EXPLORE LEARNING LIMITED
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Cash
£2m
+102.9% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£6.5m
+17.1% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
2,901
-11.5% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£911k
-42.5% first positive since 2023
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Insolvency history on file
Companies House holds prior insolvency events for this company. Detail and outcome on the official register.
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £37,661,000 | £42,093,000 | £42,457,000 | +0.9% | |
| Operating profit | -£518,000 | £1,515,000 | £8,590,000 | +467% | |
| Profit before tax | -£496,000 | £1,585,000 | £911,000 | -42.5% | |
| Net profit | -£85,000 | £1,445,000 | £946,000 | -34.5% | |
| Cash | £559,000 | £967,000 | £1,962,000 | +102.9% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £11,338,000 | £6,333,000 | £7,303,000 | +15.3% | |
| Net assets | £4,095,000 | £5,540,000 | £6,486,000 | +17.1% | |
| Equity | £4,095,000 | £5,540,000 | £6,486,000 | +17.1% | |
| Average employees | 3,234 | 3,278 | 2,901 | -11.5% | |
| Wages | £22,182,000 | £24,566,000 | £24,794,000 | +0.9% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £904,000 | £1,152,000 | £1,216,000 | +5.6% | |
| Directors' pension contributions | £43,000 | £57,000 | £62,000 | +8.8% | |
| Highest paid director | £290,000 | £306,000 | £306,000 | 0% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -1.4% | 3.6% | 20.2% | |
| Net margin | -0.2% | 3.4% | 2.2% | |
| Return on capital employed | -4.6% | 23.9% | 117.6% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 75.5% | 69.9% | 67.9% | |
| Current ratio | 1.35x | 0.82x | 1.00x |
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.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Crowe U.K. LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“We draw attention to the group's shareholder loan notes of £16.5m that at the balance sheet date of 31 December 2025, have redemption dates of October 2029, and the group's bank facility agreement of £9.7m which has a termination date of December 2028.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
7 active · 24 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TITCOMB, Paul Andrew | Secretary | 2025-07-29 | — | — |
| CANDOLFI, Yaelle | Director | 2024-06-13 | Jan 1979 | Swiss |
| HAYCOX, Lisa Marie | Director | 2016-01-26 | Apr 1981 | British |
| KELLY, David Thomas | Director | 2021-07-19 | Sep 1963 | British,Irish |
| LIGHT, Craig Jonathan | Director | 2014-04-01 | Jun 1979 | British |
| MILLS, William Stabb | Director | 2000-11-27 | Oct 1966 | British |
| REYNOLDS, Richard Zak | Director | 2023-03-29 | Oct 1988 | British |
Show 24 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUSTIN, Toby Warwick | Secretary | 2019-07-24 | 2025-07-29 |
| COTTERILL, Susan | Secretary | 2014-01-17 | 2015-12-31 |
| EVERARD, Lucy Jane | Secretary | 2017-10-13 | 2019-07-24 |
| GARLAND, Helen | Secretary | 2006-10-20 | 2011-10-03 |
| GILES, Simon Kenneth | Secretary | 2011-10-03 | 2014-01-17 |
| GREGG, Pauline Marion | Secretary | 2003-11-13 | 2006-10-20 |
| HICKS, Robert Cerdic William | Secretary | 2002-11-01 | 2003-11-13 |
| OSBORN, Matthew John | Secretary | 2016-01-01 | 2017-07-27 |
| RICHARDS, Hayleigh Claire | Secretary | 2017-07-27 | 2017-10-13 |
| SOUTHWELL, Joanna Lesley | Secretary | 2000-11-27 | 2002-03-27 |
| WHATLING, Philip John | Secretary | 2002-03-28 | 2002-11-01 |
| ASHCROFT CAMERON SECRETARIES LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Secretary | 2000-11-27 | 2000-11-27 |
| FITZGERALD, Ross Andrew | Director | 2000-12-22 | 2012-08-22 |
| FREEMAN, Peter John | Director | 2000-12-22 | 2012-08-22 |
| GILES, Simon Kenneth | Director | 2012-08-22 | 2014-01-17 |
| HICKS, Robert Cerdic William | Director | 2004-03-08 | 2017-12-31 |
| HOBHOUSE, William Arthur | Director | 2005-12-15 | 2012-08-22 |
| HOBHOUSE, William Arthur | Director | 2002-09-25 | 2004-09-10 |
| HORTH, Philip Sidney Arnold | Director | 2000-12-15 | 2001-05-11 |
| KELSEY, Alan | Director | 2013-09-24 | 2020-12-31 |
| MASON, Charles Daniel Edward | Director | 2004-03-08 | 2012-08-22 |
| SCOTT, Catriona Jane | Director | 2018-07-01 | 2023-08-03 |
| TRIPP, Alan Harvey | Director | 2001-02-15 | 2004-01-01 |
| ASHCROFT CAMERON NOMINEES LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Director | 2000-11-27 | 2000-11-27 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Bidco Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 191 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-07 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-08-24 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-10-02 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-09-12 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2025-08-26 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2025-08-22 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-08-22 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2025-04-07 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2024-08-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-06-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-06-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2024-06-20 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-08-21 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-08-21 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-07-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-04-06 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-01-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 3
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.