Spen Valley High School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £141k, 2% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 4 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Kirklees · Secondary · Foundation 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 | £5.7m | £5.4m | +£244k | £245k | 923 |
2019-20 | £5.9m | £5.8m | +£70k | £315k | 930 |
2020-21 | £6.1m | £5.7m | +£358k | £673k | 937 |
2021-22 | £6.4m | £6.3m | +£136k | £809k | 944 |
2022-23 | £6.8m | £7.0m | -£196k | £613k | 953 |
2023-24 | £7.3m | £7.4m | -£40k | £573k | 971 |
2024-25 | £7.8m | £7.9m | -£75k | £498k | 960 |
2025-26 | £8.0m | £8.6m | -£640k | -£141k | 960 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 secondary 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 20% of them. It spends £8,990 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,195.
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 | £4,170 | £4,390 | £3,981–£4,833 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,151 | £1,002 | £693–£1,170 |
Supply staff | £476 | £189 | £146–£305 |
Admin and clerical | £457 | £428 | £327–£499 |
Premises | £815 | £406 | £360–£610 |
Energy | £131 | £191 | £154–£211 |
Learning resources & ICT | £645 | £504 | £412–£671 |
Bought-in services | £350 | £109 | £71–£207 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Ashington Academy Large reserves
- Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy In deficit
- De Aston School Large reserves
- Haileybury Turnford Large reserves
- The Priory City of Lincoln Academy In deficit
- Swinton Academy In deficit
- Robert Blake Academy Large reserves
- Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology Large reserves
- Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre In deficit
- King's Leadership Academy Bolton Large reserves
- Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow Tight
- Trinity Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £7.6m | £7,881 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £278k | £290 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £355k | £370 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £425k | £443 |
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 bought-in services is £350 a pupil, against a typical £109 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £476 a pupil, against a typical £189 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £815 a pupil, against a typical £406 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 Spen Valley High School · All Kirklees school finances