Income and Expenditure
The total income of the union for the period was £6,702,911. This amount included payments of £5,666,054 in respect of membership of the union. The union’s total expenditure for the period was £6,171,516. The union does not maintain a political fund.
Salary paid to and other benefits provided to the General Secretary
The General Secretary of the union was paid £149,796 in respect of salary and £20,112 in respect of benefits.
Irregularity statement
A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or have occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct.
The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the union, the trustees of the property of the union, the auditor or auditors of the union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State) and the police.
Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of the rules of the union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, s/he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.
Independent Auditor’s report
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL AND COLLEGE LEADERS
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of the Association of School and College Leaders (“the association”) for the year ended 31 December 2021 which comprise the income and expenditure account, the balance sheet and the related notes including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion the financial statements:
- Give a true and fair view of the state of the association’s affairs as at 31 December 2020 and of its surplus for the year then ended.
- Have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
- Have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the association in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the ISAs (UK) require us to report to you where:
- the officers’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is not appropriate; or
- the officers have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt about the association’s ability to continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Other information
The officers are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Report of the Officers, other than the financial statements and our audit report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the association and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Report of the Officers.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- adequate accounting records have not been kept by the association, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or
- the association’s financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or
- certain disclosures of officers’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or
- a satisfactory system of control over transactions has not been maintained throughout the year; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
Responsibilities of officers
As explained more fully in the Statement of Officers’ Responsibilities set out in the annual report and accounts, the officers are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the officers determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the officers are responsible for assessing the association’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the officers either intend to liquidate the association or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at
www.frc.org.uk/auditresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Auditor’s report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the association’s members, as a body, in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the association’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors’ report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the association’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
COOPER PARRY GROUP LTD
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor
Sky View
Argosy Road
East Midlands Airport
Castle Donnington
DE74 2SA
May 2022