Dover Grammar School for Boys: school finances
Tight
Holds £167k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Kent · 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 | £4.0m | £3.8m | +£174k | £549k | 797 |
2019-20 | £4.1m | £4.0m | +£77k | £626k | 791 |
2020-21 | £4.6m | £4.5m | +£161k | £787k | 768 |
2021-22 | £4.6m | £5.1m | -£475k | £311k | 791 |
2022-23 | £4.8m | £4.9m | -£66k | £246k | 835 |
2023-24 | £5.4m | £5.5m | -£53k | £193k | 865 |
2024-25 | £5.9m | £6.0m | -£122k | £71k | 899 |
2025-26 | £6.5m | £6.4m | +£95k | £167k | 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 17% of them. It spends £6,636 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,416.
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 | £4,347 | £4,278 | £4,126–£4,597 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £460 | £836 | £592–£936 |
Supply staff | £11 | £113 | £51–£176 |
Admin and clerical | £362 | £397 | £291–£503 |
Premises | £355 | £383 | £302–£458 |
Energy | £183 | £128 | £103–£162 |
Learning resources & ICT | £400 | £449 | £404–£610 |
Bought-in services | £170 | £113 | £63–£227 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Meopham School Large reserves
- The Matthew Arnold School Large reserves
- South Nottinghamshire Academy Healthy
- The Swan School Tight
- The Cedars Academy Large reserves
- The Weston Road Academy Large reserves
- Attleborough Academy Large reserves
- St Aidan's Catholic Academy In deficit
- St Alban's Catholic High School Large reserves
- Larkmead School Large reserves
- Saint Gregory's Catholic College Large reserves
- Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.2m | £6,502 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £17k | £18 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £187k | £194 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £263k | £274 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on energy is £183 a pupil, against a typical £128 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 Dover Grammar School for Boys · All Kent school finances