## Financial Statements Durlston Court School Trust Limited
**For the Year Ended** 31 August 2025
**Charity no. 307325 Company no. 1091930**
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
## Index to the financial statements
|Report of the Governors|3 - 7|
|---|---|
|Report of the independent auditor|8 - 11|
|Principal accounting policies|12 - 14|
|Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account)|15|
|Balance sheet|16|
|Cash flow statement|17|
|Notes to the financial statements|18 - 25|
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Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
## Report of the Governors
The Governors are pleased to present their report together with the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025.
## **Reference and administrative details of the Charity, its Trustees and Advisors**
Durlston Court School Trust Limited (‘The Charity’) was registered with the Charity Commission in 1973 under charity number 307325. The Charity was incorporated under company number 1091930 on 23 January 1973.
## **Registered office**
Durlston School, Becton Lane, Barton-on-Sea, New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 7AQ.
## **Governors**
The Governors who have served during the period, to the date of this report were as follows:
Mr C C Ashfield (Chairman) Mr P Etheridge Mr P Hardy Mrs N James Mr C G Lewis (Deputy Chairman) Mrs L Otten Mr R Wilsher
## **Senior officers**
Mr R P May (Headmaster) Mr B Bates (Bursar)
## **Company Secretary**
Mr B Bates
## **Bankers**
Barclays Bank plc, Barclays House, Ocean Way, Southampton, SO14 2ZP
## **Auditors**
Saffery LLP, Midland House, 2 Poole Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5QY
## **Solicitors**
Clarke Willmott LLP, Burlington House, Botleigh Grange Business Park, Hedge End, Southampton, SO30 2AF
## **Website**
www.durlstonschool.co.uk
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
4
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The Charity’s Governing Document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association, dated 23 January 1973 (and last amended 7 November 2006). It is a company limited by guarantee, having no share capital, and its members undertake to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 each in the event of the Charity being wound up.
The Governors are the Charity’s trustees and directors and are also collectively referred to in this report as the Governing Body. The number of Governors must not be less than seven or more than thirty. New Governors are appointed by the Governing Body, after careful consideration of eligibility, skills and experience. Suitable candidates may be identified through internal recommendation or external search. New Governors become familiar with the constitution and operation of the Charity through a structured range of induction initiatives. The Charity is a member of AGBIS which provides access to training opportunities for Governors.
The Governors are responsible for the overall management of the Charity which includes determining strategy, establishing key policies, setting aims and objectives, agreeing budgets and longer term plans, reviewing actual performance against objectives and ensuring compliance with relevant statutes and regulations. The Governing Body meets at least three times each year and is supported by four Committees, each of which is chaired by a Governor, covering Finance & General Purposes, Education, Marketing and Risk Management.
The day-to-day management and related decisions, within the policies and parameters determined by the Governors, are delegated to the Headmaster and Bursar who attend the meetings of the Governors and the Committees.
## **Objectives and Activities**
The principal objects for which the Charity was established, as set out in its Governing Document, are to promote and provide for the advancement of education, through the operation of a school or schools.
The principal activity of the Charity is the operation of Durlston Court School, an independent, co-educational preparatory school. Pupils are aged between two and sixteen years.
The principal aim of the school is to provide a happy, secure environment where pupils benefit from an education of the highest quality, to prepare pupils academically, culturally and morally to enable them to progress confidently to the next stage of their education.
The main objectives for the year ended 31 August 2025 related to the quality of the education provided, the award of scholarships and means-tested bursaries, the Charity’s involvement with the local community and the Charity’s financial position.
In June 2022, the school announced that we would be extending our educational provision to include GCSE. The gradual expansion of the school took place from September 2023 when we welcomed our first Year 9 cohort. The first GCSE examinations will take place in the summer term of 2026. We have received an extremely positive response from both existing and prospective parents and this further reinforces our charitable aims to provide an outstanding quality of education to the local community. The school has budgeted for the expansion plans over the medium term as we welcomed our first Year 10 group in September 2024.
The Governors seek to achieve these objectives primarily through effective leadership, a clear commitment to the highest standards of education, service, and financial control.
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
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## **Strategic Report**
## **Achievements and Performance**
During the year under review the Charity achieved its main objectives through effective leadership, a clear commitment to high standards, and strong fiscal control. In order to proceed with the plan to extend our provision to GCSE, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) conducted a Material Change inspection in July 2023. The school passed all areas successfully, allowing our intake numbers to increase to 453 along with being able to teach up to GCSE. An inspection by the ISI took place during September 2024 under the new ISI Framework and the school successfully met the standards in all areas of the inspection.
