St Mary's Church of England High School (VA): school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.3m in reserve, 15% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 4 years.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Hertfordshire · Secondary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: ST MARY'S CE ACADEMY, CHESHUNT 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 | £8.0m | £7.8m | +£221k | £2.3m | 1,203 |
2019-20 | £8.0m | £8.1m | -£30k | £2.6m | 1,244 |
2020-21 | £8.3m | £8.2m | +£30k | £3.0m | 1,251 |
2021-22 | £8.5m | £9.0m | -£530k | £3.1m | 1,167 |
2022-23 | £8.5m | £8.8m | -£315k | £2.0m | 1,092 |
2023-24 | £8.8m | £9.1m | -£291k | £1.7m | 1,037 |
2024-25 | £8.8m | £9.2m | -£409k | £1.3m | 982 |
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 77% of them. It spends £9,414 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,037.
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 | £5,298 | £4,387 | £4,237–£4,597 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,066 | £900 | £656–£1,077 |
Supply staff | £226 | £152 | £112–£238 |
Admin and clerical | £657 | £454 | £371–£582 |
Premises | £410 | £475 | £351–£650 |
Energy | £295 | £144 | £107–£191 |
Learning resources & ICT | £518 | £494 | £371–£594 |
Bought-in services | £143 | £154 | £65–£208 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Leigh Academy Longfield Large reserves
- Harrow Way Community School Large reserves
- St James School Large reserves
- Whitby School Large reserves
- Cansfield High School Large reserves
- Scalby Academy Large reserves
- Corby Technical School In deficit
- Pyrland School Healthy
- Cove School Large reserves
- The Highfield School Large reserves
- Chilton Trinity School Healthy
- Burnt Mill Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £8.8m | £8,930 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £140k | £143 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £65k | £66 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 18% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £295 a pupil, against a typical £144 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £657 a pupil, against a typical £454 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £5,298 a pupil, against a typical £4,387 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 St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) · All Hertfordshire school finances