Hope Wood Academy: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.1m in reserve, 16% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). County Durham · Not applicable · Academy special converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: THE ASCENT ACADEMIES' 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 | £3.8m | £3.5m | +£266k | £0 | 202 |
2019-20 | £4.1m | £3.8m | +£322k | £0 | 206 |
2020-21 | £4.4m | £4.2m | +£192k | £0 | 213 |
2021-22 | £4.9m | £4.5m | +£397k | £0 | 216 |
2022-23 | £5.4m | £5.1m | +£249k | £0 | 223 |
2023-24 | £6.0m | £5.7m | +£367k | £0 | 227 |
2024-25 | £6.5m | £6.0m | +£538k | £1.1m | 227 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special 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 £26,366 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £26,776.
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 | £18,286 | £10,026 | £8,928–£11,650 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,551 | £10,443 | £7,835–£12,375 |
Supply staff | £3,018 | £580 | £43–£1,195 |
Admin and clerical | £70 | £1,051 | £712–£1,462 |
Premises | £789 | £1,544 | £1,052–£1,859 |
Energy | £247 | £353 | £228–£646 |
Learning resources & ICT | £833 | £650 | £515–£1,285 |
Bought-in services | £66 | £511 | £177–£1,489 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Victoria School Large reserves
- Evergreen Primary School Large reserves
- Downs View Special School Heading for deficit
- Portland Academy Large reserves
- The Dales School In deficit
- Priory Woods School Heading for deficit
- Beechcliffe Special School Large reserves
- Churchill Park Complex Needs School Large reserves
- Childwall Abbey School Tight
- Ridgewood Community High School Healthy
- Epinay Business and Enterprise School Large reserves
- Mary Rose Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.6m | £29,075 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £3.6m | £15,815 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £55k | £242 |
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 supply staff is £3,018 a pupil, against a typical £580 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £18,286 a pupil, against a typical £10,026 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 Hope Wood Academy · All County Durham school finances