## **Academic standards**
Durlston pupils continue to achieve great academic and educational success. A number of our Year 8 pupils moved through to our Senior School Year 9 to join the Year 10 Durlston pupils. The Year 6 and Year 8 leavers secured places at many prestigious senior schools, including Bryanston, Canford, King Edward VI, Talbot Heath as well as other local independent and state schools. A large number of different scholarships were awarded to Durlston pupils, including academic, Visual Arts, Musical and sporting awards, all testament to the superb all-round education and the extraordinarily high standard of teaching and opportunities the pupils enjoy at Durlston.
## **Improvements to the site and facilities**
The school continues to invest in preparing the school facilities to accommodate our GCSE expansion plans, alongside a rigorous maintenance programme. We were delighted to open a second, fully equipped, Science Laboratory as well as the construction of a purpose built Gym provision, to complement our GCSE Physical Education course. In addition, we have invested in music technology equipment, and the Common Room for senior pupils has been expanded. The school further added to our Chromebook stock, providing all pupils in Year 3 to 8 with their own school device, as well as facilitating the purchase of laptops for pupils in Year 9-11. Total capital expenditure in the year amounted to £102,136.
## **Pupil numbers**
Pupil numbers at year end are 264 (2024: 264) and were in line with objectives.
## **Bursaries and scholarships**
Scholarships were awarded in recognition of academic, sporting, art, drama or musical excellence. Meanstested bursaries are awarded in appropriate circumstances. The Charity was able to offer full financial assistance to Ukrainian refugees to enable their children to benefit from our education provision. During the year, all eligible requests for means-tested bursarial assistance were met by the Charity.
## **Involvement with the local community**
The School has continued to become involved with the local community. This has covered a number of different areas. We have supported events such as the town Remembrance Parade and Remembrance Service; we have raised funds for, and offered practical support to, local charitable organisations such as the Christchurch Support Kabin and Lymington Food Bank; our minibuses are loaned out to other schools and youth organisations in the area so that these groups can offer more flexibility in their provision; we have laid on extra performances of our plays and concerts for local elderly residents; we have been carol singing round local care homes. In addition, extending access to the Durlston Holiday Activities to all the local community has meant that we are supporting the childcare needs of working parents in the area, not just the parental body of Durlston School. We have continued to support a school in Uganda through a number of school events in partnership with a local Milford charity. We have also established links, and raised money for a charity supporting education in. Bursaries enable access to the school’s education for local children as well as those further afield. We also continue to host sporting festivals for other local state and independent schools.
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Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
## **Financial objectives**
Net incoming resources of £74,636 (2024: outgoing resources £64,244) for the year were in line with expectations, resulting in a net current liability position of £150,010 (2024: net current asset position £304,502).
## **Financial Review**
The financial results for the year are presented in the Statement of Financial Activities on page 15.
Net resources have been applied to financing the Capital Development and Maintenance Programme and mortgage repayments. Net school fees amounting to £3,507,768 represented 85.6% of total income, and the operating costs of the school of £3,854,392 represented 95.8% of total expenditure.
## **Reserves Policy**
The Governing Body has a long standing policy to build sufficient reserves to enable the ongoing activities of the School to be maintained. The general aim is to ensure an adequate surplus is achieved each year. At year end the school had unrestricted funds of £2,144,567 (2024: £2,069,931). The level of reserves is reviewed by the Governors annually. The free reserves after excluding fixed assets and related liabilities are negative £435,637 (2024: negative £396,699). In order to address this, the Trustees have instructed for the sale of the Lodge property, which was placed on the open market with a local estate agent during the financial year.
In December 2004 the freehold of the estate, previously leased by the Charity, was acquired. The original cost of the purchase is held at historic value within the assets of the Charity. The associated financing costs and the need for investment in previously rented buildings and grounds, continues to impact on the Charity’s ability to build reserves in the short term. However, in the long term the Governors believe that substantial benefits will continue to accrue to the Charity from owning the site.
## **Remuneration Policy**
The key management personnel of the school are the Senior Leadership Team, consisting of the Headmaster, Deputy Head Pastoral, Deputy Head Academic, Head of Pre-Prep, Head of Senior School and Bursar. The remuneration of the Head and Bursar are set by the Remuneration Committee consisting of the Chair and Vice Chair of Governors.
