Cranborne Middle School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £135k in reserve, 6% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Dorset · Middle deemed secondary · Community 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 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£55k | £145k | 407 |
2019-20 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£537 | £145k | 383 |
2020-21 | £2.0m | £1.9m | +£63k | £208k | 352 |
2021-22 | £2.1m | £2.0m | +£98k | £306k | 327 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£89k | £217k | 339 |
2023-24 | £2.2m | £2.2m | +£20k | £237k | 312 |
2024-25 | £2.2m | £2.3m | -£156k | £81k | 306 |
2025-26 | £2.4m | £2.3m | +£54k | £135k | 266 |
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 50% of them. It spends £8,769 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,036.
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 | £4,372 | £4,425 | £3,956–£4,901 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,212 | £839 | £607–£1,085 |
Supply staff | £83 | £105 | £33–£247 |
Admin and clerical | £645 | £454 | £350–£620 |
Premises | £535 | £454 | £378–£632 |
Energy | £193 | £168 | £127–£249 |
Learning resources & ICT | £550 | £556 | £413–£678 |
Bought-in services | £270 | £107 | £40–£160 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Lady Hawkins' School Large reserves
- Ralph Sadleir School Large reserves
- UTC Reading Large reserves
- Weldon Village Academy Large reserves
- Wigston College In deficit
- Scarborough University Technical College In deficit
- St Peter's Church of England Middle School Tight
- Appleby Grammar School Large reserves
- John Ruskin School In deficit
- UTC Oxfordshire In deficit
- Stradbroke High School Large reserves
- Ridgeway Secondary School Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.2m | £8,290 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £12k | £46 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £82k | £310 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £181k | £682 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 35% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £270 a pupil, against a typical £107 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,212 a pupil, against a typical £839 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 Cranborne Middle School · All Dorset school finances