Ridgeway Academy: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £782k in reserve, 10% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Hertfordshire · Secondary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: AMBITION EDUCATION 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 | £3.9m | £3.9m | -£7k | £0 | 631 |
2019-20 | £4.2m | £4.2m | -£12k | £28k | 746 |
2020-21 | £5.3m | £4.6m | +£675k | £277k | 844 |
2021-22 | £6.0m | £5.5m | +£541k | £467k | 897 |
2022-23 | £6.9m | £6.4m | +£518k | £0 | 904 |
2023-24 | £7.5m | £7.0m | +£427k | £0 | 947 |
2024-25 | £7.9m | £7.8m | +£38k | £782k | 929 |
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 £8,429 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,843.
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 | £4,580 | £4,459 | £4,216–£4,811 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £0 | £928 | £674–£1,125 |
Supply staff | £264 | £175 | £109–£258 |
Admin and clerical | £1,870 | £402 | £295–£536 |
Premises | £390 | £388 | £328–£460 |
Energy | £231 | £144 | £116–£197 |
Learning resources & ICT | £330 | £539 | £420–£639 |
Bought-in services | £84 | £116 | £56–£182 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Trinity Academy Large reserves
- Meols Cop High School Large reserves
- Thornhill Community Academy, A Share Academy Large reserves
- The Astley Cooper School Large reserves
- St Michael's Catholic Academy Large reserves
- Paxman Academy Large reserves
- The Blue Coat School Basingstoke Large reserves
- Poltair School Large reserves
- Wey Valley Academy Large reserves
- St Helena School Healthy
- St John Fisher Catholic High School In deficit
- Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £8.0m | £8,618 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £329k | £354 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | -£137k | £-147 |
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 £1,870 a pupil, against a typical £402 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £231 a pupil, against a typical £144 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 Ridgeway Academy · All Hertfordshire school finances