## **Plans for Future Periods**
Further to the announcement that the School will be expanding the education provision to include GCSE, this will now become the key strategic objective for the period to August 2026, at which time the first GCSE examinations will have taken place.
The key elements of the Charity’s strategy include the planning and development relating to the provision of new educational facilities for three new school year groups (Years 9-11).
The school will also maintain our focus on the continued provision of a high standard of all-round education for all our pupils, financial security and the maximisation of the public benefit provided by the Charity.
## **Principal Risks and Uncertainties**
The role of the Risk Management Committee is to identify, assess and prioritise the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, and to ensure that these are appropriately managed. Risk Management information is reviewed at each meeting of the Governing Body, with risks being assessed based on how likely a risk is to occur, and the impact on the school if it were to occur. The major risks identified being the economic climate uncertainty, changes to the regulatory, legislative and inspection regime including the introduction of VAT to school fees from 1[st] January 2025. To mitigate these risks, among other actions, the Governors regularly monitor the budget and forecasting along with an effective marketing plan, seek external legal and regulatory advice, and ensure appropriate risk assessments are in place.
## **Public Benefit Statement**
In considering its future strategy, aims and objectives, the Governors have given due regard to the Charity
##
##
##
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## Independent auditor’s report to the members of Durlston Court School Trust Limited
## **Opinion**
We have audited the financial statements of Durlston Court School Trust Limited for the year ended 31 August 2025 which comprise a statement of financial activities, balance sheet, cash flow statement and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the charitable company’s state of affairs as at 31 August 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.
## **Basis for opinion**
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## **Conclusions relating to going concern**
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## **Other information**
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
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## Independent auditor’s report to the members of Durlston Court School Trust Limited
## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006**
In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
- the information given in the Trustees’ Annual Report which includes the Directors’ Report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and
- the Trustees’ Annual Report which includes the Directors’ Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception**
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Trustees’ Annual Report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- certain disclosures of trustees’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
## **Responsibilities of trustees**
As explained more fully in the Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement set out on page 7, the trustees (who are also directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative to do so.
## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements**
We have been appointed as auditors under the Companies Act 2006 and report in accordance with regulations made under that 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 specific procedures for this engagement and the extent to which these are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are detailed below.
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## Independent auditor’s report to the members of Durlston Court School Trust Limited
## Identifying and assessing risks related to irregularities:
We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement and how fraud might occur, including through discussions with the trustees, discussions within our audit team planning meeting, updating our record of internal controls and ensuring these controls operated as intended. We evaluated possible incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements. We identified laws and regulations that are of significance in the context of the charitable company by discussions with trustees and updating our understanding of the sector in which the charitable company operates.
Laws and regulations of direct significance in the context of the charitable company include The Companies Act 2006, and guidance issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Further, the charity is subject to other laws and regulations where the consequences of non-compliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, through significant fine, litigation or restrictions on the charity’s operations. We identified the most significant laws and regulations to be those monitored by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.
## Audit response to risks identified:
We considered the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items including a review of financial statement disclosures. We reviewed the charitable company’s records of breaches of laws and regulations, minutes of meetings and correspondence with relevant authorities to identify potential material misstatements arising. We discussed the charitable company’s policies and procedures for compliance with laws and regulations with members of management responsible for compliance.
During the planning meeting with the audit team, the engagement partner drew attention to the key areas which might involve non-compliance with laws and regulations or fraud. We enquired of management whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations or knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud. We addressed the risk of fraud through management override of controls by testing the appropriateness of journal entries and identifying any significant transactions that were unusual or outside the normal course of business. We assessed whether judgements made in making accounting estimates gave rise to a possible indication of management bias. At the completion stage of the audit, the engagement partner’s review included ensuring that the team had approached their work with appropriate professional scepticism and thus the capacity to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations and fraud.
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed noncompliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
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## Independent auditor’s report to the members of Durlston Court School Trust Limited
## **Use of our report**
This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Casidhe Baleri (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Saffery LLP
Statutory Auditors Midland House 2 Poole Road Bournemouth BH2 5QY
Date: 4 December 2025
Saffery LLP is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
12
## **Principal accounting policies**
## **Basis of preparation**
The accounts have been prepared under the Companies Act 2006 and in accordance with the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (“SORP (FRS102)”) and Financial Reporting Standard 102. The accounts are drawn up on the historical cost basis of accounting. The School is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS102.
