The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and Accounts and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulation.

Company law

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors have prepared the Group financial statements in accordance with UK-adopted International Accounting Standards (‘IFRS’) and the Parent Company financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising FRS 101 ‘Reduced Disclosure Framework’, and applicable law).

Under company law, Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and Parent Company and of the profit or loss of the Group for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the Directors are required to:

  • select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
  • state whether applicable UK-adopted International Accounting
    Standards have been followed for the Group financial statements and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, comprising FRS 101, have been followed for the Parent Company financial statements, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
  • make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
  • prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Group and Parent Company will continue in business.

Directors' responsibilities

The Directors are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Group and Parent Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The Directors are also responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Group’s and Parent Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Group and Parent Company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the 
Companies Act 2006.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Parent Company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

In the case of each Director in office at the date the Directors' Report is approved:

  • so far as the Director is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Group’s and Parent Company’s auditors are unaware; and
  • they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a Director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Group’s and Parent Company’s auditors are aware of that information.

Schedule of matters reserved for the Board

Attendance of Directors at meetings during the year ended 31 May 2025

  Board Audit
Committee
Remuneration
Committee
Nomination
Committee
Philip Acton1 attended.svg attended.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg  attended.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-after.svg meeting-after.svg
Richard Armitage2 attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg
Chris Belsham attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg
Amanda Burton3 meeting-prior.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-prior.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg attended.svg attended.svg
Tim Cooper4 meeting-prior.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg did-not-attend.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-prior.svg did-not-attend.svg attended.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg attended.svg did-not-attend.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg attended.svg attended.svg
Katie Shortland5 attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg attended.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg meeting-prior.svg

attended.svg  Attended

did-not-attend.svg  Did not attend

meeting-prior.svg  Meeting held prior to individual's appointment or individual not a member of that committee

meeting-after.svg  Meeting held after individual's resignation

  1. Board Chair and Nomination Committee Chair until 26 September 2024; resigned from Board 30 October 2024.
  2. Senior Independent Director, Audit Committee Chair and, until 26 September 2024, Remuneration Committee Chair.
  3. Director from 18 July 2024 and Board & Nominations Committee Chair from 26 September 2024.
  4. Director from 18 July 2024 and Remuneration Committee Chair from 26 September 2024.
  5. Disclosure Committee Chair.