PEARSON PLC
Pearson is a London-listed multinational education and assessment group that provides learning materials, qualifications, virtual learning, and English-language courses globally.
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Cash
£333M
-48.2% vs 2024
Net assets
£5.8B
+2.3% highest in 4 filed years
Employees
17,062
+0.2% vs 2024
Profit before tax
£457M
-10.4% vs 2024
Net assets
4-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
4-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2022-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £3,841,000,000 | £3,674,000,000 | £3,552,000,000 | £3,577,000,000 | +0.7% | |
| Operating profit | £398,000,000 | £427,000,000 | £541,000,000 | £773,000,000 | +42.9% | |
| Profit before tax | £326,000,000 | £347,000,000 | £510,000,000 | £457,000,000 | -10.4% | |
| Net profit | £244,000,000 | £234,000,000 | — | £336,000,000 | — | |
| Cash | £543,000,000 | £309,000,000 | £643,000,000 | £333,000,000 | -48.2% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £4,394,000,000 | £4,394,000,000 | — | — | — | |
| Net assets | £3,988,000,000 | £3,988,000,000 | £5,647,000,000 | £5,776,000,000 | +2.3% | |
| Equity | £3,988,000,000 | £3,988,000,000 | £5,647,000,000 | — | — | |
| Average employees | 20,438 | 18,360 | 17,024 | 17,062 | +0.2% | |
| Wages | £1,252,000,000 | £1,252,000,000 | £1,188,000,000 | £1,203,000,000 | +1.3% | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | — | £2,689,000 | £3,570,000 | +32.8% |
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 | 2022-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 10.4% | 11.6% | 15.2% | 21.6% | |
| Net margin | 6.4% | 6.4% | — | 9.4% | |
| Return on capital employed | 9.1% | 9.7% | — | — | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 40.7% | 40.7% | 5.8% | -3.6% | |
| Current ratio | 1.00x | 1.00x | 1.50x | 1.53x | |
| Interest cover | 5.45x | 5.27x | 7.12x | 7.89x |
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
- PEARSON PLC 1984-06-01 → present
- S. PEARSON & SON PLC 1897-08-12 → 1984-06-01
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- IFRS
- Reporting scope
- Consolidated group
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The directors concluded that there are no material uncertainties that cast doubt on the company’s ability to continue as a going concern at or before 30 June 2027. The model shows that significant profit declines in excess of the adverse scenario would still result in comfortable liquidity headroom and sufficient covenant headroom. Therefore, the accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis.”
Group structure
- PEARSON PLC · parent
- Pearson Publishing Services Limited 100%
- Pearson Education, Inc. 100%
- Connections Academy of Florida, LLC 100%
- Pearson France S.A.S. 100%
- Pearson Australia Pty Ltd 100%
- Guangdong Pearson Education Services Limited 70%
- Pearson Testing Services Limited 70%
Significant events
- “2025 was another year of strong financial and operational performance, delivering sales growth of 4% with adjusted operating profit up 6% and strong free cash flow conversion of 125%.”
- “The Board is recommending an increase in the final dividend, making a total proposed dividend of 20.2p per share for 2025.”
- “On 24 July 2025, the Group completed the acquisition of 100% of eDynamic Learning, a leading Career and Technical Education (CTE) and career-pathway programmes provider, for a consideration of £168m.”
- “On 27 February 2025, the Board approved a £350m share buyback programme in order to return value to shareholders.”
- “On 30 June 2025, the Group disposed of its interests in the POLS business in the US, UK, and Germany for a consideration of £20m.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
12 active · 51 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALDWIN, Graeme Stuart | Secretary | 2020-07-01 | — | — |
| ABBOSH, Omar Paul | Director | 2024-01-08 | Mar 1966 | British |
| COUTU, Sherry Leigh | Director | 2019-05-01 | Feb 1964 | Canadian |
| DOLAN, Alison Ann | Director | 2023-06-01 | Dec 1969 | Irish |
| HARDIMAN, Alexandra Heffron | Director | 2023-06-01 | Feb 1982 | American |
| HOFFMAN, Arden Mcintyre | Director | 2025-06-01 | Jul 1971 | American |
| KORDESTANI, Omid | Director | 2022-03-01 | Oct 1963 | American |
| LEE, Esther Soo | Director | 2022-02-01 | Dec 1958 | American |
| MAGLARAS, Constantinos | Director | 2025-11-01 | Dec 1969 | Greek |
| PITKETHLY, Graeme David | Director | 2019-05-01 | Nov 1966 | British |
| ROBSON, Simon Glen | Director | 2026-05-08 | Aug 1973 | British |
| THOMAS, Annette Christina | Director | 2021-10-01 | Apr 1965 | British |
