Forest Hall School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £248k in reserve, 6% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Essex · Secondary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: BMAT EDUCATION 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 | £3.3m | £3.1m | +£180k | £180k | 486 |
2019-20 | £3.6m | £2.7m | +£893k | £0 | 487 |
2020-21 | £3.6m | £2.9m | +£742k | £0 | 487 |
2021-22 | £3.5m | £2.8m | +£725k | £725k | 477 |
2022-23 | £3.7m | £3.0m | +£715k | £0 | 491 |
2023-24 | £4.1m | £4.4m | -£304k | £0 | 496 |
2024-25 | £4.3m | £3.8m | +£512k | £248k | 472 |
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 57% of them. It spends £8,104 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,345.
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 | £4,956 | £4,618 | £4,158–£4,957 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £928 | £836 | £723–£1,126 |
Supply staff | £242 | £160 | £55–£302 |
Admin and clerical | £907 | £557 | £297–£641 |
Premises | £282 | £466 | £404–£612 |
Energy | £208 | £188 | £145–£248 |
Learning resources & ICT | £199 | £512 | £419–£650 |
Bought-in services | £72 | £121 | £51–£211 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Staindrop Academy Heading for deficit
- UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Large reserves
- Aureus School Large reserves
- Applemore College Large reserves
- Aylestone School Large reserves
- Winterton Community Academy Large reserves
- St Dunstan's School Large reserves
- Filey Academy In deficit
- Gracewood Academy In deficit
- LeAF Studio Heading for deficit
- John O'Gaunt School Large reserves
- The Hayling College Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.3m | £9,042 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £222k | £470 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £69k | £146 |
Money raised by parents
FOREST HALL SCHOOL PTA (charity 1083240, Registered) raised £8k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £8k | £4k |
2024-08 | £4k | £3k |
2023-08 | £3k | £4k |
2022-08 | £656 | £2k |
2021-08 | £2k | £4k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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 £907 a pupil, against a typical £557 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Forest Hall School · All Essex school finances