The Dorcan Academy: school finances
Tight
Holds £37k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Swindon · Secondary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: THE DORCAN ACADEMY 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, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £4.7m | £4.7m | -£50k | £487k | 744 |
2019-20 | £4.7m | £5.0m | -£287k | £420k | 757 |
2020-21 | £4.8m | £5.1m | -£262k | £424k | 761 |
2021-22 | £5.0m | £5.4m | -£455k | £276k | 720 |
2022-23 | £5.3m | £5.6m | -£315k | £37k | 797 |
2023-24 | £6.1m | £6.1m | +£37k | £60k | 858 |
2024-25 | £6.8m | £6.5m | +£278k | £37k | 889 |
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 3% of them. It spends £7,298 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,550.
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 | £4,098 | £4,406 | £4,209–£4,644 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £981 | £810 | £616–£944 |
Supply staff | £18 | £96 | £69–£155 |
Admin and clerical | £622 | £371 | £279–£470 |
Premises | £231 | £435 | £333–£604 |
Energy | £150 | £151 | £114–£191 |
Learning resources & ICT | £481 | £492 | £422–£694 |
Bought-in services | £88 | £87 | £45–£134 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Coombeshead Academy Large reserves
- Greenacre School Healthy
- The Ripley Academy Large reserves
- Alder Community High School Large reserves
- St Thomas Becket Catholic School In deficit
- The Thomas Lord Audley School Large reserves
- Tottington High School Tight
- All Saints Catholic College Large reserves
- Isca Academy Large reserves
- West Hill School Large reserves
- Hermitage Academy Large reserves
- Brannel School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.8m | £7,685 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £98k | £110 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £22k | £25 |
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 admin and clerical is £622 a pupil, against a typical £371 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 Dorcan Academy · All Swindon school finances