Colchester Academy: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £2.4m in reserve, 30% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Essex · Secondary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: PENROSE LEARNING TRUST can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2019-20 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2019-20 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019-20 | £5.2m | £4.7m | +£560k | £537k | 793 |
2020-21 | £5.6m | £5.0m | +£566k | £789k | 815 |
2021-22 | £6.1m | £5.4m | +£665k | £938k | 869 |
2022-23 | £6.9m | £6.1m | +£768k | £1.3m | 897 |
2023-24 | £7.6m | £6.6m | +£995k | £1.9m | 913 |
2024-25 | £7.9m | £7.4m | +£525k | £2.4m | 901 |
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 100% of them. It spends £8,165 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,138.
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 | £4,284 | £4,542 | £4,172–£5,003 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,063 | £915 | £637–£1,027 |
Supply staff | £31 | £171 | £82–£263 |
Admin and clerical | £392 | £472 | £326–£611 |
Premises | £476 | £428 | £364–£567 |
Energy | £168 | £173 | £129–£203 |
Learning resources & ICT | £956 | £516 | £406–£616 |
Bought-in services | £94 | £80 | £36–£188 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Birchwood Community High School Tight
- Haughton Academy Large reserves
- Aston University Engineering Academy Large reserves
- Gloucester Academy Large reserves
- Colne Primet Academy Large reserves
- Nottingham Girls' Academy Large reserves
- Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy Large reserves
- Queen Elizabeth's Academy Tight
- Ormiston Venture Academy Large reserves
- De Lacy Academy Large reserves
- Parkside Academy Large reserves
- Fulwood Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £8.1m | £8,961 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £292k | £324 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £275k | £305 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £956 a pupil, against a typical £516 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 Colchester Academy · All Essex school finances