Bluebell Park School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £354k in reserve, 5% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Knowsley · Not applicable · Community special school.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £4.4m | £4.5m | -£76k | £161k | 200 |
2019-20 | £4.7m | £4.6m | +£50k | £211k | 202 |
2020-21 | £4.7m | £4.7m | -£24k | £187k | 202 |
2021-22 | £4.9m | £5.1m | -£196k | -£8k | 207 |
2022-23 | £5.4m | £5.4m | -£19k | -£27k | 220 |
2023-24 | £6.1m | £5.9m | +£226k | £199k | 224 |
2024-25 | £6.6m | £6.5m | +£97k | £296k | 225 |
2025-26 | £7.4m | £7.4m | +£58k | £354k | 238 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special schools outside London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 37% of them. It spends £31,048 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £25,765.
This school Middle half of similar schools Similar schools’ median
Show the comparison as a table
| Spending per pupil | This school | Similar schools (median) | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
Teachers | £10,278 | £10,472 | £8,420–£10,916 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £8,263 | £9,395 | £7,325–£10,925 |
Supply staff | £4,850 | £335 | £38–£687 |
Admin and clerical | £830 | £976 | £675–£1,443 |
Premises | £4,414 | £1,250 | £1,001–£1,591 |
Energy | £0 | £314 | £269–£401 |
Learning resources & ICT | £640 | £815 | £511–£1,264 |
Bought-in services | £364 | £504 | £234–£1,319 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Samuel Laycock School Large reserves
- Foxfield School In deficit
- Firwood High School Large reserves
- St Martins School Large reserves
- Bamburgh School Large reserves
- Talbot Specialist School In deficit
- Abbey School Large reserves
- Durham Trinity School & Sports College In deficit
- The Cedars Academy Large reserves
- Beacon Hill School In deficit
- St George's School Large reserves
- Elleray Park School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £7.3m | £30,850 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £4.4m | £18,367 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £120k | £505 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £105k | £442 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on supply staff is £4,850 a pupil, against a typical £335 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £4,414 a pupil, against a typical £1,250 for similar schools. What's behind that?
Check these figures
Every figure here comes from the school's published return to the DfE. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the status is worked out.
Admissions, Ofsted and results for Bluebell Park School · All Knowsley school finances