Baines School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 3 years running; at that rate its £334k reserve runs out in about 1 year.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Lancashire · 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 | £4.7m | £4.5m | +£179k | £322k | 844 |
2019-20 | £4.8m | £4.7m | +£109k | £431k | 841 |
2020-21 | £5.0m | £4.6m | +£358k | £790k | 851 |
2021-22 | £5.6m | £5.3m | +£278k | £1.1m | 854 |
2022-23 | £5.9m | £5.8m | +£91k | £1.2m | 852 |
2023-24 | £6.4m | £7.0m | -£607k | £551k | 853 |
2024-25 | £7.1m | £7.1m | -£88k | £464k | 747 |
2025-26 | £6.7m | £6.9m | -£129k | £334k | 729 |
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 37% of them. It spends £9,419 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,780.
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 | £5,503 | £4,396 | £4,112–£4,794 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,260 | £918 | £806–£1,044 |
Supply staff | £79 | £142 | £86–£257 |
Admin and clerical | £307 | £446 | £320–£530 |
Premises | £472 | £436 | £334–£549 |
Energy | £179 | £143 | £107–£200 |
Learning resources & ICT | £330 | £451 | £396–£517 |
Bought-in services | £252 | £115 | £34–£217 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Queen Elizabeth Academy Tight
- Albany Academy Tight
- Ormiston Endeavour Academy Large reserves
- The Vyne Community School Large reserves
- Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary Large reserves
- Ernulf Academy Healthy
- Saint Pius X Catholic High School A Specialist School in Humanities Large reserves
- Wolsingham School Large reserves
- Outwood Academy Foxhills Large reserves
- Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, Fleetwood Large reserves
- Tanfield School Large reserves
- E-Act Bourne End Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.2m | £8,546 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £226k | £310 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £276k | £379 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £507k | £695 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 14% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £252 a pupil, against a typical £115 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,260 a pupil, against a typical £918 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £5,503 a pupil, against a typical £4,396 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 Baines School · All Lancashire school finances