Gilbrook School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £90k, 5% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 3 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Wirral · 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 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£9k | £103k | 56 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£40k | £63k | 61 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£6k | £69k | 59 |
2021-22 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£62k | £131k | 60 |
2022-23 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£72k | £203k | 60 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£84k | £119k | 59 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£92k | £27k | 63 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£117k | -£90k | 60 |
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 17% of them. It spends £30,626 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £34,416.
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 | £12,606 | £14,776 | £12,148–£15,808 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £12,979 | £7,596 | £5,891–£11,322 |
Supply staff | £178 | £1,898 | £252–£3,500 |
Admin and clerical | £1,439 | £1,427 | £1,059–£2,646 |
Premises | £1,342 | £1,823 | £1,328–£2,456 |
Energy | £39 | £504 | £348–£698 |
Learning resources & ICT | £520 | £1,965 | £854–£3,158 |
Bought-in services | £397 | £863 | £378–£2,288 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- King's Academy Lord Wilson In deficit
- Haywood Grove School Large reserves
- Co-op Academy Rathbone Large reserves
- Norman Cornish Academy In deficit
- Eaton Hall Specialist Academy In deficit
- NeneGate Healthy
- The Waterloo School Large reserves
- North Star 82° Large reserves
- Peak Academy In deficit
- Vermont School In deficit
- Hamilton School Tight
- Phoenix Academy Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £28,424 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £733k | £12,211 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £86k | £1,438 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £15k | £249 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £12,979 a pupil, against a typical £7,596 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 Gilbrook School · All Wirral school finances