## **ASHTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION** **REGISTERED CHARITY NO: 307526** ## **ACCOUNTS** **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## **ASHTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION** **INDEX TO ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** |PAGE|1|Legal and administrative information| |---|---|---| ||2-3|Report of the Trustees| ||4|Income and expenditure account| ||5|Statement of assets and liabilities| ||6|Independent Examiner’s Report| 1 ## **ASHTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION** ## **LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 307526 ## TRUSTEES AND APPOINTING BODY Rev Rachel Phillips - Ex Officio Governor Mrs Cynthia Gresham - Acting Chair and Co-optative Governor Mr Mark Saccoccio - Treasurer and Co-optative Governor Cllr Peter Hollick - Representative Trustee for Dunstable Town Cllr Matthew Neall - Representative Trustee for Dunstable Town Council Cllr Gregory Alderman - Representative Trustee for Central Bedfordshire Council Cllr Kenson Gurney - Representative Trustee for Central Bedfordshire Council Mrs Gill Short - Representative Trustee for St Albans Diocesan Board of Education Mrs Jana Veyres - Co-optative Trustee Ms Gloria Martin - Co-optative Trustee |**PRINCIPAL OFFICE**|Grove House| |---|---| ||76 High Street North| ||Dunstable| ||Beds LU6 1NF| |INDEPENDENT EXAMINER|Mrs Pearl Partridge| ||39 Wallace Drive| ||Eaton Bray| ||Dunstable| ||Beds LU6 2DF| |SOLICITORS|Debenhams Ottaway| ||Ivy House| ||107 St Peter’s Street| ||St Albans| ||Herts AL1 3EW| |BANKERS|Barclays Bank Plc| ||28 George Street| ||Luton| ||Beds LU1 2AE| 2 ## **ASHTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** The Trustees present their annual report together with the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025. ## CONSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION The Charity is constituted under a trust instrument dated 15 January 1987 as amended on 24 July 2001 and 22 September 2015 and a further amendment was granted by the Charity Commission on 19 February 2024. It is a registered charity number 307526 and was registered as a charity on 11 August 1966. ## OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY To provide funding and grants to schools and individuals to enhance the furtherance of education in the area of Dunstable, Bedfordshire in which the Charity has established its area of benefit. ## ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Following the sale of Ashton Middle School the proceeds have been used to improve and extend facilities at the two remaining schools in the foundation. This year monies have been spent on the improvement of facilities at Manshead Church of England Academy. All building works under the Scheme have now been completed. ## MANAGEMENT OF THE CHARITY AND RISK MANAGEMENT The names of the trustees who served during the year are set out on page 1. The trustees meet on a regular basis and also as and when considered necessary. The trustees carry out an annual review of the risks which the Charity may face and have established systems and procedures to mitigate any risks identified and minimise any potential impact should any identified risks materialise. ## FINANCIAL REVIEW The trustees have pleasure in presenting the accounts of the trust for the year ended 31 March 2025. The receipts (excluding asset sales) exceeded purchases (excluding assets purchases) by £15,139 (2024: £8,561.) (Grants and allocations totalling £12,500 (2024: £24,324) were paid during the year. Capital allocations made were £214,364 to Manshead Church of England Academy (2024: £83,700). The total value of investments and cash balances (less creditors’ payments due) held at 31 March 2025 was £ £1,125,050 (2024:£1,368,622). Particulars of the Charity’s freehold properties are shown in a schedule to the accounts and are stated at nil cost. **3** ## **ASHTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** ## RESERVES In accordance with guidelines issued by the Charity Commissioners, the trustees have adopted a policy regarding reserves and regularly review the level of reserves to ensure that the Charity is able to be managed efficiently and to provide an adequate buffer for the objects of the Charity to be maintained. ## INVESTMENT POLICY The trustees only invest in Governments stocks, Official investment funds and interest bearing accounts with reputable clearing banks and building societies. ## GRANT MAKING POLICY The Trust Instrument determines the schools and individuals qualifying for grants. The levels of grants paid to the schools and individuals are determined by the trustees based on income available after defraying the Charity’s expenses. Signed on behalf of the trustees SIGNED…………………………………………………… Cynthia Gresham – Co-optative Governor DATE……………………………………………………… 6 ## **ASHTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION** ## **INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ASHTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION** I report on the accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 4 and 5. ## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner** The Charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act)) and that an independent examination is required. It is my responsibility to: - examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act - to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act); and - to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. ## **Basis of independent examiner’s report** My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. ## **Independent examiner’s statement** In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: - (1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements - to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act and - to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or - (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Mrs Pearl Partridge DATE 16 September2025 39 Wallace Drive Eaton Bray Dunstable Bedfordshire LU6 2DF 4 ## **STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** |**Receipts**
**Receipts from investments**
Investments
Bank deposit account interest
**Investment receipts**
**Payments**
**Grants and allocations**
Manshead Church of England Academy
Ashton St Peter Primary School
Other grants
**Other payments**
Clerical salary and expenses
Accountancy and independent examiner's fee
Insurance
Sundry payments
**Total payments**
**Excess of income over (expenditure over income)**
**Capital grants**
Manshead Church of England Academy
**Decrease in monetary assets**
**Cash funds last year**
**Cash funds this year**|**2025**
**£**
**£**
35,329
305
35,634
9,500
3,000
-
12,500
6,888
650
457
-
7,995
20,495
15,139
214,364
214,364
414,662
215,437|**£**
**£**
40,148
244
40,392
18,000
6,000
324
24,324
6,276
650
462
119
7,507
31,831
8,561
83,700
83,700
489,801
414,662
**2024**|**£**
**£**
40,148
244
40,392
18,000
6,000
324
24,324
6,276
650
462
119
7,507
31,831
8,561
83,700
83,700
489,801
414,662
**2024**| |---|---|---|---| ||9,500
3,000
-||| ||6,888
650
457
-|6,276
650
462
119|| ||214,364|83,700|| ||||31,831| ||||8,561
83,700
489,801| ||||| ||||414,662| **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025** 5 |**2025**
**£**
**£**
**Cash Funds**
Bank current account
35,309
Bank deposit account
20,861
56,170
**Other monetary assets**
Teachers Building Society
100,000
COIF deposit fund
59,267
159,267
**Total monetary assets**
215,437
**Non monetary assets**
Date Acquired
Cost
Market value
at 31/03/2025
£
£
Charities Official Investment Fund Income Units
14/12/1994
136,586
and 2017
250,000
386,586
909,513
**Liabilities**
Accountancy
250
**Held for charity's purposes**
Land and buildings known as Ashton St Peter's VA Primary School
Land known as Mill Field
Land and buildings known as Manshead Church of England Academy and the
car park
The income and expenditure account and the statement of assets and liabilities on pages 4 and 5 were|**£**
**£**
20,474
20,557
41,031
100,000
273,631
373,631
414,662
250
**2024**|**£**
**£**
20,474
20,557
41,031
100,000
273,631
373,631
414,662
250
**2024**| |---|---|---| ||100,000
273,631|| |||| |||414,662| |||250| approved by the Trustees on …………………………....................................and signed on their behalf by Cynthia Gresham 39 Wallace Drive Eaton Bray Dunstable Bedfordshire LU6 2DF 17 September2025 Grove House 76 High Street North Dunstable Bedfordshire LU6 1NF Dear Mrs Gresham and Mr Saccoccio I am writing with the findings of my recent examination of the accounts for The Ashton Schools Foundation charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2025 and I would like to include my thanks once again to Julie Tipler for her help and co-operation . I am pleased that, at last, the donations to both schools have been completed. This has involved a lot of work from the audit point of view so next year’s accounts should be very much more straight forward. I have read the minutes of the meetings over the past year and note that you wish to make further grants to Manshead and Ashton St Peter distributing the interest received from the sale of the school. Presumably these will be capital grants for specific projects and not just a sum of money to be used on an ad hoc basis. You will see from the attached profits schedule that there is almost £95,000 available but I would not suggest that you spend all of that **.** Income will of course decline now that all the sale money has been distributed and you have to allow for about £26,000 expenses each year so you should keep some money in reserve. I note that there is about £40,000 in the bank current account at present which seems extremely high without earning any interest. I would suggest that only a small amount should be kept in the current account and the rest transferred to the premium account or other interest bearing account. The Coif interest is higher than the building society interest so it might be a better idea to withdraw funds from the building society depending on how much you wish to give to the two schools. I hope this information is helpful. I am willing to act as Examiner again next year if you wish to use my services. ## **Yours sincerely** Pearl Partridge Pearl Partridge