The Link Academy: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £495k in reserve, 5% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Dudley · Secondary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: DUDLEY ACADEMIES 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 | £6.0m | £5.7m | +£293k | £171k | 952 |
2019-20 | £6.0m | £5.9m | +£66k | £179k | 926 |
2020-21 | £6.5m | £5.9m | +£618k | £456k | 902 |
2021-22 | £6.5m | £7.0m | -£461k | £0 | 931 |
2022-23 | £7.0m | £7.2m | -£182k | £0 | 930 |
2023-24 | £8.4m | £8.0m | +£422k | £0 | 984 |
2024-25 | £9.2m | £8.3m | +£838k | £495k | 1,026 |
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 30% of them. It spends £8,124 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,789.
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 | £4,475 | £4,673 | £4,273–£5,098 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £947 | £1,065 | £867–£1,228 |
Supply staff | £362 | £199 | £63–£278 |
Admin and clerical | £420 | £467 | £373–£566 |
Premises | £370 | £510 | £407–£727 |
Energy | £190 | £183 | £66–£243 |
Learning resources & ICT | £337 | £494 | £398–£699 |
Bought-in services | £169 | £120 | £61–£210 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Boldon School In deficit
- Fleetwood High School Healthy
- The Robert Napier School Healthy
- Ormiston Meridian Academy Large reserves
- St Peter's CofE Academy Large reserves
- Notre Dame Catholic Academy Large reserves
- NCEA Duke's Secondary School Tight
- The Milton Keynes Academy Large reserves
- Airedale Academy Large reserves
- Dixons Brooklands Academy Large reserves
- North Durham Academy Large reserves
- St John Bosco Arts College Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £9.0m | £8,763 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £81k | £79 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £182k | £177 |
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 £362 a pupil, against a typical £199 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 The Link Academy · All Dudley school finances