Priory Woods School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 3 years running; at that rate its £703k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Middlesbrough · Not applicable · Community special school.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2019-20 to 2025-26
Income and spending, 2019-20 to 2025-26
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019-20 | £4.1m | £4.0m | +£84k | £362k | 190 |
2020-21 | £4.5m | £4.0m | +£538k | £900k | 195 |
2021-22 | £4.6m | £4.5m | +£140k | £1.0m | 198 |
2022-23 | £5.1m | £6.2m | -£1.1m | -£47k | 195 |
2023-24 | £5.7m | £5.9m | -£119k | £936k | 203 |
2025-26 | £6.7m | £6.7m | -£11k | £703k | 204 |
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 47% of them. It spends £32,795 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £27,682.
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 | £11,584 | £10,193 | £8,726–£12,499 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £13,142 | £10,611 | £6,435–£12,137 |
Supply staff | £1,110 | £979 | £348–£1,613 |
Admin and clerical | £916 | £1,010 | £699–£1,524 |
Premises | £1,995 | £1,342 | £1,055–£1,758 |
Energy | £473 | £389 | £297–£605 |
Learning resources & ICT | £1,348 | £679 | £522–£912 |
Bought-in services | £183 | £421 | £129–£1,528 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Portland Academy Large reserves
- Evergreen Primary School Large reserves
- Ridgewood Community High School Healthy
- Mary Rose Academy Healthy
- Hope Wood Academy Large reserves
- Hamilton School In deficit
- Newman School Large reserves
- Ganton School Large reserves
- Barbara Priestman Academy Large reserves
- Penn Fields School Large reserves
- Childwall Abbey School Tight
- Oakfield Park School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.5m | £31,982 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £102k | £503 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £154k | £757 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £1,348 a pupil, against a typical £679 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £1,995 a pupil, against a typical £1,342 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 Priory Woods School · All Middlesbrough school finances