COLLEGES SCOTLAND

1. COLLEGES SCOTLAND 2012-10-01 → present
2. ASSOCIATION OF SCOTLAND'S COLLEGES 2006-07-31 → 2012-10-01
3. ASSOCIATION OF SCOTTISH COLLEGES 1995-07-12 → 2006-07-31
4. EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION FOR SCOTTISH FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES 1993-03-12 → 1995-07-12

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

Standalone (parent only)

Auditor

CT Audit Limited

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“The Board of Trustees has not identified any material uncertainty with respect to going concern. The Board of Trustees is of the view that it would be reasonable to assume that Colleges Scotland will continue to operate for the foreseeable future, being at least 12 months from the date of approval of these financial statements, and, accordingly, the financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis.”

Significant events

• “The 2024/25 period has been marked by meaningful progress, achieved despite considerable challenges facing our members. Colleges Scotland has remained steadfast in championing the college sector.”
• “Colleges Scotland also embraced change this past year: undergoing two leadership transitions; and implementing a new organisational governance model designed to simplify and clarify the role of the Board of Trustees.”
• “Offshore Wind Skills Programme £3m (For AY 2025/26) - working with sector partners, government officials and the renewables industry to create a skills programme to ensure a pipeline of college-trained workers.”
• “Active Campus Co-ordinators £1.45m (For AY 2025/26 and 2026/27) - continuation of the Active Campus Network, with 18 Active Campus Co-ordinators now in place.”
• “College Innovation Funding £700k - as part of the Scottish Government Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint initiative to help college students develop business skills.”
• “Care Skills Partnership £500k (For AY 2025/26) – enabling the college sector to develop and deliver a national resource to strengthen colleges' capacity to support Scotland's health and social care sector.”
• “3% Increase in Fee Rate - for the current college fee rate paid by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for apprentices who start in AY 2025/26.”
• “Scottish Education Exchange Programme £185k -11 colleges successfully bid for 13 projects across a variety of international activity as part of the Test and Learn Pilot.”
• “Four-year Lecturer Pay Agreement - ratified in September 2024, delivering a £5,000 consolidated pay rise across AYs 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25, and a further increase of 4.14% in 2025/26.”
• “Three-year Support Staff Pay Offer - worked successfully with trade union partners to reach joint agreement on a proposed pay increase of just over 11% across AYs 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28.”
• “Job Evaluation - worked successfully with trade union partners on a refreshed proposal to recommence Job Evaluation for support staff.”
• “Colleges Scotland reported net expenditure of £24k (2023/24: net income of £216k) before other recognised gains or losses on the pension scheme.”
• “Other recognised gains associated with the defined benefit pension scheme... resulted in decrease in total funds of £175k (2023/24: increase of £71k).”
• “Net assets on the balance sheet are £493k (2023/24: £668k).”
• “The net loss during 2024/25 was foreseen as part of the forecasts, some of the reasons are noted below: use of temporary staffing to cover core vacancies; use of consultants to carry out project work related to the vision and governance refresh; recruitment of Interim Chief Executive Officer and permanent Chief Executive Officer; the transition from Interim Chief Executive Officer to permanent Chief Executive Officer.”

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

Filings

20

last 12 months

Capital events

0

last 24 months

Officers appointed

6

last 12 months

Officers resigned

2

last 12 months

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

• Turnover

  -14.2%

  £2,098,000 → £1,800,000

• Cash

  -7.6%

  £857,000 → £792,000

• Net assets

  -26.2%

  £668,000 → £493,000

• Employees

  +5.6%

  18 → 19

• Operating profit

  -111.1%

  £216,000 → -£24,000

• Wages

  +12.4%

  £821,000 → £923,000

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