Smith's Wood Academy: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £595k in reserve, 7% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Solihull · Secondary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: FAIRFAX MULTI ACADEMY 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 | £6.4m | £5.6m | +£852k | £0 | 992 |
2019-20 | £6.9m | £5.1m | +£1.8m | £0 | 966 |
2020-21 | £713k | £4.7m | -£4.0m | £0 | 950 |
2021-22 | £8.0m | £5.3m | +£2.8m | £0 | 918 |
2022-23 | £7.3m | £5.6m | +£1.7m | £0 | 899 |
2023-24 | £8.3m | £6.2m | +£2.0m | £0 | 781 |
2024-25 | £7.9m | £6.2m | +£1.7m | £595k | 746 |
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 43% of them. It spends £8,318 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,323.
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 | £4,339 | £4,679 | £4,343–£5,042 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,933 | £1,227 | £952–£1,441 |
Supply staff | £306 | £135 | £62–£296 |
Admin and clerical | £405 | £486 | £415–£780 |
Premises | £43 | £488 | £299–£562 |
Energy | £300 | £163 | £128–£219 |
Learning resources & ICT | £245 | £614 | £452–£905 |
Bought-in services | £0 | £86 | £36–£253 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Gainsborough Academy Large reserves
- Outwood Academy Ormesby Large reserves
- St Matthias School Large reserves
- South Shore Academy In deficit
- Astor Secondary School In deficit
- Outwood Academy Riverside Large reserves
- Weston Secondary School Large reserves
- Cedar Mount Academy Large reserves
- Blackpool Aspire Academy Large reserves
- Hartsdown Academy In deficit
- Birkenhead Park School Large reserves
- Co-op Academy Belle Vue Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £7.9m | £10,637 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £78k | £105 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £2k | £3 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 25% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £300 a pupil, against a typical £163 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,933 a pupil, against a typical £1,227 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 Smith's Wood Academy · All Solihull school finances