Star Academy, Sandyford: school finances
Tight
Holds £31k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Stoke-on-Trent · Primary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: ACADEMY TRANSFORMATION 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 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£126k | -£78k | 223 |
2019-20 | £1.3m | £1.1m | +£184k | £0 | 213 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.1m | +£190k | £0 | 220 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.0m | +£368k | £0 | 209 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£76k | £0 | 197 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.1m | +£206k | £0 | 178 |
2024-25 | £1.3m | £1.1m | +£190k | £31k | 172 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary 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 £6,529 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,641.
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 | £3,064 | £4,031 | £3,461–£4,533 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,058 | £1,826 | £1,204–£2,156 |
Supply staff | £297 | £142 | £67–£390 |
Admin and clerical | £227 | £416 | £316–£538 |
Premises | £872 | £465 | £427–£546 |
Energy | £0 | £150 | £125–£198 |
Learning resources & ICT | £267 | £301 | £259–£465 |
Bought-in services | £105 | £166 | £73–£308 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Oaks Community Primary School In deficit
- Barton Clough Primary School In deficit
- Co-op Academy Beckfield Heading for deficit
- Winyates Primary School Healthy
- Quarry Mount Primary School Healthy
- Westwood Primary School Large reserves
- Greengate Junior School In deficit
- St Peter's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Accrington St Mary Magdalen's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- The Bramble Academy In deficit
- Pennington Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Springhill Primary Academy Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.3m | £7,488 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £4k | £23 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £25k | £145 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 23% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on premises is £872 a pupil, against a typical £465 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 Star Academy, Sandyford · All Stoke-on-Trent school finances