Having reviewed the funding facilities available to the School together with the expected ongoing demand for places and the School’s future projected cash flows, the Governors have a reasonable expectation that the School has adequate resources to continue its activities for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the School’s financial statements.
## **1.1 Fees and similar earned income**
Fees receivable and charges for services and use of the premises, less any allowances, scholarships, Bursaries granted by the School against those fees, but including contributions received from restricted funds, are accounted for in the period in which the service is provided net of VAT.
## **1.2 Investment income**
Investment income from bank balances and savings accounts are accounted for on an accruals basis.
## **1.3 Donations and other voluntary incoming resources**
Voluntary incoming resources are accounted for as and when entitlement arises, the amount can be reliably quantified and the economic benefit to the School is considered probable. Voluntary income for the School’s general purposes is accounted for as unrestricted and is credited to the General Reserve.
## **1.4 Expenditure**
Expenditure is accrued as soon as a liability is considered probable, discounted to present value for longerterm liabilities. Expenditure attributable to more than one cost category in the SoFA is apportioned to them on the basis of the estimated amount attributable to each activity in the year, either by reference to staff time or the use made of the underlying assets, as appropriate. Irrecoverable VAT is included with the item of expenditure to which it relates.
Governance costs comprise the costs of complying with constitutional and statutory requirements.
## **1.5 Tangible fixed assets**
Expenditure on the acquisition, construction or enhancement of land and buildings costing more than £5,000 together with vehicles, furniture, machinery, ICT infrastructure and other equipment costing more than £250 are capitalised and carried in the balance sheet at historical cost. ICT equipment costs are written off as incurred. In certain circumstances, where the original costs of assets are not ascertainable, a reasonable estimate of the cost, if material, has been used. Other expenditure on equipment incurred in the normal dayto-day running of the School is charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as incurred.
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
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## **1.6 Depreciation**
Depreciation is provided to write off the cost of all relevant tangible fixed assets less estimated residual value based on current market prices, in equal annual instalments over their expected useful economic lives as follows:
School buildings, including major extensions 40 - 50 years Alterations on change of use and minor extensions 10 - 25 years Furniture, machinery and equipment 5 years Motor vehicles 5 years Computer equipment 5 years
No depreciation is provided on freehold land. Periodic impairment reviews are carried out.
## **1.7 Stocks**
Stocks are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.
## **1.8 Fund accounting**
The charitable trust funds of the School are accounted for as unrestricted or restricted income, or as endowment capital, in accordance with the terms of trust imposed by the donors or any appeal to which they may have responded. Endowment funds are further subdivided into permanent and expendable.
**Unrestricted** income belongs to the School’s corporate reserves, spendable at the discretion of the Governors either to further the School’s Objects or to benefit the School itself. Where the Governors decide to set aside any part of these funds to be used in future for some specific purpose, this is accounted for by transfer to the appropriate designated fund.
**Restricted** income comprises gifts, legacies and grants where there is no capital retention obligation or power but only a trust law restriction to some specific purpose intended by the donor.
## **1.9 Pension costs**
Retirement benefits to employees of the School are provided through three pension schemes, one defined benefit and two defined contribution. The pension costs charged in the Statement of Financial Activities are determined as follows:
- (a) Royal London Pension – This scheme is the nominated pension schemes for teachers employed by the school. Employer’s pension costs are charged in the period in which the salaries to which they relate are payable.
- (b) The Peoples Pension – Employer’s pensions costs are charged in the period in which the salaries to which they relate are payable.
- (c) Pensions Trust Scheme – The costs relating to this scheme are outlined in note 18
## **1.10 Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
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## **1.11 Cash at bank and in hand**
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 deposit or similar account.
## **1.12 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.
The school operates a Fees in Advance scheme whereby parents pay a lump sum towards future fees payable, in return of a discount. The discount rate is set by the Finance Committee on a periodic basis.
## **1.13 Financial instruments**
The trust only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## **1.14 Critical estimates and judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty**
In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgement, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The 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 effects both current and future periods.
There are no critical estimates, judgements or key sources of estimation uncertainty in 2025 or 2024.
