The Buckinghamshire Primary Pupil Referral Unit: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 4 years running; at that rate its £71k reserve runs out in about 1 year.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Buckinghamshire · Not applicable · Pupil referral unit.
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 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£150k | £184k | 47 |
2019-20 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£154k | £338k | 43 |
2020-21 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£52k | £390k | 35 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£37k | £427k | 50 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£18k | £409k | 46 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£79k | £330k | 52 |
2024-25 | £1.6m | £1.8m | -£124k | £205k | 43 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.9m | -£134k | £71k | 50 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 alternative-provision 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 30% of them. It spends £37,165 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £31,071.
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 | £21,134 | £15,392 | £13,266–£19,277 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £8,088 | £5,418 | £4,209–£9,242 |
Supply staff | £0 | £687 | £418–£1,745 |
Admin and clerical | £4,357 | £1,748 | £1,012–£2,347 |
Premises | £641 | £1,416 | £865–£1,901 |
Energy | £230 | £433 | £304–£563 |
Learning resources & ICT | £667 | £1,358 | £984–£2,119 |
Bought-in services | £711 | £930 | £153–£1,878 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Reach School Large reserves
- Golden Hill Pupil Referral Unit Healthy
- Reigate Valley College Large reserves
- Maple Medical PRU In deficit
- Thamesfield College Large reserves
- Endeavour Academy Durham Large reserves
- Rowhill School In deficit
- Chiltern Way Academy Futures Large reserves
- The Shoreline Academy Large reserves
- Titan Aston Academy In deficit
- St Matthias Academy In deficit
- Penwith Alternative Provision Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £30,334 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £1.0m | £20,426 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £9k | £172 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £207k | £4,149 |
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 admin and clerical is £4,357 a pupil, against a typical £1,748 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 The Buckinghamshire Primary Pupil Referral Unit · All Buckinghamshire school finances