St Thomas More RC College: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £359k in reserve, 5% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Tameside · Secondary · Voluntary aided school.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £4.3m | £4.4m | -£35k | £30k | 765 |
2019-20 | £4.6m | £4.6m | +£408 | £30k | 773 |
2020-21 | £4.7m | £4.6m | +£78k | £108k | 773 |
2021-22 | £5.1m | £5.1m | +£27k | £135k | 781 |
2022-23 | £5.4m | £5.2m | +£218k | £353k | 778 |
2023-24 | £5.8m | £5.7m | +£66k | £419k | 783 |
2024-25 | £6.1m | £6.3m | -£137k | £282k | 792 |
2025-26 | £6.8m | £6.7m | +£77k | £359k | 799 |
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 43% of them. It spends £8,445 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,950.
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 | £4,946 | £4,452 | £4,144–£4,732 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £634 | £876 | £718–£1,095 |
Supply staff | £321 | £113 | £60–£197 |
Admin and clerical | £464 | £432 | £322–£559 |
Premises | £336 | £508 | £400–£600 |
Energy | £200 | £160 | £129–£179 |
Learning resources & ICT | £654 | £451 | £328–£579 |
Bought-in services | £117 | £94 | £53–£192 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Altwood Church of England School Healthy
- de Stafford School Large reserves
- The Newbridge School Large reserves
- Anthony Gell School Healthy
- Bramcote College Tight
- Witchford Village College In deficit
- Stanley High School Tight
- Carr Hill High School Large reserves
- Outwood Academy Bydales Large reserves
- Court Fields School Large reserves
- Queen's Park High School Large reserves
- St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.4m | £7,965 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £348k | £436 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £263k | £330 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £489k | £612 |
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?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Spending on supply staff is £321 a pupil, against a typical £113 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £654 a pupil, against a typical £451 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £200 a pupil, against a typical £160 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 St Thomas More RC College · All Tameside school finances