## **1.15 Termination costs**
Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
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## Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account)
|||**Unrestricted Funds**|**Unrestricted Funds**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**Note**|**2025**|2024|
|||**£**|£|
|**Incoming resources**||||
|Incoming resources from charitable activities|1|**4,010,004**|3,632,795|
|Incoming resources from generated funds:||||
|Voluntary income|2|**14,167**|22,203|
|Investment income|3|**48,194**|13,972|
|Other incoming resources||**24,617**|12,569|
|||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|**Total incoming resources**||**4,096,982**|3,681,539|
|||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|**Resources expended**||||
|Costs of generating funds||**130,117**|151,937|
|Charitable activities||**3,854,392**|3,561,752|
|Other resources expended|4|**37,837**|32,094|
|||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|**Total resources expended**|5|**4,022,346**|3,745,783|
|||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|**Net Surplus / (Expenditure)**||**74,636**|(64,244)|
|**Actuarial Gain on Defined Benefit Pension Schemes**||**-**|-|
|||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|**Movements in funds**||**74,636**|(64,244)|
|Total funds brought forward at 1 September 2024||**2,069,931**|2,134,175|
|||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|**Total funds carried forward at 31 August 2025**||**2,144,567**|2,069,931|
|||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
All amounts derive from continuing activities.
The accompanying accounting policies and notes form part of these financial statements.
##
|`Companynumber1091930`|`Note`|`2025`|`2025`|`2024`|`2024`|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||`£`|`£`|`£`|`£`|
|`Fixedassets`||||||
|`Tangibleassets`|||`3,190,479`||`3,196,561`|
|`Currentassets`||||||
|`Stocks`||`3,791`||`3,399`||
|`Debtors`||`1,149,569`||`253,626`||
|`Cashatbankandinhand`||`649,289`||`1,236,751`||
|||`1,802,649`||`1,493,776`||
|`Liabilities`||||||
|`Creditors:amountsfallingdue`||||||
|`withinoneyear`|`11&13`|`(1,952,656)`||`(1,189,274)`||
|`Netcurrent(liabilities)/ assets`|||`(150,007)`||`304,502`|
|`Totalassetslesscurrentliabilities`|||`3,040,472`||`3,501,063`|
|`Creditors:amountsfallingdueafter`||||||
|`morethanoneyear`|`12&13`||`(895,905)`||`(1,431,132)`|
|`Netassets`|||`2,144,567`||`2,069,931`|
|`Totalcharityfunds:`||||||
|`Unrestrictedincomefunds`|||`2,144,567`||`2,069,931`|
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
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## Cash flow statement
||**Note**|**2025**|**2025**|2024|2024|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|£|£|
|**Net cash (outflow) / inflow from**||||||
|**operating activities**|19||**(376,029)**||1,182,779|
|**Returns on investments and servicing**||||||
|**of finance**||||||
|Interest received||**48,194**||13,972||
|Interest paid||**(37,837)**||(34,065)||
|||**-------------------------------------------------------**||**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||||**10,357**||(20,093)|
|**Cash used in investing activities**||||||
|Payments to acquire tangible fixed assets|||**(102,136)**||(104,252)|
|Proceeds from sale of property, plant or|||**-**||-|
|equipment||||||
|**Cash used in financing activities**||||||
|Bank loan repayments|||**(119,654)**||(116,255)|
||||**-------------------------------------------------------**||**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|**Increase / (Decrease) in cash in year**|20||**(587,462)**||942,179|
||||**========================================================**||**========================================================**|
|**Cash at the beginning of the reporting**||||||
|**period**|||**1,236,751**||**294,572**|
|**Cash at the end of the reporting period**|||**649,289**||**1,236,751**|
||||**========================================================**||**========================================================**|
The accompanying accounting policies and notes form part of these financial statements.
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
18
**1**
**2**
**3**
## Notes to the financial statements
## **Incoming resources from charitable activities**
## **4**
||**2025**|2024|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|£|
|**School fees and associated income**:|||
|Fees receivable|**4,328,738**|4,142,175|
|Less:Bursaries, scholarships and other discounts|**(820,970)**|(818,772)|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|Net fees receivable|**3,507,768**|3,323,403|
|Disbursements|**115,285**|172,663|
|Extra tuition|**379,741**|132,079|
|Entrance fees|**7,210**|4,650|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
||**4,010,004**|3,632,795|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
|**Voluntary income**|||
||**2025**|2024|
||**£**|£|
|Donations|**14,167**|22,203|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
|**Investment income**|||
||**2025**|2024|
||**£**|£|
|Bank deposit interest|**48,194**|13,972|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
|**Other resources expended**|||
||**2025**|2024|
||**£**|£|
|Interest payable on bank loan_see also note 12_|**37,837**|34,027|
|Actuarial gains on Pension Trust scheme|**-**|(1,971)|
|Other interest costs|**-**|38|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
||**37,837**|32,094|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
19
**5 Analysis of total resources expended**
|||||**2025**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Staff costs**|**Other**|**Depreciation**|
**Total**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**||
|**Costs of generating funds**||||||
|Advertising and publicity|92,931|37,186|-|**130,117**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
|**Charitable activities**||||||
|School operating costs:||||||
|Teaching and support costs|2,516,598|217,303|-|**2,733,901**||
|Catering and support costs|248,757|103,703|-|**352,460**||
|Premises|126,390|252,470|83,473|**462,333**||
|Support and administration|187,095|82,334|24,745|**294,174**||
|Governance costs|-|11,524|-|**11,524**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||3,078,840|667,334|108,218|**3,854,392**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
|**Other resources expended**||||||
|Interest payable on bank loan|-|37,837|-|**37,837**||
|Other gains and losses|-|-|-|**-**||
|Other interest costs|-|-|-|**-**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||-|37,837|-|**37,837**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||3,171,771|742,357|108,218|**4,022,346**||
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**||
|Total resources expended include:||||||
|||||**2025**|2024|
|||||**£**|£|
|Auditors' remuneration for audit services_excluding_||_VAT_||**11,250**|10,900|
|(Increase) / Decrease in Stock||||**(392)**|71|
|Operating lease rentals||||**3,214**|4,100|
|Professional indemnity insurance premium_excluding IPT_||||**525**|775|
|||||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
20
**5 Analysis of total resources expended continued**
Comparison Figures from 2024 are as follows:
|||||**2024**||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Staff costs**|**Other**|**Depreciation**|
**Total**||
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**||
|**Costs of generating funds**||||||
|Advertising and publicity|89,644|62,293|-|**151,937**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
|**Charitable activities**||||||
|School operating costs:||||||
|Teaching and support costs|2,225,389|192,171|-|**2,417,560**||
|Catering and support costs|231,546|106,080|-|**337,626**||
|Premises|101,819|313,428|78,085|**493,332**||
|Support and administration|179,867|101,024|19,709|**300,600**||
|Governance costs|-|12,634|-|**12,634**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||2,738,621|725,337|97,794|**3,561,752**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
|**Other resources expended**||||||
|Interest payable on bank loan|-|34,027|-|**34,027**||
|Other gains and losses|-|(1,971)|-|**(1,971)**||
|Other interest costs|-|38|-|**38**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||-|32,094|-|**32,094**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**||
||2,828,265|819,724|97,794|**3,745,783**||
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**||
|**Employees**||||||
|Staff costs during the year were as follows:||||||
|||||**2025**|2024|
|||||**£**|£|
|Wages and salaries||||**2,653,572**|2,393,509|
|Social security costs||||**235,522**|186,216|
|Other pension costs (note 18)||||**282,677**|248,541|
|Other staff costs||||**-**|-|
|||||**-------------------------------------------------------**
**-------------------------------------------------------**||
|||||**3,171,771**|2,828,266|
|||||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
The average number of employees of the Charity during the year was 112 (2024: 107). The average number of full time equivalent employees was 67 (2024: 64)
One employee’s emoluments were within the range of £90,000 - £100,000 and one employee’s emoluments were within the range of £60,000 - £70,000 (2024: one employee within the range £80,000-£90,000). The total of key management personnel compensation was £428,512 (2024: £400,984).
Contributions were made to a defined contribution pension scheme in respect of the highest paid employee.
Three employees received termination payments totalling £9,666 (2024: Two employees totalling £21,691).
**6**
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
21
**7**
**9**
**10**
## **Transactions with governors and other related parties**
No Governors received remuneration in the year, directly or indirectly from the Charity. The total number of governors who incurred expenses was nil (2024: nil). Related party transactions during the year was nil (2024: nil).
