The Sir John Colfox Academy: school finances
Tight
Holds £162k 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). Dorset · Secondary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: INITIO LEARNING 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 | £5.5m | £5.6m | -£87k | £9k | 849 |
2019-20 | £6.0m | £5.9m | +£128k | £250k | 840 |
2020-21 | £6.5m | £5.3m | +£1.1m | £0 | 864 |
2021-22 | £6.2m | £5.6m | +£594k | £175k | 839 |
2022-23 | £7.2m | £6.7m | +£537k | £0 | 854 |
2023-24 | £7.6m | £6.8m | +£773k | £0 | 818 |
2024-25 | £8.0m | £7.8m | +£240k | £162k | 792 |
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 20% of them. It spends £9,808 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,593.
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 | £4,787 | £4,362 | £4,116–£4,655 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £862 | £811 | £604–£905 |
Supply staff | £98 | £142 | £60–£214 |
Admin and clerical | £302 | £439 | £345–£551 |
Premises | £2,519 | £438 | £340–£537 |
Energy | £0 | £143 | £121–£166 |
Learning resources & ICT | £822 | £473 | £357–£578 |
Bought-in services | £44 | £76 | £48–£213 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Robert Barclay Academy Large reserves
- Yate Academy Large reserves
- Leigh Academy Rainham Large reserves
- Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School Large reserves
- Claydon High School Large reserves
- The Catholic High School, Chester In deficit
- The Orme Academy Large reserves
- Stanchester Academy Healthy
- De La Salle School Heading for deficit
- Biddulph High School In deficit
- The Henry Cort Community College Large reserves
- Newmarket Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £8.0m | £10,080 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £262k | £331 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £25k | £32 |
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?
- Spending on premises is £2,519 a pupil, against a typical £438 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £822 a pupil, against a typical £473 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 Sir John Colfox Academy · All Dorset school finances