NCEA Castle School: school finances
Tight
Holds £36k 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). Northumberland · Not applicable · Academy special converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: NORTHUMBERLAND CHURCH OF ENGLAND 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 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£9k | -£89k | 99 |
2019-20 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£33k | -£175k | 90 |
2020-21 | £2.2m | £2.0m | +£174k | -£106k | 98 |
2021-22 | £2.5m | £2.2m | +£206k | -£35k | 111 |
2022-23 | £2.6m | £2.5m | +£103k | £2k | 118 |
2023-24 | £3.6m | £3.1m | +£458k | £4k | 138 |
2024-25 | £4.4m | £3.8m | +£600k | £36k | 157 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special 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 0% of them. It spends £24,217 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £27,071.
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 | £8,006 | £9,640 | £8,124–£10,573 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £10,777 | £9,416 | £6,252–£13,328 |
Supply staff | £-25 | £585 | £163–£1,305 |
Admin and clerical | £675 | £1,066 | £783–£1,367 |
Premises | £975 | £1,302 | £916–£1,654 |
Energy | £503 | £359 | £263–£483 |
Learning resources & ICT | £567 | £691 | £515–£962 |
Bought-in services | £1,847 | £523 | £161–£956 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Kingswode Hoe School Large reserves
- Holbrook School for Autism Large reserves
- Lime Academy Orton Large reserves
- Saxon Mount School Large reserves
- Rivermead School Healthy
- Redwood Park Academy Large reserves
- The Dame Ellen Pinsent School Large reserves
- Nethergate Academy Large reserves
- Milton School Large reserves
- Sunningdale School Large reserves
- Alfreton Park Community Special School Large reserves
- St Clare's School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.3m | £27,624 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £2.1m | £13,420 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £65k | £414 |
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 bought-in services is £1,847 a pupil, against a typical £523 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 NCEA Castle School · All Northumberland school finances