## **8**
## **Tangible fixed assets**
||**Freehold**||**Fixtures,**|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**land and**|**Motor**|**fittings and**|**Computer**||
||**buildings**|**vehicles**|**equipment**|**equipment**|**Total**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Cost||||||
|At 1 September 2024|4,762,249|80,921|505,651|310,869|5,659,690|
|Additions|49,108|-|45,419|7,609|102,136|
|Disposals|-|-|-|-|-|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|At 31 August 2025|4,811,357|80,921|551,070|318,478|5,761,826|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|Depreciation||||||
|At 1 September 2024|1,635,187|79,506|458,298|290,138|2,463,129|
|Provided in the year|83,473|1,415|15,360|7,970|108,218|
|Disposals|-|-|-|-|-|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|At 31 August 2025|1,718,660|80,921|473,658|298,108|2,571,347|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|Net book amount||||||
|At 31 August 2025|**3,092,697**|**-**|**77,412**|**20,370**|**3,190,479**|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
|Net book amount||||||
|At 31 August 2024|3,123,062|1,415|47,353|20,731|3,196,561|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
|**Stocks**||||||
|||||**2025**|2024|
|||||**£**|£|
|Catering provisions and heating fuel||||**3,791**|3,399|
|||||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
|**Debtors**||||||
|||||**2025**|2024|
|||||**£**|£|
|Trade debtors||||**1,005,262**|110,050|
|Other debtors||||**63,609**|62,000|
|Prepayments and accrued income||||**80,698**|81,576|
|||||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|||||**1,149,569**|253,626|
|||||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
Following the introduction of VAT on school fees, Trade Debtors at the end of 2025 includes £885k reflecting the billing of fees for the Autumn Term 2025 which was invoiced ahead of the school year end. The net amount invoiced of £910k is reflected in Creditors Note 11 under deferred income.
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
22
**11**
**12**
**13**
## **Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
||**2025**|2024|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|£|
|Bank loans|**123,656**|134,894|
|Trade creditors|**54,828**|101,776|
|Social security and other taxes|**238,245**|40,326|
|Other creditors|**974**|14|
|Accruals and deferred income|**1,129,043**|279,370|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
||**1,546,746**|556,380|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
|**Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year**|||
||**2025**|2024|
||**£**|£|
|Between one and two years|**129,392**|140,000|
|Between two and five years|**357,229**|420,000|
|After five years|**-**|35,037|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
||**486,621**|595,037|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year comprises a bank loan secured over the freehold property which is repayable by December 2029. The original fixed rate agreement for this loan expired in December 2015, and then subsequently in December 2024, which was replaced by a new fixed rate agreement which expires in December 2029.
## **Creditors: fees in advance**
The school operates a Fees in Advance scheme, allowing parents to pay a lump sum to be used towards future school fees.
||**2025**|2024|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|£|
|Within one year|**405,910**|632,894|
|Between one and two years|**200,237**|426,808|
|Between two and five years|**127,112**|293,440|
|After five years|**81,935**|115,847|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
||**815,194**|1,468,989|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
## **Liability of members**
The Charity does not have any share capital. The members, consisting of the Governors who are also directors, undertake to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 each in the event of the Charity being wound up. The Charity has insurance to cover both Professional Indemnity and Governors’ Liability. The cover is limited to £2,000,000 (2024: £2,000,000).
**14**
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
23
**15**
**16**
**17**
**18**
## **Leasing commitments**
At 31 August 2025, the charity had aggregate total commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as set out below:
||**2025**|2024|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|£|
||---**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**--**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**--**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-|---**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**--**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**--**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-**-|
|Within one year|**3,744**|4,208|
|Between two and five years|**11,339**|17,936|
|After five years|**-**|2,075|
||**=======================================================**=|**=======================================================**=|
||**15,083**|**24,219**|
## **Capital commitments**
There were no capital commitments at 31 August 2025 or 31 August 2024.
## **Contingent liabilities**
There were no contingent liabilities at 31 August 2025 or 31 August 2024.
## **Pensions**
## **Teachers Pensions**
Pension contributions for teachers are paid to Royal London as part of a Defined Contribution Scheme. The amount paid into the scheme for the year was £396,835 (2024: £340,629).
## **Other Pension Schemes**
Pension contributions are also paid to contributory and non-contributory pension schemes for the benefit of non-teaching staff. The assets of these schemes are held separately from those of the school in independently administered funds.
_TPT Retirement Solutions – Scottish Voluntary Sector Pension Scheme_
The company participates in a multi-employer scheme which provides benefits to some 77 nonassociated employers. The scheme is a defined benefit scheme in the UK. It is not possible for the company to obtain sufficient information to enable it to account for the scheme as a defined benefit scheme. Therefore, it accounts for the scheme as a defined contribution scheme.
