The Swanage School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £221k in reserve, 7% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Dorset · Secondary · Free schools.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: EDUCATION SWANAGE LIMITED 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 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£4k | £448k | 310 |
2019-20 | £2.1m | £2.0m | +£48k | £495k | 332 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£93k | £575k | 324 |
2021-22 | £2.4m | £2.4m | +£8k | £583k | 313 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.7m | -£271k | £314k | 335 |
2023-24 | £2.9m | £2.9m | -£73k | £202k | 343 |
2024-25 | £3.1m | £3.1m | +£19k | £221k | 339 |
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 63% of them. It spends £9,162 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,717.
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 | £4,746 | £4,612 | £4,059–£5,051 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,091 | £985 | £713–£1,160 |
Supply staff | £142 | £247 | £140–£366 |
Admin and clerical | £796 | £569 | £393–£697 |
Premises | £496 | £482 | £336–£627 |
Energy | £183 | £230 | £161–£254 |
Learning resources & ICT | £445 | £545 | £435–£704 |
Bought-in services | £112 | £138 | £72–£259 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Pewsey Vale School Large reserves
- Dorset Studio School Large reserves
- Seaton Sluice Middle School Tight
- Highfield Middle School Large reserves
- Whytrig Middle School In deficit
- Energy Coast UTC Large reserves
- Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire Healthy
- The Sele School Large reserves
- Danesfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Community Middle School In deficit
- Hadlow Rural Community School Heading for deficit
- Waterfront UTC In deficit
- Chilmington Green School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.0m | £8,985 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £115k | £339 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £140k | £413 |
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 admin and clerical is £796 a pupil, against a typical £569 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 Swanage School · All Dorset school finances