Aqa Education

Notable UK charity

Also known as: Assessment & Qualifications Alliance, Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, Aqa

The purpose of AQA is to advance education for the benefit of the public. It does this by setting, marking and awarding public examinations such as GCSEs and A levels; providing vocational and technical qualifications, apprenticeship courses and training needed for certain jobs; and delivering assessment services and technology to help others improve teaching, learning and assessment more widely.

Email Charity

Activities & Mission

Areas of Operation

Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.

Region

England And Wales

Financial Information

Latest Income

£280,125,196

Latest Expenditure

£266,419,011

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 92.1%

% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 48% of UK Economic and community development charities with income over £10M (sample: 137). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 96.8%

% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 49% of UK Economic and community development charities with income over £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 0.0%

Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 93% of UK Economic and community development charities with income over £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?

Latest Financial Breakdown

Income Sources

Donations & Legacies £0

Charitable Activities £264,656,792

Other Trading £7,754,779

Investments £7,713,598

Other Income £0

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £257,965,268

Raising Funds £38,748

Governance £0

Grants to Institutions £0

Other Expenditure £8,414,995

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2025.

Financial Year	Income	Expenditure	Charitable Spending	Net Assets	Reserves	Staff
2025	£280,125,196	£266,419,011	£257,965,268	£161,622,212	£161,622,212	1798 / 0
2024	£268,802,558	£253,386,173	£245,148,435	£164,600,928	£164,600,928	1844 / 0
2023	£218,419,431	£250,514,747	£241,725,228	£156,196,042	£130,456	1674 / 0
2022	£148,023,897	£129,916,779	£126,080,533	£156,168,865	£149,157,260	1382 / 0
2021	£135,845,844	£132,973,114	£113,738,195	£112,341,491	£122,101,525	1281 / 0

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about Aqa Education

What does Aqa Education do?

How much income did Aqa Education report in 2025?

Aqa Education reported total income of £280.13m and reported expenditure of £266.42m for the financial year ending 2025, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is Aqa Education?

Aqa Education has a program ratio of 92.1%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 48% of UK Economic and community development charities with income over £10M (sample of 137 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.

When was Aqa Education registered as a charity?

Aqa Education was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 15 January 1999 as charity number 1073334. It has been registered for 27 years.

Who runs Aqa Education?

Aqa Education is governed by a board of 12 trustees. The chair of trustees is David Laws. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.

Where does Aqa Education operate?

Aqa Education operates in England And Wales, as recorded in its Charity Commission filing.

Is Aqa Education a registered charity?

Yes — Aqa Education is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 1073334.