MERCHISTON CASTLE SCHOOL

• ◆

  4 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

Saffery LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“At the date of approval of the financial statements, the Governors consider the charitable company and group to be a going concern and the financial statements have been prepared on this basis. The future operations of the charitable company and group are dependent on sufficient continued pupil numbers and future operating cashflows to finance ordinary activities. The charitable company and group currently meet day to day working capital requirements through available cash resources including fees received in advance to ensure that the Group and company meet debts when they fall due. Having considered all of the above matters and taking into consideration the current economic environment, government legislation, the current and forecasted school roll and the cost control and realisation of assets measures available to the School, the Governors are of the opinion that the charitable company and Group can continue to meet its obligations as they fall due for at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements and that there are no material uncertainties in this regard to disclose.”

Group structure

1. MERCHISTON CASTLE SCHOOL · parent
   1. Merchiston Enterprises Limited 100% · Scotland · promotes the interests and welfare of Merchiston Castle School, utilises facilities for letting and promotional events, ran the School Shop
   2. Merchiston International Limited 100% · Scotland · promotes the Merchiston Castle School ethos and unique educational experience abroad

Significant events

• “The removal of the VAT exemption on private school fees from 1 January 2025 is a key risk which may impact on the affordability of private schooling.”
• “The increase in the National Insurance contributions and National Living Wage from April 2025 have increased the payroll cost base of the School.”

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

Filings

7

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

0

last 12 months

Officers resigned

4

last 12 months

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

• Turnover

  +1.4%

  £11,410,710 → £11,571,862

• Cash

  -31%

  £3,890,563 → £2,683,235

• Net assets

  +2.6%

  £19,173,964 → £19,664,834

• Employees

  -3.6%

  137 → 132

• Operating profit

  -21.1%

  £547,323 → £431,969

• Profit before tax

  -21.1%

  £547,323 → £431,969

• Wages

  +2.7%

  £4,581,917 → £4,704,208

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