Gillingham School: school finances
Tight
Holds £401k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Dorset · Secondary · Academy converter.
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 2025-26
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £8.9m | £8.8m | +£37k | £309k | 1,736 |
2019-20 | £9.1m | £9.1m | -£11k | £298k | 1,756 |
2020-21 | £9.9m | £9.4m | +£514k | £812k | 1,753 |
2021-22 | £10.8m | £10.9m | -£93k | £719k | 1,760 |
2022-23 | £11.4m | £11.4m | -£21k | £698k | 1,755 |
2023-24 | £12.2m | £12.3m | -£83k | £615k | 1,706 |
2024-25 | £12.9m | £13.0m | -£112k | £503k | 1,670 |
2025-26 | £13.5m | £13.6m | -£102k | £401k | 1,684 |
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 23% of them. It spends £8,098 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,279.
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 | £4,668 | £4,262 | £4,063–£4,385 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £879 | £812 | £651–£917 |
Supply staff | £50 | £95 | £53–£150 |
Admin and clerical | £417 | £428 | £314–£520 |
Premises | £445 | £376 | £293–£410 |
Energy | £102 | £137 | £111–£159 |
Learning resources & ICT | £673 | £475 | £402–£561 |
Bought-in services | £305 | £64 | £37–£122 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Twynham School Large reserves
- Cardinal Newman Catholic School A Specialist Science College Healthy
- Wymondham High Academy Healthy
- Alderbrook School Large reserves
- Ringwood School Academy Large reserves
- Southam College Large reserves
- The Billericay School Large reserves
- Waltham Toll Bar Academy Large reserves
- King Alfred's Tight
- Arthur Mellows Village College Large reserves
- Little Heath School Large reserves
- Lytchett Minster School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £12.7m | £7,521 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £428k | £254 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £526k | £312 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £869k | £516 |
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 £305 a pupil, against a typical £64 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £673 a pupil, against a typical £475 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.
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