Show 51 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| CASSON, Julia Margaret | Secretary | 1999-08-02 | 2003-07-31 |
| HOFFMAN, Philip Joseph | Secretary | 2003-08-01 | 2015-12-31 |
| JONES, Stephen Andrew | Secretary | 2003-08-01 | 2020-06-30 |
| LAWLESS, Anette Vendelbo | Secretary | — | 1997-10-13 |
| POWNEY, Jane Elizabeth | Secretary | 1999-06-30 | 1999-08-02 |
| VICKERS, Paul Timothy Burnell | Secretary | 1997-10-13 | 1999-06-30 |
| ARCULUS, Thomas David Guy, Sir | Director | 2006-02-28 | 2015-04-24 |
| BARLOW, Frank | Director | — | 1997-05-02 |
| BELL, David Charles Maurice, Sir | Director | 1996-03-15 | 2009-05-01 |
| BIRD, Andrew Peter | Director | 2020-05-01 | 2024-01-07 |
| BLAKENHAM, Michael John, Viscount | Director | — | 1997-05-02 |
| BURNS, Terence, Lord | Director | 1999-05-06 | 2010-04-30 |
| BURRELL, Mark William | Director | — | 1997-05-02 |
| CESCAU, Patrick Jean Pierre | Director | 2002-04-01 | 2012-12-31 |
| CORLEY, Elizabeth Pauline Lucy | Director | 2014-05-01 | 2021-12-31 |
| COX, Vivienne, Dr | Director | 2012-01-01 | 2021-04-30 |
| DAVID-WEILL, Michel Alexandre | Director | — | 2000-03-03 |
| DYKE, Gregory | Director | 1996-03-15 | 1999-09-17 |
| ETHRIDGE, William Thayer | Director | 2008-05-01 | 2013-12-31 |
| FAIRHEAD, Rona Alison | Director | 2002-06-01 | 2013-04-26 |
| FALLON, John Joseph | Director | 2012-10-03 | 2020-10-18 |
| FREESTONE, Robin Anthony David | Director | 2006-06-12 | 2015-08-01 |
| FUHRMAN, Susan Harriet | Director | 2004-07-27 | 2013-08-07 |
| GYLLENHAMMAR, Pehr Gustaf | Director | — | 1997-12-31 |
| HAAS, Jean-Claude | Director | — | 1996-05-03 |
| HALE, John Hampton | Director | — | 1993-05-15 |
| HORNBY, Simon Michael, Sir | Director | — | 1997-05-02 |
| HYDON, Kenneth John | Director | 2006-02-28 | 2015-04-24 |
| JOHNSON, Sally Kate Miranda | Director | 2020-04-24 | 2026-05-07 |
| JOLL, James Anthony Boyd | Director | — | 1996-12-31 |
| JOVANOVICH, Peter William | Director | 2002-06-01 | 2005-01-31 |
| LEWIS, Gillian Margaret | Director | — | 2001-04-27 |
| LEWIS, Salim Joshua | Director | 2011-03-01 | 2020-04-24 |
| LORIMER, Linda Koch | Director | 2013-07-01 | 2023-04-28 |
| LYNTON, Michael Mark | Director | 2018-02-01 | 2021-04-30 |
| MAKINSON, John Crowther | Director | 1996-03-15 | 2013-07-01 |
| MANWANI, Harish | Director | 2013-10-01 | 2018-05-04 |
| MARK, Reuben | Director | — | 2006-04-21 |
| MORENO, Glen Richard | Director | 2005-10-01 | 2015-12-31 |
| PRAHALAD, Coimbatore Krishnarao | Director | 2008-05-01 | 2010-04-16 |
| SANKEY, Vernon Louis | Director | 1993-01-08 | 2006-04-21 |
| SCARDINO, Marjorie Morris, Dame | Director | 1997-01-01 | 2012-12-31 |
| SCORE, Timothy, Dr | Director | 2015-01-01 | 2024-04-26 |
| STEVENSON, Henry Dennistoun, The Lord | Director | — | 2005-10-01 |
| TALWAR, Gurvirendra Singh | Director | 2000-03-20 | 2007-04-30 |
| TAUREL, Sidney | Director | 2016-01-01 | 2022-04-29 |
| VEIT, David Michael | Director | — | 1998-05-01 |
| VEREY, David John, Sir | Director | 1996-05-03 | 2000-03-03 |
| VEREY, David John, Sir | Director | 1995-06-30 | 1996-05-03 |
| WALLEN, Lincoln Anthony | Director | 2016-01-01 | 2025-12-31 |
| WILLIAMS, Coram | Director | 2015-08-01 | 2020-04-24 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 4554 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2026-05-20 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-06-01 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-06-01 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-05-28 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2026-05-21 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2026-05-20 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2026-05-18 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2026-05-14 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2026-05-14 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-05-12 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-05-12 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-05-12 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares | |
| 2026-05-12 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-05-12 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-05-12 | SH03 | capital | Capital return purchase own shares | |
| 2026-05-08 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-05-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-04-29 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2026-04-29 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2026-04-21 | SH06 | capital | Capital cancellation shares |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 20
- Capital events
- 15
- Officers appointed
- 2
- Officers resigned
- 2
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.