Merit Hospital School and Medical Pupil Referral Unit: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Stoke-on-Trent · Not applicable · Pupil referral unit
In deficit
In deficit by £107k £4,278 per pupil, 10% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 3 years running.
Why schools go into deficit. Most of a school's money goes on people: over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. So when pay and other costs rise faster than funding, or a school loses pupils and the money that comes with each one, the budget is squeezed quickly and staffing is the only big thing left to cut. In 2024–25 and 2025–26, mainstream school funding per pupil grew by 2 percentage points less than school costs, partly because rising special needs costs took a large share of the extra money. A deficit usually comes from several of these pressures at once, not one bad decision. (IFS, pp. 62–63)
What helps. Schools in this position usually agree a recovery plan with the council, often over two or three years, and governors check progress against it each term. The questions further down are a good way to start that conversation.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2019-20 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2020-21 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2021-22 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2022-23 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2023-24 Healthy same as the year before
- 2024-25 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2025-26 In deficit same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £751k £30,049 per pupil and spending £1.1m £44,119 per pupil. Spending was £352k £14,070 per pupil more than government funding; the difference came from other income, such as lettings, catering or donations, or from the school's reserve.
Funding is the money a school receives; spending is what it pays out. The two differ when a school adds to or draws on its savings, and because some money is spent on its pupils by someone else: the council (for example special needs top-ups and transport) or, for academies, the trust's central team. (IFS, pp. 7, 10, 46, 52, 54)
Government funding is the academy accounts line "grant funding from government" in academy (AAR) years and the CFR grant funding total in council-run years. The two are not strictly comparable: CFR line I07 can include some money that is not from government.
Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).
Reserve per pupil by year
Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).
| Year | Pupils | Income | Spending | In-year balance | Reserve at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 25.0 | £1.0m £41,909 per pupil | £1.1m £44,119 per pupil | -£55k -£2,210 per pupil | -£107k -£4,278 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 31.0 | £1.0m £32,925 per pupil | £1.1m £36,203 per pupil | -£102k -£3,277 per pupil | -£52k -£1,667 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 39.0 | £1.1m £28,215 per pupil | £1.1m £28,874 per pupil | -£26k -£659 per pupil | £50k £1,275 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 34.0 | £1.0m £29,852 per pupil | £962k £28,280 per pupil | +£53k +£1,572 per pupil | £75k £2,219 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 37.0 | £813k £21,983 per pupil | £765k £20,688 per pupil | +£48k +£1,295 per pupil | £22k £594 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 30.0 | £648k £21,589 per pupil | £865k £28,836 per pupil | -£217k -£7,247 per pupil | -£26k -£865 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 44.0 | £832k £18,915 per pupil | £857k £19,481 per pupil | -£25k -£566 per pupil | £191k £4,351 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 35.0 | £798k £22,810 per pupil | £780k £22,293 per pupil | +£18k +£517 per pupil | £216k £6,182 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2025-26 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £1.0m £41,909 per pupil | +84% +40% real | £42k | |
| Government funding | £751k £30,049 per pupil | +105% +57% real | £39k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £61k £2,452 per pupil | +54% +18% real | £14k | |
| Pupil premium | £40 £2 per pupil | -99% -99% real | £21 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £296k £11,859 per pupil | +43% +9% real | £1k | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £0 £0 per pupil recorded | £0 | ||
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £296k £11,828 per pupil | +43% +9% real | £638 | |
| Catering income | £775 £31 per pupil | +675% +520% real | £0 | |
| Other DfE grants | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £0 |
Other DfE grants is a container line. It includes the grants that cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, which cannot be separated out, so no figure is shown for them on their own. Not every rise in a school's income is extra spending power. When the government raised what schools pay as employers into staff pensions and National Insurance, it gave schools grants to cover the bill. The IFS describes this as extra money to pay for extra outgoings, with no change in real resources. About £2.3 billion of the growth in school funding between 2019–20 and 2025–26 was this kind of grant. So when a school's income jumps, check whether its staff costs jumped by the same amount: the money may simply have passed through. (IFS, p. 50)
Where it goes
| Line | 2025-26 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £1.1m £44,119 per pupil | +98% +51% real | £41k | |
| Teachers | £647k £25,865 per pupil | +136% +80% real | £25k | |
| Supply staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £589 | |
| Support staff | £190k £7,620 per pupil | +92% +46% real | £4k | |
| Office and admin staff | £116k £4,637 per pupil | +136% +80% real | £2k | |
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £0 | |
| Catering staff | £14k £548 per pupil | +784% +568% real | £0 | |
| Other staff costs | £7k £274 per pupil | -29% -46% real | £566 | |
| All staff costs | £960k £38,395 per pupil | +117% +65% real | £33k | |
| Premises | £26k £1,041 per pupil | +91% +46% real | £682 | |
| Energy | £9k £364 per pupil | +178% +112% real | £129 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £51k £2,055 per pupil | +145% +87% real | £1k | |
| Catering | £21k £851 per pupil | +159% +97% real | £110 | |
| Learning resources | £27k £1,085 per pupil | +27% -3% real | £2k | |
| Supplies and services | £65k £2,611 per pupil | -18% -37% real | £3k | |
| Bought-in services | £33k £1,318 per pupil | -24% -42% real | £1k |
Staff costs were 87% of this school's spending in 2025-26. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
The IFS national spending figures are for mainstream primary and secondary schools, so no national comparison is shown here.
