Highfield Academy: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £289k in reserve, 10% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Sunderland · Primary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: IRIS LEARNING 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 | £2.2m | £2.1m | +£148k | £315k | 359 |
2019-20 | £2.1m | £1.9m | +£155k | £352k | 360 |
2020-21 | £2.2m | £2.0m | +£227k | £448k | 354 |
2021-22 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£8k | £318k | 372 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.3m | +£47k | £265k | 398 |
2023-24 | £2.7m | £2.6m | +£74k | £265k | 406 |
2024-25 | £3.0m | £2.8m | +£209k | £289k | 422 |
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 £6,543 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,599.
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 | £2,796 | £3,269 | £3,010–£3,455 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,180 | £1,881 | £1,491–£2,117 |
Supply staff | £505 | £181 | £54–£314 |
Admin and clerical | £474 | £313 | £252–£393 |
Premises | £197 | £432 | £311–£488 |
Energy | £126 | £103 | £94–£125 |
Learning resources & ICT | £291 | £239 | £183–£383 |
Bought-in services | £21 | £254 | £152–£329 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Marriott Primary School Large reserves
- Huntingdon Academy Healthy
- St Michael's Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Featherstone Primary School Large reserves
- Whale Hill Primary School Large reserves
- Stechford Primary School Large reserves
- Park View Primary School Large reserves
- Castleton Primary School In deficit
- Christ Church Church of England Controlled Primary School Large reserves
- Roman Hill Primary School In deficit
- Hilton Primary Academy Large reserves
- Christ Church CofE Primary and Nursery Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.9m | £6,912 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £127k | £301 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £93k | £220 |
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 £505 a pupil, against a typical £181 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £474 a pupil, against a typical £313 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 Highfield Academy · All Sunderland school finances