Rotherham Aspire: school finances
Tight
Holds £0 in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Rotherham · 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 | £3.4m | £2.9m | +£462k | -£267k | 114 |
2019-20 | £3.2m | £3.6m | -£395k | -£662k | 144 |
2020-21 | £3.6m | £3.1m | +£488k | -£174k | 120 |
2021-22 | £3.1m | £3.2m | -£56k | -£229k | 126 |
2022-23 | £3.3m | £3.1m | +£219k | -£11k | 118 |
2023-24 | £3.1m | £3.2m | -£118k | -£129k | 140 |
2024-25 | £3.3m | £3.4m | -£52k | -£182k | 135 |
2025-26 | £3.7m | £3.5m | +£182k | £0 | 118 |
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 17% of them. It spends £29,417 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £26,732.
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 | £6,457 | £11,506 | £9,433–£14,938 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £10,965 | £5,078 | £3,560–£6,827 |
Supply staff | £2,243 | £882 | £658–£2,122 |
Admin and clerical | £1,290 | £1,282 | £1,015–£2,144 |
Premises | £1,056 | £1,135 | £930–£1,639 |
Energy | £441 | £374 | £231–£521 |
Learning resources & ICT | £757 | £1,530 | £989–£2,908 |
Bought-in services | £2,555 | £844 | £208–£2,646 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- New Heights High School Large reserves
- Larches High School Healthy
- Richard Barnes Academy In deficit
- Sandwell Community School Large reserves
- Central Hub Brighton Healthy
- The Grove Partnership Large reserves
- Waterside Academy Large reserves
- Launchpad Centre In deficit
- Leicester Partnership School Large reserves
- Archway Academy Large reserves
- Harmonize Academy AP Free School Heading for deficit
- The Rowans Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.6m | £30,908 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £4k | £33 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £108k | £912 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £6k | £49 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £10,965 a pupil, against a typical £5,078 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 Rotherham Aspire · All Rotherham school finances