Pupils by year
- 2018-19 35.0
- 2019-20 44.0
- 2020-21 30.0
- 2021-22 37.0
- 2022-23 34.0
- 2023-24 39.0
- 2024-25 31.0
- 2025-26 25.0
Pupil numbers fell from 35.0 to 25.0 (29% fewer) over the years shown.
Schools are mostly funded per pupil, so fewer pupils means less money. Costs do not fall in step: a class with a few fewer pupils still needs a teacher. Primary schools in England have already lost about 100,000 pupils (3%) between 2019–20 and 2024–25, and are expected to lose over 300,000 more (about 8%) by 2030–31. Secondary numbers are expected to start falling from about 2026–27. The IFS points out that money is only saved if schools actually reduce what they spend, such as staff or the number of schools. That is why a well-run school with falling numbers can still find its budget under pressure. (IFS, pp. 19, 64)
Money raised by parents
No registered parents' association found for Merit Hospital School and Medical Pupil Referral Unit. Charities with an income of £5,000 or less a year don't have to register with the Charity Commission, so many schools have an active PTA or friends' group that isn't on the register.
Across England, the typical registered parents' association raised £50 per pupil in 2025-26.
Intake and area
- 0% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 43%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 4 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 3 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 19% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 70% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 13% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 2 of 5 nationally, combining free-school-meal eligibility and the deprivation of the school's neighbourhood (1 = least disadvantaged, 5 = most).
Context, not a judgement: schools with different intakes get different funding and face different costs.
How my school's money is split
For pupils: out of every pound the school spent in 2025-26, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £647k £25,865 per pupil
- Support staff £190k £7,620 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £26k £1,041 per pupil
- Energy £9k £364 per pupil
- Learning resources £27k £1,085 per pupil
- Everything else £204k £8,144 per pupil
National context
- In 2024–25 and 2025–26, mainstream school funding per pupil grew by 2 percentage points less than school costs nationally. (IFS, p. 62)
- Primary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by over 300,000 (about 8%) between 2024–25 and 2030–31. (IFS, p. 19)
- Council-run primary schools spend about £400 (6%) more per pupil than primary academies, and council-run secondaries about £300 (4%) more, partly because trusts spend some money centrally. (IFS, p. 56)
- Pupil premium is £1,515 a year per eligible primary pupil and £1,075 per eligible secondary pupil, over 16% lower in real terms than in 2015–16. (IFS, p. 51)
- Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year of extra support for a pupil with special needs from their own budget. (IFS, p. 46)
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTFA committees.
- What is the plan to get Merit Hospital School and Medical Pupil Referral Unit back into balance, and how many years will it take? Has the council agreed it?
- How many pupils does Merit Hospital School and Medical Pupil Referral Unit expect in each year group over the next three years? Why ask: Primary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by over 300,000 (about 8%) by 2030–31. (IFS, p. 19)
- How many pupils at Merit Hospital School and Medical Pupil Referral Unit have an EHCP or need extra support, and how is support above the first £6,000 a year funded? Why ask: Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year per pupil from their core budget. (IFS, p. 46)
- How much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
- What is driving the deficit: falling pupil numbers, staff costs, special needs support, or something else? Why ask: Over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- Does the council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
- How does Merit Hospital School and Medical Pupil Referral Unit's spending per pupil compare with similar schools, and why? Why ask: Nationally, primaries spend about £7,000 and secondaries about £7,800 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)
Check at source
Every figure here comes from the school's published return. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the figures are worked out.
Similar schools: the closest in phase, size and share of pupils on free school meals.
Admissions and catchments for Merit Hospital School and Medical Pupil Referral Unit on Schools in Reach · All Stoke-on-Trent school finances · Schools in Stoke-on-Trent Central
- DfE Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool data: CFR returns for council-run schools (April to March) and academy accounts returns (September to August), Open Government Licence v3.0
- Get Information about Schools, Open Government Licence v3.0
- National context: IFS, Annual report on education spending in England: 2025–26 (January 2026); IFS figures are in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, November 2025)
- Real-terms figures on this page: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026)