THE ATHELSTAN TRUST

• ◆

  5 officer resignations in last 12 months

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

1. THE ATHELSTAN TRUST 2015-03-02 → present
2. MALMESBURY SCHOOL 2011-07-11 → 2015-03-02

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

Bishop Fleming Audit Limited

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“After making appropriate enquiries, the Board of Trustees has a reasonable expectation that the Athelstan Trust has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason, it continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. In reaching this decision, the Board of Trustees has scrutinised the 3-year budget plan and cashflow and has had due regard to the current level of reserves held. The Board of Trustees is satisfied that the trust's income, predominately derived from Government sources, is forthcoming for the foreseeable future as no information has come to light to assume otherwise. 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 Academy Trust'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.”

Group structure

1. THE ATHELSTAN TRUST · parent
   1. Malmesbury School
   2. The Dean Academy
   3. Bradon Forest School
   4. Sir William Romney's School
   5. Chipping Sodbury School
   6. Leighterton Primary School
   7. Avening Primary School
   8. Charter Primary School
   9. Kings Lodge Primary School
   10. Abbeyfield School

Significant events

• “The CEO Tim Gilson announced his retirement in the autumn term and his successor Matthew Evans was appointed in January. Matthew was previously the headteacher at Farmors School and was appointed from a very strong national field. He brings a wealth of leadership experience and a record of success.”
• “The headteachers of Leighterton and Chipping Sodbury retired at Christmas and were replaced from within the Trust. Leighteron and Avening schools have moved to a shared Executive head teacher model with Jane Rushton leading both schools.”
• “Rob Skipp moved from being deputy head at SWR to become head teacher at Chipping Sodbury School in January.”
• “In April Richard Blacker the Trust COO announced his retirement and an interim solution has been put in place with a recruitment in autumn 2025.”
• “The trust has taken the difficult decision to run a consultation across the Chipping Sodbury community to consider the viability of the current shared sixth form provision. This concluded in October 2025 with a decision to close the Sixth Form.”
• “Building work for the new full-size floodlit 3G artificial grass pitch at SWR ran as planned and the facility opened in October 2025.”
• “A great deal of work has been done throughout the year in bringing three Chippenham schools into the Trust with Kings Lodge Primary and Charter Primary joining in July and Abbeyfield School in October.”
• “On 1 July 2025 Charter Primary School converted to academy trust status under the Academies Act 2010 and all the operations and assets and liabilities were transferred to The Athelstan Trust from Wiltshire Council for £NIL consideration.”
• “On 1 July 2025 Kings Lodge Primary School converted to academy trust status under the Academies Act 2010 and all the operations and assets and liabilities were transferred to The Athelstan Trust from Wiltshire Council for £NIL consideration.”
• “On 1 October 2025 Abbeyfield School converted into an academy and joined the Trust donating its assets and liabilities.”

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

4

last 12 months

Officers resigned

5

last 12 months

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

• Turnover

  +13.5%

  £33,366,123 → £37,870,283

• Cash

  +39%

  £4,131,615 → £5,741,719

• Net assets

  +15.9%

  £47,312,761 → £54,854,053

• Employees

  -9.2%

  748 → 679

• Operating profit

  +1,123.1%

  -£886,479 → £9,069,145

• Profit before tax

  +501.7%

  -£1,972,306 → £7,923,292

• Wages

  +0.7%

  £19,925,665 → £20,063,639

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