Churchward School: school finances
Tight
Holds £85k 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). Swindon · Not applicable · Free schools special.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: BRUNEL ACADEMIES 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 | £773k | £741k | +£32k | £36k | 20 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.4m | +£345k | £117k | 41 |
2020-21 | £2.6m | £2.1m | +£479k | £17k | 65 |
2021-22 | £3.1m | £2.9m | +£241k | £4k | 82 |
2022-23 | £3.9m | £3.0m | +£865k | £341k | 91 |
2023-24 | £3.8m | £4.2m | -£340k | £0 | 98 |
2024-25 | £5.5m | £5.5m | +£15k | £85k | 127 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special 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 7% of them. It spends £43,220 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £28,739.
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 | £11,299 | £9,716 | £8,687–£11,033 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £16,386 | £10,833 | £9,473–£14,149 |
Supply staff | £205 | £277 | £71–£596 |
Admin and clerical | £1,866 | £1,294 | £1,029–£1,646 |
Premises | £1,055 | £1,439 | £1,306–£2,094 |
Energy | £480 | £390 | £301–£501 |
Learning resources & ICT | £2,291 | £802 | £523–£987 |
Bought-in services | £63 | £530 | £191–£1,241 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Clare School Large reserves
- Brimble Hill Special School Large reserves
- Lancaster School Large reserves
- Castle EAST School Healthy
- Mayfield School Healthy
- Castle Hill School Large reserves
- Woolgrove School, Special Needs Academy Large reserves
- Tiverton School Large reserves
- Hob Moor Oaks Academy Tight
- The Collett School Large reserves
- Saxon Hill Academy Large reserves
- Delamere School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £5.4m | £42,504 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £3.7m | £28,976 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £24k | £189 |
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 £2,291 a pupil, against a typical £802 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £16,386 a pupil, against a typical £10,833 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £1,866 a pupil, against a typical £1,294 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 Churchward School · All Swindon school finances