INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT continued 6.2. Performance materiality We set performance materiality at a level lower than materiality to reduce the probability that, in aggregate, uncorrected and undetected misstatements exceed the materiality for the financial statements as a whole. Group financial statements Company financial statements Performance materiality 70% (2024: 70%) of Group materiality 70% (2024: 70%) of Company materiality Basis and rationale for determining performance materiality In determining performance materiality, we considered the following factors: a. Our risk assessment, including our assessment of the Group’s overall control environment, and that we consider it appropriate to rely on controls over a number of business processes; and b. Our past experience of the audit, which has indicated a low number of corrected and uncorrected misstatements identified in prior periods. 6.3. Error reporting threshold We agreed with the Audit & Risk Committee that we would report to the Committee all audit differences in excess of £2.9m (2024: £2.9m), as well as differences below that threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds. We also report to the Audit & Risk Committee on disclosure matters that we identified when assessing the overall presentation of the financial statements. 7. An overview of the scope of our audit 7.1. Identification and scoping of components Our Group audit was scoped by obtaining an understanding of the Group and its environment, including Group-wide controls, and assessing the risks of material misstatement at the Group level. Our audit scoping has been performed utilising professional judgement to obtain sufficient coverage over significant account balances identified at the Group level. We have considered the scope of our audit on a financial statement line-item basis with our final scope covering 100% (2024: 99%) of revenue, 100% (2024: 100%) of net assets and 100% (2024: 100%) of EPRA earnings. All audit work was completed by the Group audit team. The Group only operates within the United Kingdom – this includes The Unite Group plc and its related subsidiaries, as well as the three joint ventures, The Unite UK Student Accommodation Fund (‘USAF’), The London Student Accommodation Vehicle (‘LSAV’) and Newcastle University (`NUJV`). There has been a change in our scoping approach since the prior year whereby we no longer consider each joint venture a separate component. The Group was audited as a single component. We have also tested the consolidation process to confirm our conclusion that there were no significant risks of material misstatement of the aggregated financial information. 7.2. Our consideration of the control environment We obtained an understanding of the IT environment as part of our risk assessment procedures, including the newly implemented systems in the year (Oracle Fusion and Financial Consolidation and Close System (FCCS) (consolidation tool)). We involved IT specialists to assess the relevant controls over the systems in the scope of our audit. We identified and assessed risks arising from each IT system and the supporting infrastructure technologies based on the role of application in the Group’s flow of transactions and where considered relevant, we obtained an understanding of relevant controls. Where required, in support of our audit approach, we tested the relevant controls. In response to access control deficiencies identified within Oracle Fusion we sought to test mitigating manual controls as an alternative. Where mitigating controls were not identified we revisited our risk assessment and altered the nature, timing and extent of our procedures. From our understanding of the Group and after assessing relevant controls, we tested and relied on controls in performing our audit of rental income. We had planned to test and rely on relevant controls relating to the investment property and investment property under development valuation process but were not able to. Additionally, we have obtained an understanding of the relevant controls such as those relating to financial reporting cycle and going concern. THE UNITE GROUP PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2025 142 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS