income from donations and legacies totalled £113,353, which, although lower than the previous year, continues to show strong support from the wider Queen’s community.

This result needs to be understood within the context of an exceptionally difficult year for independent schools nationally. A combination of economic pressures, policy changes and unavoidable cost increases created a financial environment that was more challenging than anything seen in recent years. The deficit therefore reflects a temporary set of circumstances rather than any underlying weakness in the School’s financial position.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

At 31 August 2025, the Charity held total funds of £10,829,689 (2024: £10,959,746). Within this, unrestricted funds amounted to £9,705,013 (2024: £9,764,444), providing substantial resources available to support the Charity’s ongoing operations and strategic priorities. A further £1,124,676 (2024: £1,195,302) was held in endowed and restricted funds, which are subject to specific conditions and therefore not available for general use.

Independent schools also faced a unique combination of cost increases. VAT on fees was introduced in January 2025, Mandatory Business Rates Relief ended in April 2025, and employer National Insurance rose from 13.8% to 15%. The ‑ National Living Wage increased by 6.7%, and the School came out of a five year fixed energy contract at a time when UK ‑ energy prices were rising again. This resulted in a significant increase in energy and estates related expenditure. These pressures were national in scale and affected schools across the sector. Pupil numbers were lower across both sites during the year, which placed pressure on fee income. These movements reflect timing and transition rather than long ‑ term trends, and pupil numbers have already shown encouraging signs of improvement in the current year.

Throughout the year, Governors and leaders made a deliberate decision to protect the quality of education, pastoral care ‑ and the pupil experience. Short term cuts that would have compromised the School’s core purpose were avoided. The ‑ deficit recorded this year is therefore best understood as a one off result during a period of exceptional external change. ‑ The School remains financially secure, resilient and well positioned for the year ahead.

‑ The School continued to invest in its buildings and facilities in line with the Governor approved programme of works. The ‑ most significant project was the installation of the new multi sports Astroturf pitch at the Senior School. This was a complex ‑ scheme due to the School’s city centre location and the need to coordinate with multiple external agencies. Substantial progress was made during the year, and the pitch was completed and handed over in September 2025.

Alongside this, a range of essential works were completed across both sites, including refurbishment of the Senior School tennis courts, upgrades to changing facilities, installation of a new boiler and water system at the Lower School, and roof and window repairs to the Stanley Place façade. These projects form part of the School’s long ‑ term commitment to ‑ maintaining safe, attractive and well equipped learning environments.

A designated fund of £550,000 remains set aside to meet the cost of future repairs to buildings and equipment. The unrestricted fund balance is sufficient to cover the carrying value of the School’s freehold land, buildings and equipment, and day ‑ to ‑ day working capital requirements continue to be managed carefully.

The overall reserves position remains robust. The level of unrestricted reserves demonstrates strong underlying resilience and ensures the School is well placed to manage future uncertainties, maintain stability and continue investing in the development of its educational provision.

Reserves Policy

The Governors consider that a minimum free cash balance equivalent to one month’s expenditure should be held throughout the year to cover the risks and uncertainties of operating as an independent educational establishment. A free cash balance of at least one month’s expenditure has been held since December 2014, and this remains the policy of Governors for the forthcoming year. Governors actively monitor cash reserves, in particular considering the need for further capital expenditure to equip the School with up-to-date facilities that may be needed to maintain the standard of educational services that is currently provided.

Investment Policy, Objectives and Performance

The Charity’s powers of investment of its trust funds are governed by the Trustee Act 2000.

The Board’s long-term policy is to maximise income while preserving the value of the investments. The Charity’s investments have continued to be managed in accordance with that policy. Investment performance continues to reflect the ongoing uncertain market conditions and investments are held for their long-term returns, and performance will continue to be monitored to assess whether they offer adequate returns.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Plans for the Future

The principal priority for the School remains to provide an outstanding learning experience and environment for all pupils, to enable them to achieve their maximum potential in all aspects of their development, the very best examination results possible and to provide the strongest platform from which to move on to the next phase in their lives. The School seeks to foster a lifelong love of learning within a nurturing environment, and to provide opportunities for pupils to lead, create and innovate, and then leave as ambitious, independent and confident individuals.

The Strategic Plan sets out the School’s main priorities for development and expansion to remain at the forefront of providing as many girls in the local area as possible with the opportunities of a Queen’s education.

