River Academy: school finances
Healthy
Holds £88k in reserve, 4% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Reading · Secondary · Free schools.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: MAIDEN ERLEGH 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, 2024-25
Income and spending, 2024-25
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£27k | £88k | 186 |
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 60% of them. It spends £11,226 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,208.
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 | £5,608 | £4,790 | £4,222–£5,821 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £887 | £1,024 | £763–£1,426 |
Supply staff | £54 | £177 | £58–£398 |
Admin and clerical | £478 | £527 | £395–£724 |
Premises | £1,344 | £434 | £247–£646 |
Energy | £780 | £199 | £133–£331 |
Learning resources & ICT | £790 | £497 | £298–£729 |
Bought-in services | £11 | £165 | £75–£294 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- XP Gateshead Tight
- UTC Swindon In deficit
- Solway Community School In deficit
- South Devon UTC In deficit
- Scott Medical and Healthcare College Large reserves
- Monkseaton Coastal School In deficit
- Chester International School Large reserves
- Bilbrook CofE (VC) Middle School Large reserves
- St Mark's CofE School Large reserves
- Atlantic Academy Large reserves
- XP School Large reserves
- Leek High School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.0m | £10,516 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £83k | £446 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £159k | £855 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on energy is £780 a pupil, against a typical £199 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £1,344 a pupil, against a typical £434 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 River Academy · All Reading school finances