The Birches School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £295k in reserve, 6% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Manchester · 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 | £3.1m | £3.1m | -£3k | £253k | 150 |
2019-20 | £3.1m | £3.2m | -£132k | £121k | 153 |
2020-21 | £3.3m | £3.3m | +£23k | £144k | 155 |
2021-22 | £3.4m | £3.4m | +£38k | £181k | 156 |
2022-23 | £3.7m | £3.9m | -£174k | £8k | 164 |
2023-24 | £4.1m | £4.0m | +£115k | £123k | 169 |
2024-25 | £4.5m | £4.4m | +£168k | £291k | 170 |
2025-26 | £4.8m | £4.8m | +£4k | £295k | 168 |
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 23% of them. It spends £28,279 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £26,034.
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 | £9,800 | £10,007 | £8,501–£11,413 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £9,919 | £10,691 | £6,520–£11,820 |
Supply staff | £1,940 | £490 | £49–£1,172 |
Admin and clerical | £1,296 | £1,045 | £869–£1,414 |
Premises | £1,147 | £1,287 | £962–£1,606 |
Energy | £323 | £355 | £248–£490 |
Learning resources & ICT | £656 | £742 | £566–£1,088 |
Bought-in services | £1,048 | £511 | £213–£1,153 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Clare's School Large reserves
- Kelford School Large reserves
- The Dame Ellen Pinsent School Large reserves
- Shorefields School Healthy
- Redwood Park Academy Large reserves
- Briarwood School Large reserves
- Tettenhall Wood School Large reserves
- Crosby High School Large reserves
- Hayfield School Tight
- Saxon Mount School Large reserves
- Rowhill School Tight
- Nethergate Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.7m | £28,026 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £2.1m | £12,596 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £155k | £922 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £57k | £342 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on supply staff is £1,940 a pupil, against a typical £490 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 The Birches School · All Manchester school finances