Ferndown Upper School: school finances
Tight
Holds £59k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Dorset · 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 | £4.9m | £5.0m | -£121k | -£717k | 789 |
2019-20 | £5.6m | £5.6m | -£20k | -£737k | 876 |
2020-21 | £6.3m | £6.1m | +£265k | -£471k | 963 |
2021-22 | £7.2m | £6.5m | +£702k | £231k | 979 |
2022-23 | £7.5m | £7.6m | -£149k | £82k | 1,030 |
2023-24 | £8.5m | £8.6m | -£81k | £1k | 1,161 |
2024-25 | £9.0m | £9.1m | -£109k | -£108k | 1,169 |
2025-26 | £9.7m | £9.5m | +£167k | £59k | 1,134 |
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 0% of them. It spends £8,387 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,560.
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 | £4,739 | £4,179 | £3,985–£4,510 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £749 | £832 | £676–£994 |
Supply staff | £21 | £130 | £70–£183 |
Admin and clerical | £895 | £406 | £353–£474 |
Premises | £425 | £398 | £355–£604 |
Energy | £102 | £128 | £107–£163 |
Learning resources & ICT | £660 | £481 | £417–£538 |
Bought-in services | £177 | £110 | £70–£230 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Esher Church of England High School Large reserves
- Pershore High School Large reserves
- Queen Elizabeth's Large reserves
- All Saints' Catholic Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- Claverham Community College Large reserves
- Wreake Valley Academy Large reserves
- Brentwood County High School Tight
- The Burton Borough School Large reserves
- Manshead Church of England Academy Large reserves
- Penryn College Large reserves
- The Blandford School Large reserves
- Dereham Neatherd High School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £9.2m | £8,083 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £405k | £357 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £244k | £215 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £512k | £452 |
Money raised by parents
FERNDOWN UPPER SCHOOL PTFA (charity 1217198, Registered)
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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 admin and clerical is £895 a pupil, against a typical £406 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £660 a pupil, against a typical £481 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Ferndown Upper School · All Dorset school finances