The Unicorn Trust

Charity number: 1070807
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

A school that provides full time education for children with specific learning difficulties,small classes and individual daily tuition to enable pupils to return to mainstream as soon as possible

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 August 2024

Total income:
£3,920,683

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Donations and legacies £143.35k
Charitable activities £3.75m
Other trading activities £0
Investments £26.36k
Other £0

Total expenditure:
£3,506,917

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Raising funds £3.52k
Charitable activities £3.50m
Other £0

£0 investments gains (losses)

Total income includes £2,314,699 from 67 government contract(s)

Charitable expenditure

Charitable expenditure

Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.

In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.

Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.

By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.

Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.
Raising funds and other expenditure £3.52k
Charitable expenditure £3.50m
Retained for future use £413.77k

People

58 Employee(s)

10 Trustee(s)

1 Volunteer(s)

Employees with total benefits over £60,000

Number of employees
£60k to £70k 2
£80k to £90k 1
£90k to £100k 1

Fundraising

No information available

Trading

This charity does not have any trading subsidiaries.

Trustee payments

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

What, who, how, where

What the charity does:
  • Education/training
Who the charity helps:
  • Children/young People
  • People With Disabilities
How the charity helps:
  • Makes Grants To Individuals
  • Provides Services
Where the charity operates:
  • Oxfordshire

Governance

Registration history:
  • 31 July 1998: Standard registration
Organisation type:
Charitable company
Other names:
  • The Phoenix College (Working name)
  • The Phoenix School (Working name)
  • THE UNICORN SCHOOL (Working name)
  • THE UNICORN SCHOOL FOR THE DYSLEXIC CHILD (Previous name)
Company number:
03588494 Open in new window
Gift aid:
Recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
  • Ofsted (Office For Standards In Education)
Policies:
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investing charity funds policy and procedures
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Land and property:
This charity owns and/or leases land or property

Trustees

Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service

10 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
Andrew Strivens Chair 17 April 2022
None on record
Gillian Bisset Trustee 28 June 2025
None on record
Alastair Blackmore Trustee 02 March 2024
None on record
Niki Dinsey Trustee 06 February 2023
None on record
Susan Ann Piper Trustee 07 December 2022
None on record
Fiona Bridget Love Trustee 04 January 2022
None on record
Arj Arul Trustee 07 September 2020
None on record
David Ward Trustee 01 December 2018
None on record
Marion Frostick Trustee 01 December 2018
None on record
NATALIE MACDONALD Trustee 06 May 2011
None on record

Financial history

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Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 31/08/2020 31/08/2021 31/08/2022 31/08/2023 31/08/2024
Total gross income £2.33m £2.52m £3.00m £3.30m £3.92m
Total expenditure £2.21m £2.31m £2.76m £3.01m £3.51m
Income from government contracts £881.88k £928.33k £1.02m £1.60m £2.31m
Income from government grants £39.69k £25.44k £29.85k £7.08k N/A
Income - Donations and legacies £780 £10.44k £76.70k £93.17k £143.35k
Income - Other trading activities £287.68k £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Charitable activities £2.00m £2.48m £2.89m £3.19m £3.75m
Income - Endowments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Investment £1.45k £9.03k £3.74k £12.85k £26.36k
Income - Other £39.69k £25.44k £25.33k £7.08k £0
Income - Legacies £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Charitable activities £2.21m £2.30m £2.73m £3.00m £3.50m
Expenditure - Raising funds £5.48k £7.04k £35.19k £7.92k £3.52k
Expenditure - Governance £0 £7.60k £7.69k £8.80k £9.56k
Expenditure - Grants institution £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Investment management £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0

Assets and liabilities

Definitions for assets and liabilities
Own use assets

These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.

Long term Investments

Investments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.

Other assets

These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.

Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability

This is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.

Total liabilities

These are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.

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Asset / Liability 31/08/2020 31/08/2021 31/08/2022 31/08/2023 31/08/2024
Own use assets £233.92k £456.97k £450.08k £434.71k £2.90m
Long-term investments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Other assets £1.38m £1.53m £1.86m £2.32m £2.26m
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total liabilities £987.61k £1.15m £1.23m £1.38m £3.37m

Accounts and annual returns

This table shows the charity's record of submitting annual returns, accounts and trustees' annual report (TAR) for the last five financial periods.
Title Reporting year Date received Received Download
Annual return 31 August 2024 15 May 2025 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 August 2024 15 May 2025 On time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 August 2023 25 May 2024 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 August 2023 25 May 2024 On time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 August 2022 14 March 2023 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 August 2022 14 March 2023 On time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 August 2021 22 February 2022 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 August 2021 22 February 2022 On time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 August 2020 29 April 2021 On time
Accounts and TAR 31 August 2020 17 May 2021 On time Download Open in new window
Submit annual return Open in new window

Governing document

Details of the type of governing document the charity has and when it was established.
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED ON 25 JUNE 1998. as amended on 01 Apr 2022

Charitable objects

TO ADVANCE EDUCATION AND PARTICULAR BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY BY ESTABLISHING A SCHOOL OR SCHOOLS AND BY PROVIDING A FULL-TIME EDUCATION, IN LINE WITH THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM, FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES WHO REQUIRE SPECIALIST TUITION, SMALL CLASSES AND INTENSIVE DAILY INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE TO ENABLE THEM TO RETURN AS SOON AS APPROPRIATE TO MAINSTREAM EDUCATION

Area of benefit

The area the charity can operate in, as set out in its governing document.

NOT DEFINED.

Contact information

Address:
20 MARCHAM ROAD
ABINGDON
OX14 1AA
Phone:
01235530222
Email:
office@unicornoxford.co.uk
Website:

www.unicornoxford.co.uk Open in new window