--- title: "The English Language Centre charity rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is The English Language Centre a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 82/100. Accounts 2024: income £6.8m · 100% on charitable activities. Reg 281859." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-english-language-centre retrieved: 2026-08-18T12:58:33.409Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is The English Language Centre a good charity? The English Language Centre scores 82/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£6.8m total income, 100% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown. Brighton · BN3 2GB | Reg [281859](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-english-language-centre) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.elc-schools.co.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/281859) Donate ## How can you give to The English Language Centre? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official The English Language Centre form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.elc-schools.co.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=281859) ## What does The English Language Centre do? The English Language Centre is a registered charity (no. 281859) working in education in Brighton · BN3 2GB. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 100% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 18 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈43% a year). 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. Summarised from public filings — The English Language Centre hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=the-english-language-centre) **In short:** The English Language Centre scores 82 out of 100 (4 stars). 100% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns. ## What is The English Language Centre? The English Language Centre has a Clarity Score of 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 281859. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Education. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £6.8m, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 18 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 82/100 4★ · Good Cause spend 100% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 85/100 Finance beacon Income £6.8m Latest year 2024 Reserves 18 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission Fundraising efficiency not stated · 1% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does The English Language Centre compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers The English Language Centre scores higher than. Income band (£5m–£10m)61stpercentile **Scores higher than 61% of 619 charities in its income band** · 82/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). Education charities68thpercentile **Scores higher than 68% of 579 charities in this cause** · 82/100 vs 74 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is The English Language Centre's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2024 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 High confidence — complete filing data Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: [Charity Commission for England and Wales](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), [Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator](https://www.oscr.org.uk/) and [Charity Commission for Northern Ireland](https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/). [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). ## What is The English Language Centre's Beacon report? Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report. ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 85/100 | 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, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 7 trustees · 15/15 pts | | Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 40% | 4/10 pts | ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 93/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 100% | 18 months · 15/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 10/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 60% | 24% · 3/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 100% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (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 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 0% | Not reported · 0/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is The English Language Centre's Clarity Score? 82/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 85/100 Accountability & Transparency 93/100 Financial Health 100/100 Financial Efficiency 0/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 85/100 Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts Trustee oversight7 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies4/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 93/100 Reserves (months of cash)18 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets24% · 3/5 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 ## How much does The English Language Centre raise and spend? Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £6.8m | — | | Total expenditure | £6.8m | — | | Charitable activities | £6.8m | 100% | | Governance & admin | £25k | 0% | 100%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2024) · £6.8m spent - Charitable activities100% · £6.8m - Governance0% · £25k ## What trust indicators does The English Language Centre have? Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported. - ✓ Accounts filed on time up to date · last filing 24 June 2026 - ✓ Trustee board size (3–12) 7 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 →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/) Official register Reg 281859 Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission. [View on Charity Commission →](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/281859) ### Trustees & officers - RICHARD A STEWART - KATHERINE WELLS - Robert Howard Kidd since 2020 - Richard Day since 2022 - John Edward Tiernan since 2023 - Nigel Paul Paramor since 2025 - Richard Paul Clark since 2026 100 How we score charities +The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically. [Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Accountability & Transparency Scored from filings 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). Financial Health Scored from filings 30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises). Financial Efficiency Scored from filings 20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below). Community Support Scored from filings 10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio. Overall score Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated. ## How have The English Language Centre's finances changed over five years? - Income - Spending - Cause spend Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts ## What are the key facts about The English Language Centre? Overall score 82/100 (4★) Income £6.8m Cause spend 100% of expenditure Reg number 281859 Scope Local (brighton) Reserves 18 months Trustees 7 Accounts year 2024 Filing up to date ## How does The English Language Centre compare, and where else can you look? [Compare The English Language Centre with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-english-language-centre) [More education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where The English Language Centre sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [Charities in Brighton](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/brighton) ### Similar education charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [CHAPTER ONE (U.K.) LTD](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/chapter-one-u-k-ltd) 100/100 · £1.8m - [SCHOOL IN A BAG](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/school-in-a-bag) 100/100 · £600k - [THE BEN KINSELLA TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-ben-kinsella-trust) 100/100 · £596k - [EALING AND HOUNSLOW COMMUNITY VOLUNTARY SERVICE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/ealing-and-hounslow-community-voluntary-service) 99/100 · £953k ## How can you share The English Language Centre's rating? 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Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 82/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-english-language-centre) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 82/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about The English Language Centre's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is The English Language Centre a good charity? + The English Language Centre scores 82 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator 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 English Language Centre a legitimate charity? + Yes — The English Language Centre is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 281859). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/281859. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is The English Language Centre's charity number? + The English Language Centre's charity number is 281859. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals. What is The English Language Centre's charity rating? + The English Language Centre scores 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Good). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking. Does The English Language Centre have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The English Language Centre. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How much of my donation reaches The English Language Centre? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 100% of The English Language Centre's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift. What are The English Language Centre's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 1% of total expenditure at The English Language Centre. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The English Language Centre's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register. How much income does The English Language Centre receive? + The English Language Centre reported £6.8m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing. Are The English Language Centre's accounts up to date? + Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is The English Language Centre based? + The English Language Centre is listed at Brighton · BN3 2GB, focused on education. How does CharityCompare score The English Language Centre? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The English Language Centre's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought. How often is this page updated? + This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and The English Language Centre's most recent accounts cover 2024. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.