The Grove Partnership: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £843k in reserve, 19% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Oldham · Not applicable · Pupil referral unit.
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 | £1.9m | +£104k | £84k | 123 |
2019-20 | £2.1m | £2.3m | -£250k | -£166k | 129 |
2020-21 | £2.4m | £2.2m | +£188k | £22k | 99 |
2021-22 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£97k | £119k | 68 |
2022-23 | £2.6m | £2.5m | +£160k | £279k | 69 |
2023-24 | £3.0m | £2.9m | +£101k | £379k | 99 |
2024-25 | £3.4m | £3.5m | -£105k | £274k | 126 |
2025-26 | £4.4m | £3.8m | +£569k | £843k | 114 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 alternative-provision 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 90% of them. It spends £33,702 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £27,520.
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 | £12,840 | £10,631 | £9,436–£15,570 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £6,093 | £4,920 | £3,817–£7,323 |
Supply staff | £871 | £1,211 | £697–£1,760 |
Admin and clerical | £3,187 | £1,346 | £1,127–£2,145 |
Premises | £1,808 | £1,152 | £969–£1,764 |
Energy | £373 | £346 | £176–£556 |
Learning resources & ICT | £699 | £1,422 | £991–£2,161 |
Bought-in services | £3,566 | £845 | £244–£2,564 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Chadwick High School Large reserves
- Sandwell Community School Large reserves
- Harmonize Academy AP Free School Heading for deficit
- Waterside Academy Large reserves
- The Quay School Large reserves
- New Heights High School Large reserves
- Oswaldtwistle School Large reserves
- Launchpad Centre In deficit
- Leicester Partnership School Large reserves
- Enrich Academy Large reserves
- Rotherham Aspire Tight
- Ash Grove School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.4m | £38,940 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £1.1m | £9,342 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £81k | £709 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £2k | £20 |
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?
- Spending on bought-in services is £3,566 a pupil, against a typical £845 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £3,187 a pupil, against a typical £1,346 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 The Grove Partnership · All Oldham school finances