Hillside Special School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £581k in reserve, 23% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Suffolk · Not applicable · Community special 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 | £1.8m | £1.6m | +£176k | £385k | 92 |
2019-20 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£71k | £455k | 91 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£119k | £574k | 89 |
2021-22 | £1.9m | £2.0m | -£22k | £552k | 83 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£133k | £420k | 85 |
2023-24 | £2.2m | £2.2m | +£52k | £471k | 85 |
2024-25 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£114k | £586k | 86 |
2025-26 | £2.5m | £2.5m | -£5k | £581k | 89 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special 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 83% of them. It spends £28,039 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £30,605.
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 | £10,113 | £11,553 | £9,821–£12,556 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £11,914 | £11,188 | £8,552–£12,737 |
Supply staff | £6 | £412 | £145–£1,265 |
Admin and clerical | £1,032 | £1,176 | £841–£1,613 |
Premises | £1,371 | £1,546 | £1,345–£1,753 |
Energy | £359 | £539 | £319–£771 |
Learning resources & ICT | £630 | £763 | £559–£1,258 |
Bought-in services | £902 | £646 | £300–£1,546 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Wyvern Academy Large reserves
- Bleasdale School Large reserves
- Heatherwood School Large reserves
- Northern House Academy Large reserves
- Elm Tree Primary Academy Tight
- The Cedar School Healthy
- Fountaindale School Large reserves
- Avalon School In deficit
- Blackmarston School Large reserves
- Icknield School Tight
- Doubletrees School Healthy
- Barrs Court School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.4m | £27,013 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £1.2m | £13,168 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £51k | £571 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £94k | £1,054 |
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?
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 Hillside Special School · All Suffolk school finances