Dowson Primary Academy: school finances
Tight
Holds £81k 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). Tameside · Primary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: THE ENQUIRE 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 | £2.2m | £2.1m | +£72k | £22k | 476 |
2019-20 | £2.4m | £2.3m | +£108k | £2k | 485 |
2020-21 | £2.5m | £2.3m | +£172k | £17k | 471 |
2021-22 | £2.6m | £2.3m | +£206k | £2k | 478 |
2022-23 | £2.7m | £2.5m | +£132k | -£63k | 471 |
2023-24 | £2.8m | £2.6m | +£227k | -£72k | 474 |
2024-25 | £2.8m | £2.7m | +£39k | £81k | 475 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary 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 17% of them. It spends £5,775 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,179.
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 | £2,674 | £2,945 | £2,687–£3,227 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,135 | £1,275 | £1,041–£1,644 |
Supply staff | £65 | £115 | £41–£231 |
Admin and clerical | £253 | £214 | £182–£299 |
Premises | £255 | £300 | £235–£369 |
Energy | £109 | £90 | £74–£106 |
Learning resources & ICT | £436 | £251 | £197–£305 |
Bought-in services | £0 | £102 | £50–£148 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Wickford Primary School Large reserves
- Tidbury Green School Large reserves
- Normanby Primary School Large reserves
- Cornerstone CofE (VA) Primary School In deficit
- Eldon Grove Academy Large reserves
- West Ewell Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- St James Church School Large reserves
- Lyde Green Primary School Large reserves
- Pathfinder CofE Primary School Large reserves
- The Redstart Primary School Large reserves
- Canford Heath Junior School Large reserves
- High Lawn Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.8m | £5,796 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £135k | £284 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £29k | £61 |
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 learning resources & ict is £436 a pupil, against a typical £251 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 Dowson Primary Academy · All Tameside school finances