Blackburn Central High School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.1m in reserve, 13% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Blackburn with Darwen · Secondary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: OAK LEARNING PARTNERSHIP can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Earlier years come from this school's return before it became an academy (a different DfE number).
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 | £6.5m | £6.4m | +£66k | £724k | 891 |
2020-21 | £6.8m | £6.8m | +£3k | £749k | 908 |
2021-22 | £7.2m | £6.9m | +£332k | £834k | 900 |
2022-23 | £7.5m | £7.5m | -£12k | £538k | 921 |
2023-24 | £8.4m | £7.8m | +£577k | £769k | 960 |
2024-25 | £9.0m | £8.0m | +£1.0m | £1.1m | 987 |
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 67% of them. It spends £8,095 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,228.
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 | £4,299 | £4,503 | £4,331–£4,882 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,035 | £933 | £709–£1,114 |
Supply staff | £79 | £167 | £70–£308 |
Admin and clerical | £388 | £397 | £306–£492 |
Premises | £114 | £426 | £363–£559 |
Energy | £183 | £158 | £119–£244 |
Learning resources & ICT | £1,241 | £495 | £417–£598 |
Bought-in services | £58 | £126 | £39–£250 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Coppice Performing Arts School Large reserves
- The Westleigh School Large reserves
- Newhouse Academy Large reserves
- Marine Academy Plymouth Large reserves
- Morecambe Bay Academy Large reserves
- Grace Academy Coventry Large reserves
- Orchard School Bristol Large reserves
- Farnborough Spencer Academy In deficit
- Lea Manor High School Large reserves
- Graham School Large reserves
- Barr's Hill School Healthy
- Lancaster Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £8.8m | £8,896 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £328k | £332 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £227k | £230 |
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 learning resources & ict is £1,241 a pupil, against a typical £495 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 Blackburn Central High School · All Blackburn with Darwen school finances