Oriel High School: school finances
Tight
Holds £317k 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). West Sussex · Secondary · Community 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 | £7.9m | £7.9m | +£44k | £276k | 1,383 |
2019-20 | £8.4m | £8.3m | +£129k | £405k | 1,396 |
2020-21 | £8.8m | £8.6m | +£202k | £607k | 1,399 |
2021-22 | £9.3m | £9.2m | +£21k | £628k | 1,441 |
2022-23 | £9.9m | £10.0m | -£78k | £550k | 1,468 |
2023-24 | £10.7m | £10.7m | -£10k | £540k | 1,497 |
2024-25 | £11.6m | £11.8m | -£165k | £375k | 1,478 |
2025-26 | £12.2m | £12.2m | -£58k | £317k | 1,441 |
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 £8,476 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,148.
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 | £4,941 | £4,203 | £3,986–£4,361 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £950 | £699 | £482–£901 |
Supply staff | £102 | £71 | £41–£110 |
Admin and clerical | £470 | £422 | £296–£477 |
Premises | £6 | £411 | £288–£504 |
Energy | £0 | £138 | £105–£170 |
Learning resources & ICT | £364 | £550 | £471–£745 |
Bought-in services | £228 | £76 | £30–£150 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Silverdale School Large reserves
- All Hallows Catholic School Large reserves
- Brookvale Groby Learning Campus Heading for deficit
- The Castle School Large reserves
- Sandbach School Tight
- The Petersfield School Large reserves
- Malmesbury School Large reserves
- Brine Leas School Tight
- Burford School Healthy
- Heathfield Community College Large reserves
- Impington Village College Large reserves
- Bishop Vesey's Grammar School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £12.0m | £8,321 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £219k | £152 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £210k | £146 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £165k | £114 |
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 bought-in services is £228 a pupil, against a typical £76 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,941 a pupil, against a typical £4,203 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 Oriel High School · All West Sussex school finances