Chatten Free School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.2m in reserve, 23% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Essex · Not applicable · Free schools special.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: HOPE LEARNING COMMUNITY 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, 2021-22 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2021-22 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£97k | £67k | 26 |
2022-23 | £2.5m | £2.4m | +£143k | £193k | 50 |
2023-24 | £4.4m | £3.6m | +£813k | £575k | 71 |
2024-25 | £5.3m | £4.3m | +£1.0m | £1.2m | 75 |
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 70% of them. It spends £57,453 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £31,455.
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 | £11,573 | £12,133 | £9,732–£13,739 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £30,907 | £11,172 | £7,543–£14,395 |
Supply staff | £0 | £166 | £5–£514 |
Admin and clerical | £1,093 | £1,480 | £1,042–£1,961 |
Premises | £2,187 | £1,595 | £958–£1,927 |
Energy | £813 | £472 | £318–£601 |
Learning resources & ICT | £1,627 | £951 | £742–£1,284 |
Bought-in services | £53 | £1,004 | £330–£2,112 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Springfield School Large reserves
- Beacon Hill Academy Large reserves
- Churchill Special Free School Tight
- Rosewood Free School Large reserves
- Church Lawton School Large reserves
- The Chalet School Tight
- The Fusion Academy Large reserves
- Sunnydown School Large reserves
- Westfield School Large reserves
- Westfield School Large reserves
- The Dales School Healthy
- Woodlands School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £5.4m | £72,347 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £4.4m | £59,027 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £27k | £360 |
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £30,907 a pupil, against a typical £11,172 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £813 a pupil, against a typical £472 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £1,627 a pupil, against a typical £951 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £2,187 a pupil, against a typical £1,595 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.
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