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Oxford private school blames VAT for administration as deal struck

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Touchload Limited, the company trading as Kings Oxford, was placed into administration by the High Court earlier this month.

Joint administrators Stephen Katz and Mr David Lawrence Birne of BTG Begbies Traynor (London) LLP were appointed on Thursday, April 9.

Public filings show Touchload remains listed as an active private limited company, with its most recent accounts covering the year to December 31, 2024 and its next set of accounts still due by October 1, 2026.

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Kings Oxford. (Image: Kings Oxford)

The administration order allows insolvency practitioners to take control of the business while options are explored, including a potential rescue, sale or managed wind‑down.

Kings Oxford, which operates from its St Joseph’s Campus in Temple Road, Cowley, and a city centre site in St Michael’s Street, offers GCSEs, A‑levels, foundation programmes and English language courses for UK and international day and boarding students.

Its current fee table shows A‑level programmes priced at more than £33,000 per year and GCSE courses in the low‑to‑mid £30,000s.

An Ofsted boarding inspection in May 2023 rated the overall experiences, progress, safeguarding and leadership at Kings Oxford as good.

In a detailed statement, a spokesperson for Kings Oxford linked the college’s financial pressures to the Government’s policy of imposing VAT on private school fees.

READ MORE: Private college with £30k fees in administration after High Court order

Kings Oxford. (Image: Kings Oxford)

The spokesperson said: “Since the Government’s imposition of VAT on private school fees Kings Oxford, along with many private schools in the UK, has experienced a significant drop in student enrolments over the past 18 months.

“The impact among international schools such as ours has been even more severe because parents of international students have multiple English‑speaking options for their children’s education abroad.

“It became clear that the most viable way of ensuring educational continuity for our students would be by being part of a larger, more stable educational group.

“We are therefore delighted that Kings Oxford is now part of the INTO University Partnerships group, a very well‑respected and successful operator within the international education sector.

“This will provide security for students currently studying in Oxford, as well as long‑term stability for Kings Oxford, which we are confident will continue to operate successfully in the city for many more years to come.”

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Kings Oxford. (Image: Kings Oxford)

Kings Oxford sits within Kings Education, which runs UK and US colleges and will now operate as a distinct brand inside the INTO University Partnerships group under a strategic deal announced this month.

INTO, which works with universities in the UK, US, Australia and elsewhere, said the tie‑up would create a “more resilient, more capable, and more globally connected organisation”, with plans to widen the range of programmes and locations open to students and expand Kings’ offer using INTO’s London facilities.

Mr Andrew Hutchinson, chief executive of Kings Education, said joining INTO marked “an exciting new chapter” and would “create new opportunities and outcomes for our students and partners”, while INTO chief executive Mr John Sykes described the agreement as an “important milestone” that would broaden study and progression routes for international students.

Insolvency notices advise anyone seeking further information about the administration of Touchload Limited to contact BTG Begbies Traynor in London.





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B&Q issues urgent recall for popular heatwave item amid 'electric shock' warning

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B&Q has issued an urgent recall for one of its popular heatwave items after warning of ‘electric shock and fire’.



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Evri approved after Oxford Botley Road shop wins extension appeal

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Nisa Local, which first opened in Botley Road in November, can now be extended after a Planning Inspector overturned Oxford City Council’s rejection.

The proposal is for a steel security shutter and a single-storey rear extension, which would provide more space for new services such as an Evri and two more Cook frozen meal freezers.

The Costa Coffee self-service machine is hoped to be on the front of the shop and will provide more floor space for Bake & Bite and the Oxford-based Natural Bread Company.

Oxford City Council refused permission in March arguing the extension would harm the character and appearance of the property.

Aejal Patel, Nisa manager (Image: Ben Hardy)

However, planning inspector Alexander O’Doherty concluded the impact on the wider area would be limited because the extension would be largely hidden at the rear from public view.

In his decision issued on July 23, the inspector acknowledged that the extension would have some harmful effect on the appearance of the building itself, but said the benefits outweighed that harm.

The inspector noted the shop is “clearly lacking in storage space” and said the additional floor area would help it better serve local residents.

The decision also referenced numerous representations from supporters, with the inspector saying these lent “considerable credence” to the benefits of the scheme.

He added that providing these services within a residential area would encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport by reducing the need for residents to travel elsewhere by car.





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Witney sweet shop announces closure ‘with heavy heart’

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Grumpys Sweet Shop in Fettiplace Road, which operated as a cafe and collectibles shop until it became a sweet shop in 2023, has announced it will close by the end of August.

A statement from the team behind the shop said the ‘difficult decision’ was taken with a ‘heavy heart’.

The final day trading would be Friday, August 28.

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The statement said: “This hasn’t been a decision we’ve taken lightly.

“Like so many families and small businesses, we’ve felt the impact of the rising cost of living, and the increasing costs of running a business have made things more challenging than ever.

Unsplash. Sweets stock photoSweets (stock photo) (Image: Timm Bursch / Unsplash)

“On top of that, our current lease has came to an end.

“Renewing it would mean committing to another seven years, and after a great deal of thought, we’ve decided that this is the right time for us to close this chapter.

“While we’re incredibly sad to say goodbye, we’d love to see as many of you as possible before we close.

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“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making Grumpy’s Sweet Shop so much more than just a business.

“You turned it into a place filled with smiles, laughter, and wonderful memories that we’ll treasure forever.”

The owners added that ‘everything you see in the shop’ is now for sale, and offers will be considered for all fittings and displays.





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