The key areas of development from the 7-Year Strategic Plan remain a commitment to:

The School will continue to prioritise the recruitment, retention and development of its outstanding teaching and operations staff, as well as the wellbeing of staff through its Staff Wellbeing initiatives and benefits.

Financial sustainability is at the heart of all strategic planning and Governors focus on value for money in terms of both the educational provision and future developments

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The School was originally founded as the Chester School for Girls and was opened on 1[st] May 1878. The Queen’s School was established by Indenture dated 14[th] February 1882 and named The Queen’s School by command of Her Majesty the Queen Victoria.

The Governors completed the process of ‘incorporation’ of the School whin 2022 with the appointment of the charitable company known as The Queen’s School Chester (charity number 1198230) as sole corporate trustee of the original, unincorporated Queen’s School charity. This incorporation process has established a more robust governance system and one that affords better protection to the current Governors against risks of personal liability. The incorporation allows the charity to enter into contracts, as well as own and hold investments and property in its own name, amongst other benefits.

On 19 September 2023, a linking direction was secured from the Charity Commission directing that as of 19 September 2023 the original unincorporated charity called The Queen’s School Chester (charity number 525935) be treated as forming part of the charity called the charitable company also known as The Queen’s School Chester (charity number 1198230) for the purposes of Part 4 (registration) and Part 8 (accounting) of the Charities Act 2011.

The Governors (referred to throughout the Governors’ Report) are in fact the directors of the charitable company that acts as sole corporate trustee of the original unincorporated charity.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Governing Body

The School’s Governing Document provides for a Governing Body comprising up to 20 Governors: one ex officio Governor, being The Bishop of Chester (or his/her nominee), up to eight Representative Governors and up to eleven co-opted Governors (or twelve co-opted Governors, if The Bishop of Chester declines to take up the Ex-Officio Governorship or appoint a nominee) appointed by a Resolution of the Governors; at least one Governor to be a past pupil of the School.

Co-opted Governors are elected by the Board of Governors on the basis of nominations received. Co-opted Governors are appointed for a period of five years. The Governors’ Appointments Committee is responsible for considering the skills, knowledge and experience required by the Board. Representative Governors appointed by Cheshire West and Chester County Council are appointed for a term ending on the date of the appointment of his or her successor, which may be made at any time after the ordinary date of election of Borough Councillors after the date of his or her appointment. The other Representative Governors are appointed for a term of three years. Two Queen’s School Parents’ Association Representative Governors are elected at a general meeting of the Association.

All Governors give of their time freely and no remuneration or expenses were paid during the period.

Governor Induction

All new Governors receive an induction pack, which includes the School’s governing documents, a Guide to being a Queen’s School Governor, the latest financial statements and a number of other relevant documents. New Governors complete the AGBIS eLearning Course for New Governors and are inducted into the workings of The Queen’s School as a school and as a registered charity at a meeting with the Chair of Governors, the Headmistress and the Clerk to the Governors.

All Governors attend annual safeguarding training and are invited and encouraged to attend training seminars, including those organised by the School and other organisations, such as AGBIS.

Organisational Management

The Governors meet as a Board at least four times a year to consider the general policy of the School and the Charity, and to review its overall management and control for which they are legally responsible. Governors are invited to join subcommittees, according to their interests, expertise and availability:

The day-to-day running of the School is delegated to the Headmistress and the Director of Finance and Operations, supported by other members of the Senior Leadership Team. The Headmistress and the Director of Finance and Operations attend meetings of the Governing Body and its Committees and ad hoc sub-committees are formed to consider specific projects, as appropriate.

Governors are also assigned to departments as Departmental Link Governors, to gain a greater understanding of the activities of the School and individual subject areas, as well as to act as a point of contact between departmental heads and the Board of Governors.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Pay Policy for Key Management Personnel

The key management personnel of the Charity comprise the Headmistress and the Director of Finance and Operations, supported by other members of the Senior Leadership Team. Governors meet once a year to review salary benchmarking information relating to these positions and set salary and benefit packages accordingly.

Risk Management

The Board, through its Audit and Risk Management Committee – which usually consists of seven Governors, the Headmistress and the Director of Finance and Operations – continues to keep the School’s activities under review, particularly with regard to any major risks that may arise from time to time. The School, under the leadership of the Headmistress, is responsible for the day-to-day risk management of activities.

