Bristol Free School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £852k in reserve, 9% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Bristol, City of · Secondary · Free schools.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: RUSSELL EDUCATION TRUST can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £5.3m | £4.6m | +£708k | £454k | 990 |
2019-20 | £5.8m | £5.0m | +£705k | £53k | 1,064 |
2020-21 | £6.8m | £5.6m | +£1.2m | £1.2m | 1,138 |
2021-22 | £7.0m | £6.3m | +£770k | £809k | 1,157 |
2022-23 | £7.4m | £6.8m | +£521k | £1.5m | 1,217 |
2023-24 | £8.3m | £7.7m | +£622k | £895k | 1,277 |
2024-25 | £9.0m | £8.8m | +£284k | £852k | 1,292 |
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 73% of them. It spends £6,773 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,371.
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 | £3,932 | £4,327 | £4,032–£4,464 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £639 | £657 | £482–£916 |
Supply staff | £52 | £88 | £47–£150 |
Admin and clerical | £641 | £493 | £354–£540 |
Premises | £410 | £387 | £315–£533 |
Energy | £125 | £130 | £110–£164 |
Learning resources & ICT | £723 | £541 | £407–£693 |
Bought-in services | £9 | £72 | £42–£130 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Bishop Heber High School Heading for deficit
- Queen Elizabeth High School Large reserves
- Priestnall School In deficit
- Shelley College, A Share Academy Large reserves
- Painsley Catholic College Healthy
- Kingsbridge Academy Large reserves
- Accrington St Christopher's Church of England High School Large reserves
- William de Ferrers School Large reserves
- St Peter's Church of England Aided School Heading for deficit
- Davison Church of England High School for Girls, Worthing Heading for deficit
- Burnham Grammar School Large reserves
- St Bede's Catholic College Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £8.9m | £6,858 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £278k | £215 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £359k | £278 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF BRISTOL FREE SCHOOL (charity 1184355, Registered) raised £3k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2026-08 | £3k | £7k |
2025-08 | £5k | £6k |
2024-08 | £4k | £2k |
2023-08 | £1k | £636 |
2022-08 | £1k | £571 |
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 are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £641 a pupil, against a typical £493 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 Bristol Free School · All Bristol, City of school finances