Firwood High School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £991k in reserve, 13% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Bolton · Not applicable · Academy special converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: WOODBRIDGE 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, 2019-20 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2019-20 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019-20 | £4.0m | £3.5m | +£503k | £254k | 152 |
2020-21 | £4.3m | £3.9m | +£433k | £471k | 164 |
2021-22 | £4.8m | £4.5m | +£272k | £686k | 187 |
2022-23 | £5.5m | £5.0m | +£520k | £973k | 199 |
2023-24 | £6.1m | £5.8m | +£314k | £1.0m | 212 |
2024-25 | £7.6m | £7.2m | +£446k | £991k | 230 |
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 63% of them. It spends £31,178 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £25,004.
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 | £10,787 | £10,213 | £8,400–£11,022 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £11,735 | £9,014 | £7,293–£10,720 |
Supply staff | £1,865 | £335 | £60–£660 |
Admin and clerical | £939 | £903 | £639–£1,228 |
Premises | £2,700 | £1,263 | £968–£1,638 |
Energy | £404 | £314 | £269–£404 |
Learning resources & ICT | £396 | £920 | £642–£1,264 |
Bought-in services | £565 | £557 | £234–£1,370 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Bluebell Park School Healthy
- Bamburgh School Large reserves
- Cliffdale Primary Academy Large reserves
- Abbey School Large reserves
- Samuel Laycock School Large reserves
- Kemball School Healthy
- Cambridge Park Academy Large reserves
- Elleray Park School Healthy
- Foxfield School In deficit
- Talbot Specialist School In deficit
- Highfield School Tight
- St Martins School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £7.1m | £30,683 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £3.6m | £15,791 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £794k | £3,452 |
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 supply staff is £1,865 a pupil, against a typical £335 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £2,700 a pupil, against a typical £1,263 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 Firwood High School · All Bolton school finances