The Audit and Risk Management Committee reports directly to the Board of Governors; its terms of reference include:

Over the course of the year, the Audit & Risk Management Committee carries out a thorough review and update of the School’s Risk Register, assessing and evaluating major risks and the process by which they are reviewed, monitored and mitigated/managed. The Register is reviewed at every Audit & Risk Management Committee meeting and all other Governor sub-committees perform a detailed review of risks specific to their areas at least annually. The School has also engaged an external company to assist with Risk Assessments of activities, to ensure a consistent approach is adopted throughout the School and that the process is tightly managed.

Through the risk management process, Governors believe that major risks will be identified and adequately mitigated to an acceptable level in the day-to-day operation of the School. It is recognised that systems can only provide reasonable, but not absolute assurance that major risks will be adequately managed.

Accounting and Reporting Responsibilities

The Charities Act 2011 and the Companies Act 2006 requires the Governors as the Trustees of the Charity to prepare Accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the Charity’s financial activities during the period and of its financial position at the end of the year.

In preparing the Accounts the Governors should follow best practice and:

The Governors are responsible for keeping accounting records which are such as to disclose, with reasonable accuracy, the financial position of the Charity at any time, and to enable them as Trustees to ensure that the Accounts comply with charity law. The Governors are also responsible for safeguarding the Charity’s assets and ensuring their proper application, and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of error, fraud and other irregularities.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Governors’ Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Auditors

In accordance with the company’s articles, a resolution proposing that Xeinadin Audit Limited be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.

Approved by the Board of Governors at its meeting on 20[th] May 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

Mrs K Whiteley

The Queen’s School, Chester

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Trustees of The Queen’s School, Chester

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of The Queen’s School (the ‘School’) for the year ended 31 August 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and the 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, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the School 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 School’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 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 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.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

The Queen’s School, Chester

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Trustees of The Queen’s School, Chester

Responsibilities of Trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of Trustees’ responsibilities, the Trustees 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 School’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 cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act

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.

The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably.

Firstly, the School is subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements including financial reporting legislation (including related companies legislation), distributable profits legislation and taxation legislation and we assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items.

Secondly, the School is subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequence of non-compliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance the imposition of fines or litigation or the loss of the School’s license to operate. We identified the following areas as those most likely to have such an effect: data protection laws, anti-bribery, money laundering and employment law. Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the trustees and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. Therefore, if a breach of operational regulations is not disclosed to us or evident from relevant correspondence, an audit will not detect that breach.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Independent Auditors’ Report to the Trustees of The Queen’s School, Chester

Because of the inherent limitations of an audit, there is 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, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Other matters

Your attention is drawn to the fact that the charity has prepared financial statements 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)” (as amended) in preference to the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice issued on 1 April 2005 which is referred to in the extant regulations but has now been withdrawn.

This has been done in order for the financial statements to provide a true and fair view in accordance with current Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the School’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the School’s Trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors’ 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 School and the School’s Trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Robert Pearl BSc BEng ACA

Xeinadin Audit Limited Statutory Auditor Eligible to act as an auditor in terms of Section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006 First Floor, The Foundation, Herons Way, Chester Business Park, Chester, CH4 9GB

Date: 20[th] May 2026

The Queen’s School, Chester

Statement of Financial Activities – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

The activities relate to continuing operations.

The Statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

The Statement of Financial Activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.

The notes on pages 27 to 40 form part of these financial statements.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Balance Sheet as at 31[st] August 2025

Notes 2025 2024
£ £ £ £
Fixed Assets
Tangible Fixed Assets 12 8,265,513 6,900,432
Investments 13 319,697 314,188
8,585,210 7,214,620
Current Assets
Debtors 14 557,639 309,664
Cash at Bank and in Hand 3,244,739 4,632,407
3,802,378 4,942,071
Creditors
Amounts falling due within one year 15 (1,337,405) (801,932)
Net Current Assets 2,464,973 4,140,139
Total Assets Less Current Liabilities 11,050,183 11,354,759
Creditors
Amounts falling due after more than one year 16 (220,494) (395,013)
Total Net Assets 18 10,829,689 10,959,746
Endowed Funds 19 369,780 370,908
Restricted Funds 20 754,896 824,394
Unrestricted Funds
Designated 21 550,000 1,362,550
Accumulated Income 21 9,155,013 8,401,894
10,829,689 10,959,746

The notes on pages 27 to 40 form part of these financial statements.

