THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC

• ◆

  3 officer resignations in last 12 months

  Multiple officers have left the board recently — see the People section for who.

Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers

Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.

Accounting basis

FRS 102

Reporting scope

Consolidated group

Auditor

Crowe UK LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“The strong performance of the Group during the year ended 31 January 2025 has provided a firm foundation for the forthcoming year. A budget has been set for the following year which shows the Group generating a surplus for the year. Reforecasts to the end of June 2026 have also been prepared based on actual performance in the year to April 2025 and including adjustments for any known future changes in performance or costs, for example the changing global prices for energy and raw materials such as paper. High level assumptions have been modelled to assess scenarios that may arise if there was a downturn in activity. In both the base reforecast and modelled scenarios, it is expected that the Group will continue with net positive current assets and total assets, along with sufficient positive cash balances. The charity has the resources to allow it to continue to invest in its digital programme to meet the changing customer needs. The Governors therefore have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, being at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements and are not aware of any other material uncertainties which may adversely affect the organisation. Accordingly, the financial statements continue to be prepared on the going concern basis.”

Group structure

1. THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC · parent
   1. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (Publishing) Limited 100% · United Kingdom · production and sale of music publications and recordings

Significant events

• “New Performance Diplomas at LRSM and FRSM were successfully introduced in April 2024, followed closely by the new Teaching Diplomas in November 2024. Final results were issued for the FRSMs from our previous suite of diplomas in December 2024. Jazz Performance Grades 1-5 were successfully launched in January 2024 for Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet and Trombone and we also launched Drumkit Performance Grades 1-8.”
• “During 2024-25 a total of 225,000 (2024: 229,000) assessments were completed for ABRSM's Practical, Performance Grade, Diploma, Theory and Music Medals qualifications in the UK and Ireland, a decrease of 0.9.% on the prior year. ... Internationally we opened new centres in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, South Africa, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand and USA. ... The global roll-out of our digital certificate solution was completed in August 2024.”
• “In 2024, we launched several new products aimed at supporting music learners globally including: Drum Kit Performance Grade - a new subject for ABRSM... Music Medals - system improvements... Piano Syllabus 25 - a new narrative of introducing new genres... DJ Levels: 1 & 2 - a new partnership... Diplomas in Performance, Teaching and Directing L4-6 - a renewed offer... Harp - renewed syllabus offers...”
• “This year saw the release of several publications including the following: April 2024 Drum Kit Exam Pieces + audio; June 2024 Piano Exam Pieces + audio, and Teaching Notes, and Practice Partner app, 2025-26; June 2024 Piano Prep Test; September 2024 Piano Exam Pieces Chinese Edition; September 2024 Ukulele Music Medals repertoire albums; January 2025 Harp Scales and Sight-Reading products; January 2025 Singing Music Medals Songbook; January 2025 Music Theory Sample/Practice Papers and Model Answers.”
• “ABRSM's website relaunched in October 2023 and in 2024 (January to January) it attracted 12.5 million views, an increase of 77% on the previous year and 5.6m total users, an increase of 156% on 2023. ... We also hosted our first annual symposium, Music the rhythm of our lives, a panel debate featuring Professor Ian Cross, Dr Hannah Critchlow and Dr Tara Venkatesan to an invited audience at the Royal Institution in London. The panel sought to explore the myriad cognitive and physiological benefits of listening to or playing music and was part of our advocacy work in 2024.”

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

Filings

13

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

3

last 12 months

Officers resigned

3

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

• Turnover

  +4.1%

  £48,890,000 → £50,899,000

• Cash

  +5.7%

  £5,296,000 → £5,599,000

• Net assets

  +16.7%

  £23,502,000 → £27,428,000

• Employees

  +3.1%

  191 → 197

• Wages

  +15.4%

  £8,336,000 → £9,617,000

Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers