Dryden School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £165k in reserve, 7% of a year's income. It has spent more than it received for 2 years, so watch the trend.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Gateshead · 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 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£64k | -£31k | 43 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£87k | -£118k | 43 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£103k | -£15k | 177 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£114k | £99k | 55 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£67k | £165k | 57 |
2024-25 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£35k | £242k | 71 |
2025-26 | £2.3m | £2.4m | -£78k | £165k | 77 |
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 47% of them. It spends £31,176 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £32,816.
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 | £10,215 | £12,897 | £11,251–£14,723 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £11,485 | £8,867 | £6,105–£11,512 |
Supply staff | £315 | £999 | £549–£1,815 |
Admin and clerical | £1,142 | £1,537 | £959–£2,040 |
Premises | £2,963 | £1,707 | £1,331–£2,560 |
Energy | £752 | £419 | £323–£669 |
Learning resources & ICT | £1,208 | £1,296 | £739–£2,047 |
Bought-in services | £811 | £1,116 | £193–£3,068 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- New Horizons Learning Centre In deficit
- Langham Oaks Heading for deficit
- Chasetown Community School Healthy
- The Wymering School Large reserves
- Broadmeadow Special School Large reserves
- Hailey Hall School Large reserves
- Nyland School Tight
- Greenfields Academy Tight
- North View Academy Large reserves
- Battledown School Tight
- Penny Field School Healthy
- Bramley Grange Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.3m | £29,349 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £1.6m | £20,554 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £36k | £466 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £63k | £821 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on energy is £752 a pupil, against a typical £419 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £2,963 a pupil, against a typical £1,707 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 Dryden School · All Gateshead school finances