Approved by the Board of Governors on 20[th] May 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

Mrs K Whiteley

The Queen’s School, Chester

Cash Flow Statement – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

Cash Flow Statement:

Cash Flow Statement:
Notes 2025 2024
£ £
Cash flows from Operating Activities: CF1 (50,009) 519,527
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchase of investments
Sale/redemption of investments
Improvements to freehold land and buildings - -
Purchase of furniture, equipment and vehicles (145,573) (40,269)
Disposal of furniture, equipment and vehicles 15,663 -
Purchase of Assets under construction (1,319,298) (148,929)
Net cash provided by investing activities (1,449,208) (189,198)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Investment Income 111,549 172,062
Interest paid - -
Net cash provided by financing activities 111,549 172,062
Change in Net Cash in the period (1,387,668) 502,391
Net cash at 01.09.24 CF2 4,629,407 4,127,016
Net cash at 31.08.25 CF2 3,241,739 4,629,407

Notes to the Cash Flow Statement:

CF1 Cash Flows from Operating Activities

CF1 Cash Flows from Operating Activities
2025 2024
£ £
Net movement in funds (130,057) 585,398
Deduct gains / Add losses on investments (5,509) (29,770)
Add depreciation charges 84,127 85,763
Deduct investment income (111,549) (172,062)
Add interest paid - -
Add decrease/ Deduct increase in debtors (247,975) (53,472)
Add increase/ Deduct decrease in creditors 360,954 103,670
Net cash used in operating activities (50,009) 519,527

CF2 Analysis of Changes in Net Cash

CF2 Analysis of Changes in Net Cash
At 01.09.24 Cash Flows At 31.08.25
£ £ £
Cash balances 4,632,407 (1,387,668) 3,244,739
Overdraft balances - - -
Cash at bank and in hand 4,632,407 (1,387,668) 3,244,739
Debt due within one year (3,000) - (3,000)
Debt due after one year - - -
Total 4,629,407 (1,387,668) 3,241,739

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements - Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

The financial statements have been prepared under the Companies Act 2006 and in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice on Accounting and Reporting by Charities: the Charities SORP (FRS 102).

1. Accounting Policies

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the Financial Statements are as follows:

a) Presentation currency

The financial statements are presented in sterling, which is the functional currency of the Charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

b) Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1[st] January 2019) and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies act 2006 .

The School constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

c) Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis

The Trustees have considered the future trading of the School and have prepared forecasts for a period of more than 12 months from the date of these financial statements. They have a reasonable expectation that the School can continue to meet its liabilities as they fall due. On this basis, the Trustees consider it appropriate to prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis.

d) Fees and Similar Income

Fees receivable and charges for services and use of premises are accounted for in the period in which the service is provided. Fees receivable are stated after deducting allowances and scholarships allowed by the School, but include contributions received from bursary funds.

Fees received for education to be provided in future years are carried forward as deferred income.

e) Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the Charity, this is normally on notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid is recognised at the time the repayment claim is made.

f) Direct and Overhead Expenditure

Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis. Overhead and other costs not directly attributable to particular functional activity categories are apportioned over the relevant categories on the basis of management estimates of the amount attributable to that activity in the year, either by reference to staff time or space occupied, as appropriate. The irrecoverable VAT element is included with the item of expense to which it relates.

g) Teaching materials

Supplies of apparatus, equipment, books, stationery and sundry materials are written off as soon as the expenditure on procuring them is incurred.

h) Donations

Donations and legacies receivable for the general purposes of the Charity are credited to unrestricted funds. Donations and legacies for purposes restricted by the wishes of the donor are taken to restricted funds where those wishes are legally binding on the School Governors, except that any amounts required to be

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

retained as capital in accordance with the donor’s wishes are accounted for instead as endowments – permanent or expendable according to the nature of the restriction.

i) Allocation of support costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the Charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include finance, personnel, payroll and governance. Governance costs are those incurred in connection with administration of the Charity and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.

j) Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes. Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the Charity that have been set aside by the Trustees for specific purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. Restricted funds are funds which are used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Endowed funds are funds which are used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes, and where the capital element of the fund must be maintained in perpetuity. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund where that does not reduce the original capital element of the fund.

The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Investment income, gains and losses are allocated to the appropriate fund.

k)

Operating Leases

Rents payable under operating leases are charged in the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.

l)

Fixed Assets

Freehold land and buildings, some of which are listed properties, are included at cost and are not depreciated. It is the Governors’ policy to maintain the buildings in a good state of repair, consequently they are considered to have an indefinite useful economic life. Annual impairment reviews have so far confirmed that the service potential of the buildings remains undiminished.

