COTSWOLD BEACON ACADEMY TRUST

• ⚠

  Material uncertainty over going concern

  We draw attention to note 1.2 in the financial statements, which indicates the conditions identified that may cast significant doubt on the Academy Trust's ability to continue as a going concern. At 31 August 2025, the Trust has net current liabilities and deficits on revenue reserves and has been operating at a deficit over a number of years. Additional financial support has been sought and received from the DfE to provide additional cash flow resource with an expectation that further support may be required. This support is repayable. In addition the Trust has signed a partnership agreement with Lift Schools with a view to merging with this multi-academy trust during the next financial year. Whilst this continues to be the intention, there remains a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt over the ability to continue as a going concern.

1. COTSWOLD BEACON ACADEMY TRUST 2016-08-05 → present
2. MARLING SCHOOL 2011-07-04 → 2016-08-05

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 U.K. LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Material uncertainty disclosed

“We draw attention to note 1.2 in the financial statements, which indicates the conditions identified that may cast significant doubt on the Academy Trust's ability to continue as a going concern. At 31 August 2025, the Trust has net current liabilities and deficits on revenue reserves and has been operating at a deficit over a number of years. Additional financial support has been sought and received from the DfE to provide additional cash flow resource with an expectation that further support may be required. This support is repayable. In addition the Trust has signed a partnership agreement with Lift Schools with a view to merging with this multi-academy trust during the next financial year. Whilst this continues to be the intention, there remains a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt over the ability to continue as a going concern.”

Group structure

1. COTSWOLD BEACON ACADEMY TRUST · parent
   1. Marling School 1% · England & Wales · Education
   2. Berkeley Primary School 1% · England & Wales · Education
   3. Cam Woodfield Junior School 1% · England & Wales · Education
   4. Callowell Primary School 1% · England & Wales · Education

Significant events

• “In March 2025, the Trust Board took the decision to progress a merger with a large multi academy trust, Lift Schools with an intended transfer being achieved during the year to 31 August 2026. The Trust has signed a partnership agreement with Lift Schools to work towards integration prior to the intended merger as well as to provide educational support to the Trust schools.”
• “In September 2024, following concerns that were identified from regular visual inspections, the Trust carried out an urgent review of the condition of the roof of the school hall in the main building of Marling School. This inspection revealed an immediate and significant risk from the condition of a bell tower that occupies part of the roof and this area of the schools was taken out of use to mitigate the associated safety risk that was found to be present. The Trust is working with the Department for Education with a view to securing Urgent Capital Support Funding to carry out the required work to rectify the roof and bell tower.”
• “The Trust has set a deficit revenue budget for the 2025/26 financial year, which exceeds any surpluses brought forward. This is non-compliant with the funding agreement and the Academy Trust Handbook.”

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

Filings

3

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

0

last 12 months

Officers resigned

1

last 12 months

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

• Turnover

  -5.6%

  £12,946,151 → £12,226,351

• Cash

  -39.9%

  £376,030 → £226,148

• Net assets

  -6.3%

  £18,479,167 → £17,322,479

• Employees

  -4.7%

  235 → 224

• Wages

  +0.7%

  £6,924,436 → £6,975,584

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