Prisoners Education Trust
Analysis
Prisoners Education Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in January 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, which this site groups under education and training. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04132595). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.
In the financial year ending December 2025, Prisoners Education Trust reported income of £2.3m and spending of £2.0m, spending 87% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.3m to £2.3m (+76%), an average of +15% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2024, when income rose by 40%. Over the whole period it spent 100% of the income it received.
Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, Prisoners Education Trust sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Seaton House School Limited (£2.3m), Medway Education Trust (£2.3m) and Cooperative Ai Foundation (£2.3m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 63% and charitable activities 33%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £63k. Charitable activities took 83% of spending and raising funds 15%. Reserves of £1.1m would cover about 7 months of spending at that rate. It employed 19 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 60%
- Legacies 2.7%
- Charitable activities 33%
- Trading 0.4%
- Investments 0.7%
- Other 2.9%
In the charity's own words
PET supports prisoners to transform their lives through learning. We do this by providing distance learning courses, advice and support in subjects and levels not available in prisons. PET also promotes and argues the case for prisoner education, supports learning communities for prisoners and ex-prisoners, and carries out research informed by prisoner learners, to improve policies and practice.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Seaton House School Limited | Surrey | £2.3m |
| Medway Education Trust | Kent | £2.3m |
| Cooperative Ai Foundation | Exeter | £2.3m |
| Highfield Priory School Limited | Preston | £2.3m |