Children & youth · Reg 1120654
Rating for THE PERSE SCHOOL
75/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Good
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Mission
THE PERSE SCHOOL is a registered UK charity (1120654) working in children & youth in Cambridge · CB2 8QF. CharityCompare scores the organisation from public Charity Commission annual accounts — financial efficiency, transparency, and filing compliance — not programme outcomes.
In short: THE PERSE SCHOOL scores 75 out of 100 (3 stars). 99% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.
Overview
THE PERSE SCHOOL has a Clarity Score of 75 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1120654. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2020: total income £28m, with 99% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.
Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .
Overall score
75/100
3★ · Good
Cause spend
99%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£28m
Latest year 2020
Reserves
—
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£181.1 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 1% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high
Data & confidence
- Source
- Charity Commission (E&W)
- Accounts year
- 2020
- Filing date
- 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
- Profile reviewed
- 2026-06-24
High confidence — complete filing data
Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.
Beacon report
Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.
Accountability & Transparency
Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.
100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Filing history (5 years) 100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts. | 100% | 15/15 pts |
| Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag). | 100% | 18 trustees · 15/15 pts |
| Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 100% | 10/10 pts |
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
50/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 0% | Not stated · 0/15 pts |
| Income stability / growth Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts. | 100% | 10/10 pts · 3-year average |
| Liabilities to assets Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts. | 100% | 20% · 5/5 pts |
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Program expense ratio ≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts. | 100% | 99% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) |
| Fundraising efficiency Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 100% | 1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) |
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
0/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer-to-staff ratio More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts. | 0% | 35 volunteers / 392 staff · 0/10 pts |
Clarity Score
75/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars
Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.
Accountability & Transparency
Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.
100/100
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
50/100
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
100/100
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
0/100
Revenue & expenses
Latest filed year 2020 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £28m | — |
| Total expenditure | £25m | — |
| Charitable activities | £24m | 99% |
| Fundraising | £179k | 1% |
| Governance & admin | £28k | 0% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2020) · £25m spent
- Charitable activities99% · £24m
- Fundraising1% · £179k
- Governance0% · £28k
- Other spending0% · £47k
Trust indicators
Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.
-
Accounts filed on time
up to date · last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
-
Trustee board size (3–12)
18 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
392 employees · 35 volunteers (0:1 volunteer-to-staff)
Fundraising Regulator
Not listed as member
Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Check Fundraising Regulator →Official register
Reg 1120654
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →Trustees & officers
- Graeme John Proudfoot BA Oxon since 2017
- Simon David Lebus CBE since 2017
- Christopher Patrick Hancock MA LLM KC since 2018
- Dr Denise Williams FRCP FRPCH since 2018
- Jonathan Willoughby Scott MA Chair · since 2019
- Susan Elizabeth Freestone DLMEd GRSM since 2019
- Professor Alexander Duncan Oliver PhD LittD since 2019
- Sally Ann Shakir-Khalil MA Law since 2020
- Nicholas Michael Finlayson-Brown BA Hons since 2021
- Angela Yin-Chiu Au FCA MA since 2021
- DAVID SINCLAIR FERGUSON since 2023
- DR JASON DEREK HAWKES since 2023
How we score charities +
The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK Charity Commission data. Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.
Accountability & Transparency
Scored from filings
40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).
Financial Health
Scored from filings
30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).
Financial Efficiency
Scored from filings
20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.
Community Support
Scored from filings
10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.
Overall score
Sum of all pillar points. Translated to stars: 90–100 Exceptional (4★), 75–89 Good (3★), 60–74 Needs improvement (2★), below 60 Poor (1★).
Five-year trends
- Income
- Spending
- Cause spend
Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts
Key facts
- Overall score
- 75/100 (3★)
- Income
- £28m
- Cause spend
- 99% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 1120654
- Scope
- Local (cambridge)
- Reserves
- —
- Trustees
- 18
- Accounts year
- 2020
- Filing
- up to date
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions about THE PERSE SCHOOL's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is THE PERSE SCHOOL's charity rating? +
THE PERSE SCHOOL scores 75 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Good). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).
Is THE PERSE SCHOOL a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — THE PERSE SCHOOL is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1120654. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is THE PERSE SCHOOL's Charity Commission registration number? +
THE PERSE SCHOOL's registration number is 1120654. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1120654
How much income does THE PERSE SCHOOL receive? +
THE PERSE SCHOOL reported £28m total income in its 2020 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.
What percentage of THE PERSE SCHOOL's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 99% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 1% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 1%.
Are THE PERSE SCHOOL's accounts up to date? +
Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.
Where is THE PERSE SCHOOL based? +
THE PERSE SCHOOL is listed at Cambridge · CB2 8QF, focused on children & youth.
How does CharityCompare score THE PERSE SCHOOL? +
We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.
Does CharityCompare recommend donating to THE PERSE SCHOOL? +
No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.
How can I compare THE PERSE SCHOOL with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put THE PERSE SCHOOL side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.