ATHERTON HOUSE NURSERY LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04960346 · ltd · incorporated 2003-11-11
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£771.7k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Primary education
Sector: Education
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -55% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
6 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 21.9y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 21.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.
Data confidence
Overall: high (83/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (4 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
3 active PSC(s) of 6 total, 6 with control declared
90
Director network
17 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
86 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £771,668
Cash draining
Cash down 55% YoY
Cash YoY
-55%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£12k
↓ 55% YoY
Net Worth
£772k
↑ 2.9% YoY
Current Assets
£435k
↑ 45% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.26M | £1.28M |
| Current assets | £435.4k | £300.2k |
| Cash | £11.9k | £26.5k |
| Debtors | £422.0k | £272.1k |
| Net assets | £771.7k | £749.9k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
4
filings
- • 4 persons-with-significant-control
Last 90 days
4
filings
- • 4 persons-with-significant-control
Last 180 days
4
filings
- • 4 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (40 events)Click to expand
- 2026-07-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-07-09📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-07-09📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-07-09📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-12-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-06📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2024-08-06📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-08-06📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-12-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-22📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-03-21📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2023-03-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-03-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-03-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-31📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2021-08-31📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2021-08-31📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2021-08-31🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2021-08-31🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2021-08-31🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2021-08-05🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Santander UK PLC
- 2021-08-05🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Santander UK PLC
- 2021-08-05🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Santander UK PLC
- 2020-07-01➕APEL, Timothy George appointeddirector
- 2020-07-01➖APEL, Timothy George resigneddirector
- 2015-07-29➕APEL, Timothy George appointeddirector
- 2005-01-14🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2004-09-01🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2004-09-01🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2003-11-11🏢Company incorporatedAs ATHERTON HOUSE NURSERY LIMITED
- 2003-11-11➕APEL, Alice Sarah appointedsecretary
- 2003-11-11➕APEL, Alice Sarah appointeddirector
- 2003-11-11➕SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-11-11➖SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-11-11➕APEL, Timothy George appointeddirector
- 2003-11-11➕CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-11-11➖CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
70/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
3 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Alice Sarah Apel Individual · British · DOB 03/1964 · age 62 | 25–50% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 12/06/2026 |
Mr Timothy George Apel Individual · British · DOB 02/1996 · age 30 | 25–50% | — | board control25-50% shares · board control | 12/06/2026 |
Mr Philip Jonathan Apel Individual · British · DOB 07/1967 · age 59 | 25–50% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 12/06/2026 |
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Timothy George Apelceased 01/07/2016· 25-50% shares
- Mrs Alice Sarah Apelceased 01/07/2016· 25-50% shares
- The Apel Family 2015 Discretionary Settlementceased 01/07/2016· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Education & training · L postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APOLLO ACTIVE COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY→ 12630766 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ATHERTON HOUSE GROUP LTD→ 11781561 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AUCKLAND COLLEGE HOLDINGS LTD→ 12215782 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| AUTISM ADVENTURES TRAINING CIC→ 10438787 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| AXISBRIGHT EDUCATION LTD→ 16425657 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| B@E-TRAINING LTD→ 12737609 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BACCHUS SCHOOL OF WINE & TOURS LTD→ 16786509 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BALKAN MUSLIMS CULTURAL CENTRE CIC→ 16040404 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BALTIC VENTURES LIMITED→ 14267013 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| BARA MANAGEMENT LTD→ 12742962 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BARBARA OBERTYN TRAINING ACADEMY LTD→ 12946579 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BARI EDU CONSULTANTS LTD→ 14119081 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2003-11-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC85200 — Primary education
Registered office
22 Coronation Road
Crosby
Liverpool
L23 5RQ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-18
Last: 2026-01-04
Officers (4 active · 3 resigned)
Active
APEL, Alice Sarah→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2003-11-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
APEL, Timothy George→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2020-07-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
APEL, Timothy George→
Activedirector · ~30y · appointed 2015-07-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-11-11 · resigned 2003-11-11
APEL, Timothy George→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 2003-11-11 · resigned 2020-07-01
CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-11-11 · resigned 2003-11-11
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
6
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Santander Santander UK PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 05/08/2021 | — | |
| outstanding | Santander Santander UK PLC | A registered charge | — | 05/08/2021 | — | |
| outstanding | Santander Santander UK PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 05/08/2021 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/01/2005 | 31/08/2021 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Legal charge | 1 property | 01/09/2004 | 31/08/2021 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Debenture | 1 property | 01/09/2004 | 31/08/2021 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (86 total)
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-07-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-07-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-07-09
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-07-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-12-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-12-30
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-08-06
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-08-06
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-08-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-12-28
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-03-22
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2023-03-21