Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy: school finances
Tight
Holds £32k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Blackburn with Darwen · Secondary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: ROMERO CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST 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 | £5.3m | £5.7m | -£408k | -£439k | 727 |
2019-20 | £6.2m | £5.9m | +£317k | -£125k | 751 |
2020-21 | £6.0m | £5.7m | +£263k | £127k | 777 |
2021-22 | £6.2m | £6.1m | +£100k | £228k | 776 |
2022-23 | £6.5m | £6.5m | +£41k | £269k | 816 |
2024-25 | £7.4m | £6.8m | +£622k | £32k | 814 |
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 10% of them. It spends £8,305 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,887.
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 | £4,646 | £4,611 | £4,187–£5,357 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,128 | £1,117 | £846–£1,288 |
Supply staff | £79 | £218 | £121–£308 |
Admin and clerical | £408 | £463 | £369–£603 |
Premises | £408 | £541 | £392–£755 |
Energy | £249 | £161 | £77–£203 |
Learning resources & ICT | £372 | £495 | £431–£640 |
Bought-in services | £268 | £87 | £32–£256 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Melior Community Academy Large reserves
- Mulberry Academy Hastings Tight
- Newsome Academy Healthy
- Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy Large reserves
- The St Lawrence Academy Large reserves
- Goodwin Academy Tight
- St Anne's Church of England Academy Large reserves
- City of Peterborough Academy Large reserves
- Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School Heading for deficit
- Shirebrook Academy Large reserves
- Prenton High School for Girls Large reserves
- Sutton Community Academy Tight
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £7.3m | £8,923 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £132k | £162 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £146k | £179 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on energy is £249 a pupil, against a typical £161 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 Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy · All Blackburn with Darwen school finances