THE CHALLENGE ACADEMY TRUST

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

Murray Smith LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“After making appropriate enquiries, the board of trustees has a reasonable expectation that the academy 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.”

Group structure

1. THE CHALLENGE ACADEMY TRUST · parent
   1. TCAT Educational Outdoor Services Limited 100% · England and Wales · outdoor education services

Significant events

• “In April 25, Appleton Thorn Primary was inspected after a 14 year wait. The academy was rated "Good" for the categories of Quality of Education, Leadership and Early Years, and "Outstanding" for Behaviour and Personal Development.”
• “In August 2024, Dallam Community Primary School joined the Trust taking the number of primary schools within the trust to 6.”
• “In September 2024, The Sutton Academy joined the Trust, expanding our footprint into St Helens, with an additional secondary school with a sixth form provision.”
• “South Wirral High School joined the Trust in April 2025, also as an additional secondary school with a 6th form, expanding the Trust into Wirral, Merseyside and becoming our first PFI school.”
• “The Trust Board formed a subsidiary company, TCAT Educational Outdoor Services Ltd to operate an outdoor activity centre for our pupils... The centre opened to TCAT pupils in April 2025...”
• “Department for Education awarded us two Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence ("RISE") contracts to support two schools in the North West.”
• “TCAT has piloted and developed ReRoute, an Alternative Provision (AP) designed to support Key Stage 3 and 4 students requiring additional Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) support...”
• “Launched in the 2024/25 academic year, the TCAT Challenge Award reflects our commitment to nurturing well-rounded, resilient individuals and recognising their achievements beyond the classroom.”
• “Across 2024-25, we invested £3.6 million into our academy buildings and estates and we have committed to spending a further £2.6 million in 2025-26.”
• “Further development of the Padgate Academy site commenced to provide additional school places to meet the demand created by the Peel Hall housing development.”
• “Works to decarbonise the Trust continue with ground source heat pumps at 6 of our academies, LED lighting installed across the Trust and EV chargers installed at all academies.”
• “in July 2024 the trust gained accreditation in Cyber Essentials for the second year running.”

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

Filings

5

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

  +42.9%

  £58,685,000 → £83,838,000

• Cash

  +62.9%

  £4,604,000 → £7,499,000

• Net assets

  +36.3%

  £114,609,000 → £156,223,000

• Employees

  +36.7%

  1,065 → 1,456

• Wages

  +34.8%

  £35,860,000 → £48,326,000

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