Houstone School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £631k in reserve, 11% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Central Bedfordshire · Secondary · Free schools.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: ADVANTAGE SCHOOLS 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, 2022-23 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2022-23 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | £2.6m | £2.0m | +£590k | £462k | 285 |
2023-24 | £4.1m | £3.6m | +£533k | £800k | 517 |
2024-25 | £5.5m | £4.9m | +£565k | £631k | 658 |
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 80% of them. It spends £7,483 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,791.
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 | £4,302 | £4,333 | £3,970–£4,543 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £614 | £904 | £674–£1,132 |
Supply staff | £49 | £85 | £52–£157 |
Admin and clerical | £523 | £508 | £328–£637 |
Premises | £491 | £452 | £336–£632 |
Energy | £202 | £163 | £134–£183 |
Learning resources & ICT | £473 | £423 | £371–£532 |
Bought-in services | £278 | £141 | £61–£194 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Merstham Park School Large reserves
- St Bernards Catholic High School, Barrow Large reserves
- The Macclesfield Academy Large reserves
- Jubilee High School Large reserves
- The Suthers School In deficit
- Outwood Academy Ripon Large reserves
- Nottingham Free School In deficit
- Armthorpe Academy Large reserves
- Acle Academy Healthy
- The Nicholas Hamond Academy Tight
- Greyfriars Catholic School In deficit
- St Clement's High School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £5.6m | £8,491 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £2k | £3 |
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 bought-in services is £278 a pupil, against a typical £141 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £202 a pupil, against a typical £163 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 Houstone School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances