JULIA STEWART LIMITED

🌳Matureactive

SC234596 · ltd · incorporated 2002-07-26

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 May 2025

Net worth

—

book net assets

Opportunity

78/100

Strong

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What this business does

Primary activity: Primary education

Sector: Education

Investor take

Pursue

Active trading company with a 69-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 69). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

6 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 23.7y

35/100

too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

· Oldest live charge is 23.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
· Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile

address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date

100

Financials

2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed

Lenders & charges

6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)

Directors & officers

7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared

Director network

Network not yet resolved

Filing history

82 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

78/100Strong

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality

Adequate — check latest filings for context.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Few red flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts

Cash

—

Net Worth

—

Current Assets

—

Current Liabilities

—

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102

Metric	2025-05-31	2024-05-31
Average employees	25	2800

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days

filings

Last 90 days

filing

• 1 accounts

Last 180 days

filing

• 1 accounts

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand

2026-02-26
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-02-26
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-31
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-05-31
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-05-05
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-02-27
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-02-25
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2018-02-21
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2017-07-21
📄
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2017-07-21
📄
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2017-02-22
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2015-12-16
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2015-07-20
📄
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2015-02-24
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2013-07-11
🔓
Charge satisfied #1
2013-07-04
🔒
Charge registered #6
Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC SC001111
2013-06-10
🔒
Charge registered #5
Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
2011-02-14
🔒
Charge registered #4
Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
2011-01-14
🔒
Charge registered #3
Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
2010-12-31
➕
COWAN, David Stewart appointed
secretary
2010-12-31
➖
CROWN, Kenneth Robert resigned
secretary
2006-09-07
➕
COWAN, Julia Ann appointed
director
2006-09-07
➖
BOYCE, Julia resigned
director
2006-06-01
➕
BOYCE, Julia appointed
director
2003-09-01
➖
BOYCE, Julia Anne resigned
director
2003-08-18
➕
COWAN, David Stewart appointed
director
2002-10-01
🔒
Charge registered #2
Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
2002-08-27
🔒
Charge registered #1
Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
2002-07-26
🏢
Company incorporated
As JULIA STEWART LIMITED
2002-07-26
➕
CROWN, Kenneth Robert appointed
secretary
2002-07-26
➕
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
corporate-nominee-secretary
2002-07-26
➖
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
corporate-nominee-secretary
2002-07-26
➕
BOYCE, Julia Anne appointed
director

Owner dependency

91/100

Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS

+Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
+Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Founder age: Director aged approximately 69 — succession pressure is live.
+Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

86/100

Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS

primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 69. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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 low

5 live charges

low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners

Name	Shares	Voting rights	Nature of control	Notified
David Stewart Cowan Individual · British · DOB 01/1965 · age 61	25–50%	25–50%	25-50% shares · 25-50% voting	06/04/2016
Julia Ann Cowan Individual · British · DOB 11/1957 · age 69	25–50%	25–50%	25-50% shares · 25-50% voting	06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Education & training · PA postcode area

Company	Est. value	Turnover	Net worth	Staff	Age	Opp	Director
CAIRNDOW COMMUNITY CHILDCARE LIMITED→ SC276132 · est 2004	—	—	£1.66M	—	21y	83	66y
IONAD CHALUIM CHILLE ILE→ SC209046 · est 2000 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	25y	83	91y
ST COLUMBA'S DRIMNIN TRUST LIMITED→ SC289026 · est 2005	—	—	£22.9k	—	20y	83	80y
THE ACTUAL REALITY TRUST→ SC211025 · est 2000 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	25y	83	73y
CARLI'S KINDERGARTEN LTD→ SC290076 · est 2005	—	—	£49.5k	—	20y	82	73y
PROFESSIONAL DIVING ACADEMY LIMITED→ SC264798 · est 2004	—	—	£309.0k	—	22y	82	71y
PRACTICAL FINANCIAL EXAMS LIMITED→ SC660494 · est 2020 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	5y	—	—
RIVERSIDE RASCALS LIMITED→ SC656587 · est 2020 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	6y	—	—
SHIFT UP DRIVING ACADEMY LTD→ SC840074 · est 2025 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	1y	—	—
SKILLS TRAINING GROUP LTD→ SC587337 · est 2018 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	8y	—	—
SPNO TRAINING & LOGISTICS LTD→ SC513388 · est 2015 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	10y	—	—
THE COACH ALLIANCE LTD→ SC787544 · est 2023 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	2y	—	—

Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →

🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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

Incorporated2002-07-26

Jurisdictionscotland

Primary SIC85200 — Primary education

Registered office

Netherjohnstone House

Barochan Road

Johnstone

Renfrewshire

PA5 8YP

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-02-28

Last made up to: 2025-05-31

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2026-07-23

Last: 2025-07-09

Officers (3 active · 4 resigned)

COWAN, David Stewart→

secretary · appointed 2010-12-31

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

COWAN, David Stewart→

director · ~61y · appointed 2003-08-18

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

COWAN, Julia Ann→

director · ~69y · appointed 2006-09-07

View their other companies + combined net worth →

Active

CROWN, Kenneth Robert→

secretary · appointed 2002-07-26 · resigned 2010-12-31

Resigned

OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→

corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-07-26 · resigned 2002-07-26

Resigned

BOYCE, Julia→

director · ~69y · appointed 2006-06-01 · resigned 2006-09-07

Resigned

BOYCE, Julia Anne→

director · ~69y · appointed 2002-07-26 · resigned 2003-09-01

Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

Total charges

Outstanding

Active lenders

Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown

		Type	Properties
outstanding	Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC SC001111	A registered charge	1 property	04/07/2013	—
outstanding	Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC	A registered charge	1 property	10/06/2013	—
outstanding	Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC	Standard security	1 property	14/02/2011	—
outstanding	Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank PLC	Floating charge	1 property	14/01/2011	—
outstanding	Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland	Standard security	1 property	01/10/2002	—
satisfied	Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland	Bond & floating charge	1 property	27/08/2002	11/07/2013

Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.