In addition to the costs of minor repairs to the buildings, which are written off as incurred, a provision within designated funds is made as and when considered appropriate for major repairs that are likely to arise in the future.

Improvements to land and buildings are included at cost and are depreciated at 10% per annum on cost. Furniture, fixtures, fittings and equipment are capitalised at cost and are depreciated at rates between 10% and 25% per annum on cost. Motor vehicles are capitalised at cost and are depreciated at rates between 20% and 25% per annum on cost.

Individual items costing less than £500 are written off as an expense as acquired.

m) Investments

Investments are stated at market value at the balance sheet date. Investment gains or losses are calculated by reference to the market values of investments at the beginning and end of the accounting period. The Statement of Financial Activities includes the net gains and losses arising on revaluations and disposals throughout the year.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

n) Debtors

Debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discounts offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

o) Cash

Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the account.

p) Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the Charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

q) Pension Scheme

The School contributes to a defined contribution pension scheme for staff at rates varying from 4% to 16%, and these contributions are accrued accordingly.

r)

Critical accounting estimates and judgements

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

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

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

  1. Income from Charitable Activities
Income from Charitable Activities
2025 2024
£ £
Income from Charitable Activities comprises:
School Fees 5,611,184 5,758,580
Catering Income 335,209 359,905
Other Income 451,007 363,771
6,397,400 6,482,256
School fee income comprises:
Gross fees 5,914,444 6,071,746
LessTotal bursaries and allowances 430,259 416,208
5,484,185 5,655,538
AddBursaries paid from Restricted Funds 126,999 103,042
5,611,184 5,758,580

The above educational awards were made to 36 individuals (2024: 32) of whom 13 (2024: 10) benefitted from a bursary paid partly or fully from Restricted funds.

a bursary paid partly or fully from Restricted funds.
2025 2024
£ £
Catering Income comprises:
Pupil Lunches 312,969 335,266
Tuck Shop Income 14,864 17,725
Other Catering Income 7,376 6,914
335,209 359,905
Other Income comprises:
Entrance examination and other fees 3,750 5,850
Trip Income 222,840 188,842
Other Income 224,417 169,079
451,007 363,771

3. Income from Other Trading Activities

Income from Other Trading Activities
2025 2024
£ £
Fee refund scheme 7,203 7,228
Rents and lettings 58,035 52,502
65,238 59,730

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

4. Investment Income

Investment Income
2025 2024
£ £
Bank and other interest 100,990 161,084
Dividends and interest 10,559 10,978
111,549 172,062

5. Donations and Legacies

Donations and Legacies
2025 2024
£ £
Donations to Building Funds 9,979 13,581
Donations to Bursary Funds 75,090 124,802
Other donations and legacies 28,284 40,515
113,353 178,898

6. Expenditure on Charitable Activities

Expenditure on Charitable Activities
2025 2024
£ £
Staff costs comprise:
Wages and salaries 3,762,989 3,859,334
Social Security costs 375,026 346,662
Pension costs 416,931 449,018
4,554,946 4,655,014
Contract labour:
Temporary teaching and support staff 46,851 30,111
4,601,797 4,685,125
Support costs comprise:
Teaching costs 755,018 666,796
Welfare costs 194,965 207,529
Premises costs 842,635 562,645
Support costs 418,806 203,823
Governance costs 9,885 11,400
2,221,309 1,652,193
Total Expenditure on Charitable Activities 6,823,106 6,337,318

Teaching costs include depreciation of £49,261 (2024: £50,897). Premises costs include depreciation of £27,803 (2024: £27,803). Welfare costs include depreciation of £7,063 (2024: £7,063).

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

2025 2024
Average number of employees in the period (actual headcount) No No
Teaching staff 55 58
Other staff 73 76
128 134
2025 2024
Average number of employees in the period (full-time equivalent) No No
Teaching staff 47 49
Other staff 48 51
95 100

The number of employees whose emoluments exceeded £60,000 pa, excluding pension contributions, was:

2025 2024
No No
£60,001-£70,000 1 3
£70,001-£80,000 1 -
£80,001-£90,000 - 1
£90,001-£100,000 1 -
£100,000-£110,000 - -

The key management personnel of the Charity comprise the Headmistress, Head of Lower School, Deputy Head, Head of Sixth Form, Head of Pastoral, Director of Finance and Operations and Director of External Relations. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the Charity were £577,784 (2024: £616,880).

