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THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Charity rating & review

82/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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82 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Is THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS a good charity?

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS scores 82/100 (Good) on our Clarity Score, with 100% of spending going to charitable activities and accounts up to date. This reflects financial transparency and stewardship from Charity Commission filings — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

United Kingdom Reg 1108756 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS is a registered charity (no. 1108756) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 100% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 11 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining over recent years. CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes.

In short: THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars). 100% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS has a Clarity Score of 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1108756. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2020: total income £607k, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 11 months of operating costs. 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

82/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

100%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£607k

Latest year 2020

Reserves

11 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

Fundraising efficiency not stated · 2% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS compares

Clarity Score benchmarked against similar UK charities — higher is better.

Income band (£500k–£1m)82 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 60% of 2,157 charities in its income band.

Children & youth charities82 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 60% of 3,988 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2020
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-25

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales . Open Government Licence v3.0 .

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.

93/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
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% 15 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

70% 7/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

83/100

Financial Health metrics for THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
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.

100% 11 months · 15/15 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.

0% 49% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

100% 100% · 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% 0p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

0% Not reported · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

82/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

93/100
Accountability & Transparency
83/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

93/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight15 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies7/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

83/100

Reserves (months of cash)11 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets49% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Program expense ratio100% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency0p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2020 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS revenue and expenses for 2020
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £607k
Total expenditure £629k
Charitable activities £629k 100%
Governance & admin £9k 1%
100%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2020) · £629k spent

  • Charitable activities100%
  • Governance1%

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)

    15 trustees on the Charity Commission register

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 1108756

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Michael William Gregson since 2018
  • Paul Mark Dillon-Robinson since 2018
  • Irfan Hamid Latif since 2021
  • TOM BEARDMORE-GRAY since 2021
  • Christine Margaret Keunen since 2022
  • Caroline Louise Jordan since 2022
  • John David Edward since 2023
  • DIANA ELIZABETH DEBORAH ROBINSON since 2023
  • Barnaby James Northover since 2023
  • Sophie-Anne Rees since 2024
  • Charlotte Jane Marten Chair · since 2024
  • Margaret Gardiner since 2025
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.

Full methodology →

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

£0k £300k £600k £900k £1200k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £607k Spending 2020: £629k Cause spend 2020: £629k Income 2021: £634k Spending 2021: £610k Cause spend 2021: £610k Income 2022: £761k Spending 2022: £735k Cause spend 2022: £735k Income 2023: £860k Spending 2023: £778k Cause spend 2023: £778k Income 2024: £969k Spending 2024: £829k Cause spend 2024: £829k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
82/100 (3★)
Income
£607k
Cause spend
100% of expenditure
Reg number
1108756
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
11 months
Trustees
15
Accounts year
2020
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS's charity rating? +

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS scores 82 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 ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS a good charity to donate to? +

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 100% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate.

Is THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1108756. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS's registration number is 1108756. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1108756

How much income does THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS receive? +

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS reported £607k total income in its 2020 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 100% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 0% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 2%.

Are THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS'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 ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS based? +

THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS is listed at United Kingdom and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS? +

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 ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS? +

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 ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNING BODIES OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.