Acorn Free School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £119k in reserve, 9% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Lincolnshire · Not applicable · Free schools alternative provision.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: THE ACORN EBS FREE SCHOOL LTD. 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 | £737k | £727k | +£10k | £206k | 33 |
2019-20 | £680k | £711k | -£31k | £226k | 27 |
2020-21 | £630k | £641k | -£11k | £214k | 27 |
2021-22 | £704k | £708k | -£4k | £208k | 37 |
2022-23 | £755k | £875k | -£120k | £89k | 3 |
2023-24 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£3k | £60k | 3 |
2024-25 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£97k | £119k | 54 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 alternative-provision 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 20% of them. It spends £21,630 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £31,532.
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 | £9,519 | £19,035 | £13,786–£22,158 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £5,056 | £3,800 | £2,363–£7,534 |
Supply staff | £56 | £475 | £0–£1,776 |
Admin and clerical | £2,537 | £1,729 | £838–£2,790 |
Premises | £611 | £1,004 | £150–£1,592 |
Energy | £537 | £275 | £0–£472 |
Learning resources & ICT | £981 | £1,176 | £710–£1,901 |
Bought-in services | £389 | £667 | £111–£1,117 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- East Birmingham Network Academy Large reserves
- Ebn Academy 2 Large reserves
- Cherry Tree Learning Centre Large reserves
- Beacon of Light School Large reserves
- Horizon School Large reserves
- King's Leadership Phoenix Academy Tight
- Enterprise Learning Alliance Large reserves
- Ancora House School Large reserves
- The Heights Burnley Large reserves
- Roman Fields Academy Large reserves
- East Sussex Skills Academy Tight
- OA Tunbridge Wells Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £22,815 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £48k | £889 |
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 energy is £537 a pupil, against a typical £275 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 Acorn Free School · All Lincolnshire school finances