The Trustees did not receive any remuneration, reimbursement of expenses or benefits in kind during the year (2024: £Nil). The Trustees are entitled to claim for travel expenses but waived their right to do so throughout both the current year and the previous year.

Pension contributions were made to a Legal & General defined contribution scheme for the higher paid employees listed above. The School contributed to this scheme as follows: 15% or 16% of pensionable salary for teaching staff, and 4% or 5% of pensionable salary for operations staff.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

7. Pension Schemes

The School contributes to a Legal & General defined contribution scheme for its teaching staff. The cost of the School’s contributions for the year amounted to £379,649. The comparable cost for the previous year was £399,898

The School also contributes to a defined contribution scheme for its operations staff. The cost of the School’s contributions for the year amounted to £37,282 (2024: £49,121). All operations staff are enrolled into the defined contribution pension scheme of which teaching staff are also a member.

8. Expenditure on Raising Funds

Expenditure on Raising Funds
Support costs comprise:
Fundraising costs - -
Financing costs - -
Total Expenditure on Raising Funds - -

9. Transfers between Funds

There was a release of restricted funds of £53,548 in recognition of the Astro Pitch construction project to unrestricted funds. There were no transfers between funds in the prior year.

10. Net income/(expenditure)

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

  1. Statement of Financial Activities analysis by fund for Prior Year ended 31[st] August 2024
Unrestricted Restricted Endowed Total
Funds Funds Funds 2024
Income: £ £ £ £
Income from charitable activities 6,482,256 - - 6,482,256
Income from other tradingactivities 59,730 - - 59,730
Investment income 163,457 8,605 - 172,062
Donations and Legacies - 178,898 - 178,898
Total Income 6,705,443 187,503 - 6,892,946
Expenditure:
Expenditure on charitable activities 6,232,690 104,628 - 6,337,318
Expenditure on raisingfunds - - - -
Total Expenditure 6,232,690 104,628 - 6,337,318
Investment(losses)/gains - 16,584 13,186 29,770
Net income/(expenditure) 472,753 99,459 13,186 585,398
Net Movement in Funds 472,753 99,459 13,186 585,398
Fund balances as at 1st September 2023 9,291,691 724,935 357,722 10,374,348
Fund balances as at 31st August 2024 9,764,444 824,394 370,908 10,959,746

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

12. Tangible Fixed Assets

Tangible Fixed Assets
Freehold Land and Furniture, Assets
Land and Building Equipment under
Buildings Improvements and Vehicles Construction Total
£ £ £ £ £
Fixed Assets used for Direct Charitable Purposes:
Cost
At 1st September 2024 6,504,481 1,110,035 1,239,555 166,450 9,020,521
Additions during period - - 145,573 1,319,298 1,464,871
Disposals during period - - (15,663) - (15,663)
At 31st August 2025 6,504,481 1,110,035 1,369,465 1,485,748 10,469,729
Depreciation
At 1st September 2024 - 1,059,063 1,061,026 2,120,089
Charge for period - 27,803 56,324 84,127
At 31st August 2025 - 1,086,866 1,117,350 - 2,204,216
Net Book Value
At 31st August 2025 6,504,481 23,169 252,115 1,485,748 8,265,513
At 31st August 2024 6,504,481 50,972 178,529 166,450 6,900,432
Freehold land and buildings comprise land and buildings at:
City Walls Road, Chester 4,311,058
Liverpool Road, Chester 2,193,423
6,504,481

13. Fixed Asset Investments

Endowed Restricted Total
£ £ £
Market value as at 1st September 2024 155,185 159,003 314,188
Additions - - -
Gains / (Losses) on revaluation (1,128) 6,637 5,509
Market value as at 31st August 2025 154,057 165,640 319,697
Listed on the UK Stock Exchange: 62,032 165,640 227,672
Unlisted UK Investments 92,025 - 92,025
154,057 165,640 319,697
Historic cost as at 31st August 2025 41,223 135,304 176,527

All investments are carried at their fair value. Investment in equities and fixed asset securities are all traded in quoted public markets, primarily the London Stock Exchange. Holdings in investment funds, unit trusts and openended investment companies are at the bid price. The basis of fair value for quoted investments is equivalent to the market value, using the bid price. Asset sales and purchases are recognised at the date of trade at cost (that is their transaction value).

