Preston School Academy: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £717k in reserve, 10% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Somerset · Secondary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: MIDSOMER NORTON SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP 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 | £5.1m | £5.1m | +£74k | £662k | 952 |
2019-20 | £5.6m | £5.5m | +£80k | £744k | 956 |
2020-21 | £5.8m | £5.6m | +£137k | £882k | 909 |
2021-22 | £5.7m | £5.8m | -£24k | £681k | 923 |
2022-23 | £6.3m | £5.9m | +£379k | £791k | 959 |
2023-24 | £6.5m | £6.7m | -£137k | £712k | 983 |
2024-25 | £7.4m | £7.0m | +£439k | £717k | 983 |
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 53% of them. It spends £7,115 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,451.
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 | £3,813 | £4,385 | £4,178–£4,597 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,203 | £796 | £557–£913 |
Supply staff | £195 | £113 | £45–£162 |
Admin and clerical | £333 | £417 | £283–£538 |
Premises | £563 | £377 | £305–£396 |
Energy | £104 | £135 | £113–£161 |
Learning resources & ICT | £395 | £460 | £410–£611 |
Bought-in services | £76 | £113 | £47–£160 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Sir Graham Balfour High School Large reserves
- The Cedars Academy Large reserves
- The Weston Road Academy Large reserves
- Dene Magna and Sixth Form Large reserves
- Reepham High School and College In deficit
- St Aidan's Catholic Academy In deficit
- The Elton High School Tight
- Blessed William Howard Catholic School Large reserves
- Larkmead School Large reserves
- The Swan School Tight
- Meopham School Large reserves
- Kineton High School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £7.8m | £7,887 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £526k | £535 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £7k | £7 |
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 supply staff is £195 a pupil, against a typical £113 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,203 a pupil, against a typical £796 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £563 a pupil, against a typical £377 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 Preston School Academy · All Somerset school finances