The scheme is subject to the funding legislation outlined in the Pensions Act 2004 which came into force on 30 December 2005. This, together with documents issued by the Pensions Regulator and Technical Actuarial Standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council, set out the framework for funding defined benefit occupational pension schemes in the UK.
The scheme is classified as a 'last-man standing arrangement'. Therefore, the company is potentially liable for other participating employers' obligations if those employers are unable to meet their share of the scheme deficit following withdrawal from the scheme. Participating employers are legally required to meet their share of the scheme deficit on an annuity purchase basis on withdrawal from the scheme.
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
24
A full actuarial valuation for the scheme was carried out at with an effective date of 30 September 2023. This actuarial valuation was certified on 27 June 2024 and showed assets of £86.2m, liabilities of £88.2m and a deficit of £2.0m. From 1 June 2024 the majority of employers no longer pay deficit contributions.
Some employers have agreed concessions (both past and present) with the Trustee and have contributions up to 28 February 2034.
Note that the scheme’s previous valuation was carried out with an effective date of 30 September 2020. This valuation showed assets of £153.3m, liabilities of £160.0m and a deficit of £6.7m. To eliminate this funding shortfall, the Trustee asked the participating employers to pay additional contributions to the scheme as follows:
## **Deficit contributions**
|From|1|April|2022|to|31|May|2024:||£1,473,969 per annum|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||||(payable monthlyand increasingby|3% eachyear on 1stApril)|
The recovery plan contributions are allocated to each participating employer in line with their estimated share of the scheme liabilities.
Where the scheme is in deficit and where the company has agreed to a deficit funding arrangement the company recognises a liability for this obligation. The amount recognised is the net present value of the deficit reduction contributions payable under the agreement that relates to the deficit. The present value is calculated using the discount rate detailed in these disclosures. The unwinding of the discount rate is recognised as a finance cost.
## **Present values of Provision**
|**2025**|2024||2023|
|---|---|---|---|
|**£**|£||£|
|Present value of provision
-|-||1,933|
|**Reconciliation of opening and closing provisions**||||
|||**2025**|2024|
|||**£**|£|
|Provision at start of period||-|1,933|
|Unwinding of the discount factor (interest expense)||-|38|
|**Deficit contribution paid**||-|(1,971)|
|Remeasurements - impact of any change in assumptions||-|-|
|Remeasurements - amendments to the contribution schedule||-|-|
|**Provision at end of period**||**-**|**-**|
|**Income and expenditure impact**||||
|Interest expense||**-**|38|
|Remeasurements – impact of any change in assumptions||**-**|-|
Durlston Court School Trust Limited Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2025
25
**19**
## **Assumptions**
|**Assumptions**||||
|---|---|---|---|
||**2025**|2024|2023|
||**% per annum**|**% per annum**|**% per annum**|
|Rate of discount|**4.65**|4.77|5.96|
The discount rates shown above are the equivalent single discount rates which, when used to discount the future recovery plan contributions due, would give the same results as using a full AA corporate bond yield curve to discount the same recovery plan contributions.
## _The Peoples Pension Scheme_
The school is a member of The Peoples Pension scheme as the auto-enrolment pension scheme for the benefit of all non-teaching staff.
All pension contribution costs are recognised in the statement of financial activities as they become payable. Amounts owing to pension schemes as at the year-end amounted to nil (2024: nil).
## **Reconciliation of net incoming resources to net cash inflow from operating activities**
||**2025**|2024|
|---|---|---|
||**£**|£|
|Net Incoming / (Outgoing) resources|74,636|(64,244)|
|Net interest (received) / paid|(10,357)|20,093|
|Depreciation|108,218|97,794|
|(Increase) / Decrease in stock|(392)|71|
|(Increase) in debtors|(895,943)|(98,753)|
|Increase in creditors|347809|1,229,751|
|(Decrease) in provision for pension|-|(1,933)|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
|Net cash (outflow) / inflow from operating activities|**(376,029)**|**1,182,799**|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|
## **20**
## **Analysis of changes in net debt**
||**At**||**At**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**1 Sep 2024**|**Cash flow**|**31 Aug 2025**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|
|Cash at bank and in hand|1,236,751|(587,462)|649,289|
|Bank loan|(729,931)|119,654|(610,277)|
||**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|**-------------------------------------------------------**|
||**506,820**|**(467,808)**|**39,012**|
||**========================================================**|**========================================================**|**========================================================**|