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

14. Debtors

Debtors
2025 2024
£ £
Fees and charges 125,367 100,728
Other debtors 57,375 53,163
VAT Recoverable 167,489 -
Prepayments 207,408 155,773
557,639 309,664

15. Creditors – Amounts falling due within one year

Advance fee payments relate to amounts received from parents under agreements to pay up to the equivalent of fourteen years’ tuition fees in advance. The money may be returned subject to specific conditions. Assuming that the pupils remain at the School, advance fees will be applied within the next one to fourteen years.

16. Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year

2025 2024
£ £
Loans repayable after more than one year (Note 17) - -
Other amounts payable after more than one year:
Advance fee payments 70,601 224,163
Registration fees 149,893 170,850
220,494 395,013

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

17. Loans

Loans
Interest
Free
Loans Total
£ £
As at 1st September 2024 3,000 3,000
Advances during year - -
Repayments during year - -
As at 31st August 2025 3,000 3,000
Repayable within one year 3,000 3,000
Repayable between two and five years - -
Repayable after more than five years - -
3,000 3,000

The interest free loans of £3,000 represent monies advanced to the Bursary Fund to assist with the provision of Bursaries. The loans are unsecured and repayable on demand.

18. Allocation of Net Assets

The net assets are held for the various funds as follows:

Net
Fixed Current Long Term
Assets Investments Assets Liabilities Total
£ £ £ £ £
Endowed Funds 155,322 154,057 60,401 - 369,780
Restricted Funds - 165,640 589,256 - 754,896
General Funds:
Designated Funds - - 550,000 - 550,000
Accumulated Income 8,110,191 - 1,265,316 (220,494) 9,155,013
8,265,513 319,697 2,464,973 (220,494) 10,829,689

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

19. Endowed Funds: Movements in the Year

Endowed Funds: Movements in the Year
Balance Additions/ Investment Balance
01.09.24 Disposals gains/(losses) 31.08.25
£ £ £ £
Permanent Endowment:
General Fund Capital 300,087 - 850 300,937
Foundation Bursary Fund Capital 29,676 - (593) 29,083
Prize Funds 41,145 - (1,385) 39,760
370,908 - (1,128) 369,780

General Fund Capital represents freehold land and buildings gifted to the School and, in the case of those properties that were subsequently sold, the sale proceeds. General Fund Capital also includes the value of investments made from funds set aside out of income to recoup to capital the monies expended out of the sale proceeds of other freehold land and buildings owned by the School.

The Foundation Bursary Fund Capital represents the capital element of funds transferred to the Foundation Bursary Fund on the winding up of the Charity known as the Hastings Foundation. The income element of funds transferred from the Hastings Foundation is included within Restricted Funds.

The Prize Funds consist of a number of funds set up by individual donors for the purpose of awarding prizes and travel scholarships to girls in the Senior School.

20. Restricted Funds: Movements in the Year

Balance Transfer Investment Balance
01.09.24 Income Expenditure of Funds Gains/(Losses) 31.08.25
£ £ £ £ £ £
Bursary Funds 423,113 75,090 (126,999) 13,449 384,653
150 for 150 Bursary Appeal Fund 67,181 4,489 - - 71,670
Confucius Classroom Fund 39,112 11,295 (2,928) - 47,479
Prize Funds 28,344 - (50) 1,074 29,368
Astro Fund 53,458 90 - (53,548) - -
Building Funds 206,796 9,889 - - 216,685
QSPA Fund 5,489 12,500 (13,849) - 4,140
Miscellaneous Restricted Funds 901 - - - 901
824,394 113,353 (143,826) (53,548) 14,523 754,896

Bursary Funds represent donations received and income arising for the purpose of providing bursaries for girls attending the Senior School. Bursary Funds include the Foundation Bursary Fund (established in 1978 and formerly known as the Centenary Bursary Fund) which includes cash and investments that were transferred to the School on the winding up of the Hastings Foundation, which are to be applied in awarding bursaries to pupils in the Sixth Form. Bursary Funds also include generous annual donations provided by both The Chester Bluecoat Charity and The Wildes Foundation, to be expended to provide financial support to pupils who need such support.

The 150 for 150 Bursary Appeal Fund was established in 2019, with the aim of raising £150,000 by the School’s 150[th] anniversary in 2028, to provide bursaries for girls attending the Senior School.

