ACORN EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION
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Cash
£1.2M
+184% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£1.4M
+120.9% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
483
+1.5% highest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£770K
+445.5% highest in 3 filed years
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Confirmation statement overdue
Due 2026-07-02.
-
5 officer resignations in last 12 months
Multiple officers have left the board recently — see the People section for who.
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 | £11,419,095 | £13,157,457 | £16,261,356 | +23.6% | |
| Operating profit | — | £152,714 | £772,536 | +405.9% | |
| Profit before tax | -£61,244 | £141,182 | £770,148 | +445.5% | |
| Net profit | -£62,313 | £140,587 | £768,509 | +446.6% | |
| Cash | £24,680 | £439,223 | £1,247,253 | +184% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £494,869 | £635,456 | £1,403,965 | +120.9% | |
| Net assets | £494,869 | £635,456 | £1,403,965 | +120.9% | |
| Equity | £494,869 | £635,456 | £1,403,965 | +120.9% | |
| Average employees | 467 | 476 | 483 | +1.5% | |
| Wages | £7,583,625 | £8,670,154 | £10,086,737 | +16.3% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £0 | £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 | — | 1.2% | 4.8% | |
| Net margin | -0.5% | 1.1% | 4.7% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | 24.0% | 55.0% | |
| Current ratio | 0.34x | 0.71x | 1.14x | |
| Interest cover | — | 8.42x | 57.09x |
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.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- ACORN EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION 2017-04-05 → present
- ACORN CHILDCARE 2 2011-07-13 → 2017-04-05
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- MHA Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“Having reviewed the cash flow forecast and underlying assumptions for the next 12 months the trustees remain confident in the ability of the management team to maintain the charity's financial viability. On this basis the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.”
Significant events
- “Acorn opened its first specialist nursery provision for children under the age of three in Deanshanger in 2025.”
- “Acorn's catering hub relocated from Shenley Church End to a new purpose-built kitchen at Wolverton Mill Nursery during 2025.”
- “Total capital expenditure for the year was £230,877, reflecting a continued commitment to maintaining and improving high-quality facilities.”
- “The Trustees provisionally approved a change to the charity's financial year end from 31 December to 31 March, effective 1 January 2026, resulting in a 15-month forthcoming financial period.”
- “On 25 February 2026, the charity purchased 100% shares of Acorn Nursery Properties Limited (ANP) for £756,560.61. ANP was previously a related party.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
14 active · 24 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAVEN, Zoe Anne | Secretary | 2016-06-28 | — | — |
| BRAGG, Denise | Director | 2026-02-13 | Jul 1992 | British |
| CHEETHAM-JOSHI, Hannah Elizabeth | Director | 2025-04-30 | Jun 1985 | British |
| CHILTON, Giles Ashley | Director | 2017-12-02 | Mar 1980 | British |
| COX, Emma | Director | 2024-11-08 | Mar 1986 | British |
| DAWES, Suzanne | Director | 2024-02-07 | Dec 1988 | British |
| HOOPER, Joslyn | Director | 2026-02-13 | Jul 1990 | British |
| IRELAND, Nicholas Jake | Director | 2026-05-15 | Mar 2001 | British |
| LALJANI, Narendra, Dr | Director | 2025-04-30 | Oct 1958 | British |
| NORFOLK, Carolyn Ann | Director | 2017-04-11 | Jan 1980 | British |
| PILLAI, Katherine Ruth Vernon | Director | 2026-02-13 | Aug 1982 | British |
| PROSSER-DRYER, Robert John | Director | 2021-02-05 | May 1970 | British |
| SOGGA, Michelle Louise | Director | 2025-10-24 | Mar 1976 | British |
| WHITE, Olivia Margaret | Director | 2024-11-08 | May 1975 | British |
Show 24 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| GARDNER, Teresa | Secretary | 2011-07-13 | 2016-06-28 |
| ALBAGHDADI, Allawee | Director | 2020-02-01 | 2024-10-03 |
| BARCZEWSKA, Jeanne Dora | Director | 2011-07-13 | 2015-09-17 |
| BEEDHAM, Damien | Director | 2020-02-01 | 2026-02-03 |
| BOYD, Katherine | Director | 2017-04-11 | 2020-05-31 |
| CHARLES, Rebecca Louise, Dr | Director | 2020-02-01 | 2020-09-14 |
| COLEY, Tracey Charlotte | Director | 2021-07-16 | 2023-04-25 |
| EVANS, Hannah | Director | 2017-04-11 | 2022-08-08 |
| FAULKNER, Laura Louise | Director | 2022-03-11 | 2026-02-06 |
| GARDNER, Teresa | Director | 2011-07-13 | 2012-03-19 |
| GWYNN, Vanessa Ann | Director | 2020-02-01 | 2026-02-03 |
| KOTECHA-CLARKE, Hema, Dr | Director | 2023-01-13 | 2024-11-27 |
| LALJANI, Narendra, Dr | Director | 2018-07-20 | 2024-07-16 |
| LLOYD-REICHLING, Eva, Professor | Director | 2018-06-30 | 2025-07-16 |
| MANN, Marilyn | Director | 2011-08-11 | 2012-11-05 |
| PILLAI, Katherine Ruth | Director | 2023-01-13 | 2026-01-13 |
| RAVEN, Zoe Anne | Director | 2011-07-13 | 2016-06-28 |
| RAWDEN, Mark Peter | Director | 2013-10-21 | 2018-05-04 |
| READ, Andrew James | Director | 2012-03-19 | 2017-12-02 |
| RICHARDSON, Elizabeth Eleanor | Director | 2016-06-28 | 2016-09-23 |
| RING, Charlotte Louise Elizabeth | Director | 2015-02-07 | 2018-02-07 |
| SHERIDAN, Clare | Director | 2011-07-13 | 2017-07-14 |
| STONE, Marion Ruth | Director | 2016-06-18 | 2022-06-18 |
| WHYTE, Raymond Anthony | Director | 2012-03-19 | 2014-12-16 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 122 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-06-10 | AA01 | accounts | Change account reference date company current extended | |
| 2026-05-28 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-02-25 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-02-24 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-02-24 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2026-02-24 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2026-02-24 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2026-02-24 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2026-02-24 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2026-02-23 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-02-17 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-02-09 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-02-03 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-01-15 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-01-12 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2025-12-23 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-12-18 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-11-03 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-07-21 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 20
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 5
- Officers resigned
- 5
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.