Garden City 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). Hertfordshire · Primary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: REACH2 ACADEMY 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, 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 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£16k | £122k | 228 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£143k | £197k | 230 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£140k | £285k | 221 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£1k | £216k | 200 |
2022-23 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£81k | £137k | 196 |
2023-24 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£10k | £0 | 176 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£2k | £37k | 164 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary 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 40% of them. It spends £8,632 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,488.
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 | £3,884 | £4,069 | £3,543–£4,457 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,617 | £1,660 | £1,418–£2,213 |
Supply staff | £553 | £156 | £78–£425 |
Admin and clerical | £541 | £396 | £295–£519 |
Premises | £565 | £546 | £444–£618 |
Energy | £170 | £147 | £127–£206 |
Learning resources & ICT | £225 | £313 | £246–£425 |
Bought-in services | £128 | £177 | £93–£450 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Henderson Green Primary Academy Healthy
- Cobden Primary School Tight
- Lark Hill Primary School Healthy
- Castle View Primary School Healthy
- Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary In deficit
- Southwood School Large reserves
- Petteril Bank School Tight
- Pennington Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Fellgate Primary School Large reserves
- Deaf Hill Primary School In deficit
- Marfleet Primary Academy Tight
- The Bramble Academy In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £8,401 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £100k | £608 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £36k | £219 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 28% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £553 a pupil, against a typical £156 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 Garden City Academy · All Hertfordshire school finances