The Confucius Classroom Fund represents funding received to continue the development of the Senior School’s Mandarin curriculum and to provide culture enrichment activities within the whole school,

The Prize Funds represent the income element of funds set up by individual donors for the purpose of awarding prizes and travel scholarships to girls in the Senior School.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

The Astro Fund represents donations generously provided by parents and alumnae to support the construction of the School’s new hockey pitch. In line with the completion of the project, the accumulated balance of £53,548 was transferred to the construction project within the School’s capital programme (Accumulated Fund). Following this transfer, the Astro Fund closed the year with a nil balance, reflecting the full application of all funds raised to the intended capital purpose.

The Building Funds, which include the Foundation Development Fund, formerly known as the Millennium Appeal Fund, represent amounts donated and ringfenced towards the cost of general building projects.

The QSPA Fund represents donations from the Queen’s School Parents’ Association towards specific projects.

Miscellaneous Restricted Funds includes donations received in memory of Amy Underhill, a former pupil.

21. Unrestricted Funds: Movements in the Year
Balance Balance
01.09.24 Income Expenditure Transfers 31.08.25
£ £ £ £ £
Designated Fund:
Provision for future repairs to
buildings and mechanical and
electrical equipment 550,000 - - - 550,000
Provision for Astro build costs 812,550 - - (812,550) -
Designated Fund Total: 1,362,550 - - (812,550) 550,000
Accumulated Income 8,401,894 6,566,301 (6,679,280) 866,098 9,155,013
9,764,444 6,566,301 (6,679,280) 53,548 9,705,013

The provision for future repairs to buildings and mechanical and electrical equipment represents funds earmarked to meet the cost of future repairs to buildings and equipment at the Senior and Lower Schools.

Transfers between the Designated Fund and Accumulated Income are not treated as Transfers between Funds for the purposes of Note 9, as both funds form part of Unrestricted Reserves.

22. Capital Commitments

Astro Turf Pitch Development – Senior School Site

The Charity has approved the development of a new multi-sports Astro Turf pitch at the Senior School site as part of its strategic capital improvement programme. The total estimated cost of the project is approximately £1.6 million. A legally binding contract was subsequently signed in January 2025, committing the Charity to most of the capital outlay. The project was completed and handed over in September 2025.

As at the year end, £1,485,748 had been incurred on delivering the project, which has been capitalised as assets under construction.

After the balance sheet date, the School became committed to the remaining costs associated with the completion of the new Astro pitch. The total expected outlay is c£180k, comprising the final construction valuation of £126,926, construction retention of £33,541, and the final project management fee of £19,117, calculated as a percentage of the confirmed construction cost. These amounts represent obligations arising from works completed before the year end and will be settled in the following financial period.

The Queen’s School, Chester

Notes to the Financial Statements – Year Ended 31[st] August 2025

23. Operating Lease Commitments

As at 31[st] August 2025 the School had total commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as detailed below:

below:
2025 2024
£ £
Land and buildings:
Operating leases which expire:
Within one year 12,956 12,956
Between two and five years 51,824 51,824
After more than five years - 12,956
64,780 77,736
Equipment:
Operating leases which expire:
Within one year 16,461 5,214
Between two and five years 63,350 -
After more than five years - -
79,811 5,214

24. Contingent Liabilities

There were no contingent liabilities as at 31[st] August 2025.

25. Transactions With Trustees

During the year the following Governors had daughters attending the School for whom fees were charged on normal commercial terms:

Mr A J Dandy Mrs H McKelvey Mrs F Roochove Dr Q M Jaffri Mr N Pownall Mr P Wildes

Mrs L Fearnall is the founder and Director of Luya Agency Ltd. Luya provides the School with marketing, PR and social media services under a formal contract commencing 1 April 2025. The transactions during the year totalled £16,487 inclusive of VAT (2024: £nil). All services were procured on normal commercial terms in accordance with the agreed contract.

Mr P Wildes is the Chief Executive Officer of the Wildes Group and the Wildes Foundation. The Wildes Foundation provides charitable support to the School by funding partial bursaries to assist talented pupils to attend. At 31 August 2025 an amount of £15,038 was due from the Foundation in respect of these commitments. All arrangements were conducted on normal terms and in accordance with the School’s policies for the management of bursary awards.

The Trustees did not receive any remuneration, reimbursement of expenses or benefits in kind during the year (2024: £Nil). The Trustees are entitled to claim for travel expenses but waived their right to do so throughout both the current and previous year.