The Purbeck School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.3m in reserve, 16% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Dorset · Secondary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: WESSEX MULTI ACADEMY TRUST can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Earlier years come from this school's return before it became an academy (a different DfE number).
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 | £5.9m | £5.7m | +£227k | £64k | 993 |
2019-20 | £6.2m | £6.0m | +£178k | £242k | 1,017 |
2020-21 | £6.4m | £6.1m | +£342k | £584k | 1,031 |
2021-22 | £6.8m | £6.6m | +£134k | £718k | 1,071 |
2022-23 | £7.2m | £6.7m | +£501k | £1.1m | 1,064 |
2023-24 | £7.7m | £7.2m | +£467k | £1.2m | 1,040 |
2024-25 | £8.1m | £7.8m | +£328k | £1.3m | 1,028 |
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 80% of them. It spends £7,591 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,499.
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 | £4,422 | £4,279 | £4,071–£4,485 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £699 | £788 | £563–£998 |
Supply staff | £49 | £114 | £34–£234 |
Admin and clerical | £645 | £413 | £352–£493 |
Premises | £333 | £387 | £318–£506 |
Energy | £66 | £122 | £105–£157 |
Learning resources & ICT | £416 | £475 | £403–£648 |
Bought-in services | £19 | £116 | £85–£175 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Julie's Catholic High School Heading for deficit
- Thirsk School & Sixth Form College Tight
- Westfield Academy Large reserves
- Eggbuckland Community College Large reserves
- Noadswood School Large reserves
- Epsom and Ewell High School Large reserves
- Malton School Tight
- Kineton High School In deficit
- The Elton High School Tight
- Sir Graham Balfour High School Large reserves
- Reepham High School and College In deficit
- Haygrove School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £7.8m | £7,625 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £160k | £156 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £294k | £286 |
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 admin and clerical is £645 a pupil, against a typical £413 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 Purbeck School · All Dorset school finances