THE KEY SUPPORT SERVICES LIMITED
Get an alert when THE KEY SUPPORT SERVICES LIMITED files next
Leroy will email you the moment a new filing lands at Companies House — one short note per filing, nothing else.
Cash
£22M
+162.9% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£3.5M
+830.9% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
540
+28.9% highest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£5.8M
+486.9% highest in 3 filed years
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
3 officer resignations in last 12 months
Multiple officers have left the board recently — see the People section for who.
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-08-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-08-31 | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £41,065,627 | £53,520,073 | £75,289,316 | +40.7% | |
| Operating profit | -£552,472 | £5,039,010 | £9,820,450 | +94.9% | |
| Profit before tax | -£3,385,570 | £982,719 | £5,767,194 | +486.9% | |
| Net profit | -£2,362,578 | £454,467 | £3,127,900 | +588.3% | |
| Cash | £5,915,244 | £8,186,592 | £21,524,687 | +162.9% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £38,682,923 | £50,776,245 | £58,793,446 | +15.8% | |
| Net assets | -£80,899 | £377,338 | £3,512,496 | +830.9% | |
| Equity | -£80,899 | £377,338 | £3,512,496 | +830.9% | |
| Average employees | 366 | 419 | 540 | +28.9% | |
| Wages | £12,740,886 | £15,550,169 | £21,513,394 | +38.3% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £432,423 | £415,192 | £423,523 | +2% |
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 | 2023-08-31 | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -1.3% | 9.4% | 13.0% | |
| Net margin | -5.8% | 0.8% | 4.2% | |
| Return on capital employed | -1.4% | 9.9% | 16.7% | |
| Current ratio | 0.61x | 0.65x | 0.94x | |
| Interest cover | -0.19x | 1.24x | 2.41x |
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
- THE KEY SUPPORT SERVICES LIMITED 2014-05-19 → present
- TEN EDUCATION LIMITED 2012-10-25 → 2014-05-19
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Consolidated group
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis... No material uncertainties have been identified that would cast significant doubt on the Group's ability to continue as a going concern.”
Group structure
- THE KEY SUPPORT SERVICES LIMITED · parent
- Histon House Ltd 100%
- Schools Educational Software Limited 100%
- Arbor Education Partners Group Ltd 100%
- Arbor Education Partners Ltd 100%
- Arbor Education Partners d.o.o 100%
- TKey Education Solutions Private Limited 100%
- Fusion Education People Solutions Ltd 100%
- October Resolutions Ltd 100%
- Staff Absence Management Limited 100%
- Fusion Business Solutions Limited 100%
- Face-ed Limited 100%
- Simplify Operations Ltd 100%
Significant events
- “In January 2025 the Company's subsidiary Arbor Education Partners Group Limited announced the acquisition of Simplify Operations Ltd - known as Habitude. Habitude offers a workflow management tool to Multi Academy Trusts ("MATs").”
- “In February 2025, Beagle Bidco Limited ("the ultimate parent company") announced that two of its MIS products, Scholarpack and Integris, will be discontinued from February 2026.”
- “On 20th November 2025, the ultimate parent company changed ownership. Kant Bidco Limited acquired the entire share capital of Beagle Bidco Limited, and the new ultimate holding company is Kant Topco Limited.”
- “During the year, the company legally and unconditionally released a loan balance of £10,893,131 receivable from its subsidiary, Schools Educational Software Ltd. The decision was made due to the subsidiary's announcement to cease its operations in 2026.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
2 active · 22 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENYON, Christopher Laurence | Director | 2019-12-11 | Sep 1974 | British |
| MCNULTY, Nicholas Colin | Director | 2022-01-19 | Aug 1980 | British |
Show 22 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAM, My Hoa | Secretary | 2023-08-08 | 2025-07-29 |
| EMW SECRETARIES LIMITED | Corporate Secretary | 2014-02-07 | 2014-03-19 |
| ALLEN, Daniel Robert | Director | 2016-06-01 | 2021-08-31 |
| ARMITAGE, Ian | Director | 2014-03-19 | 2025-11-20 |
| BERRY, Malcolm John | Director | 2013-01-07 | 2014-03-19 |
| BICHARD, Michael George, Lord | Director | 2014-03-26 | 2021-03-31 |
| CHEATLE, Alexander John | Director | 2012-10-25 | 2014-03-19 |
| DEWHURST, Vanessa Ann | Director | 2017-07-01 | 2021-03-31 |
| HARLEY, Richard Alastair | Director | 2018-05-22 | 2021-03-31 |
| HERNANDEZ, Sarah Louise | Director | 2017-10-16 | 2021-10-18 |
| HORNBUCKLE, Sarah Louise | Director | 2013-01-07 | 2014-03-19 |
| HORNER, Benjamin Brian Harold | Director | 2013-01-07 | 2014-03-19 |
| JAECKLE, Joachim, Dr | Director | 2013-01-07 | 2014-03-19 |
| JEWELL, Richard Edward | Director | 2014-03-19 | 2020-10-30 |
| LONG, Andrew Michael | Director | 2013-01-07 | 2014-03-19 |
| OSBORNE, Paul Keith | Director | 2016-03-31 | 2020-10-30 |
| ROCHE, Fergal William | Director | 2014-03-19 | 2018-05-10 |
| STEVENSON, June Olivia O'Flagherty | Director | 2014-03-19 | 2015-06-22 |
| TUBB, Samantha Faye | Director | 2018-05-22 | 2025-11-20 |
| TURNER, Andrew Evan Paul | Director | 2015-04-22 | 2015-12-31 |
| VARDIGANS, Simon Geoffrey | Director | 2014-03-19 | 2021-03-31 |
| VON UNGER, Konstantin | Director | 2013-01-07 | 2014-03-19 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Ian Armitage | Individual | Shares 50–75% (as firm) | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2016-04-06 |
| Mr Simon Geoffrey Vardigans | Individual | Shares 50–75% (as firm) | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2016-04-06 |
| Darwin Acquisitions Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 111 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2026-03-24 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2026-03-04 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2025-12-30 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2025-11-21 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-11-21 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-10-30 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-08-04 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2025-05-19 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2025-05-14 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-11-07 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-05-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2023-10-25 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-08-09 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2023-05-15 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2023-05-12 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2022-11-07 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-11-01 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2022-06-09 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2022-05-12 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 8
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 3
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.