St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Sunderland · Secondary · Academy converter
Tight
Holds £328k £207 per pupil in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Healthy reserve between 3% and 5% of a year's income
- 2019-20 Healthy same as the year before
- 2020-21 Large reserves reserve 5% or more of a year's income
- 2021-22 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2022-23 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2023-24 Healthy reserve between 3% and 5% of a year's income
- 2024-25 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £11.3m £7,103 per pupil and spending £11.8m £7,434 per pupil. Spending was £525k £331 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. CFR years run April to March and AAR years September to August.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,588.0 | £12.2m £7,712 per pupil | £11.8m £7,434 per pupil | +£441k +£278 per pupil | £364k £229 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 1,621.0 | £11.4m £7,038 per pupil | £11.3m £6,955 per pupil | +£135k +£83 per pupil | £460k £284 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 1,642.0 | £10.5m £6,384 per pupil | £10.2m £6,234 per pupil | +£247k +£150 per pupil | £807k £491 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 1,646.0 | £9.8m £5,940 per pupil | £9.0m £5,451 per pupil | +£805k +£489 per pupil | £1.1m £668 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 1,636.0 | £9.1m £5,592 per pupil | £8.6m £5,267 per pupil | +£532k +£325 per pupil | £725k £443 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 1,598.0 | £8.6m £5,377 per pupil | £8.4m £5,260 per pupil | +£187k +£117 per pupil | £429k £268 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 1,577.0 | £8.5m £5,381 per pupil | £8.2m £5,205 per pupil | +£278k +£176 per pupil | £274k £174 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £12.2m £7,712 per pupil | +43% +11% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £11.3m £7,103 per pupil | +42% +11% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £185k £116 per pupil | +287% +198% real | £178 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £749k £472 per pupil | +22% -5% real | £252 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £0 £0 per pupil recorded | -100% -100% real | £7 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £78k £49 per pupil | -53% -64% real | £97 | |
| Catering income | £536k £338 per pupil | +43% +11% real | £3 | |
| Other DfE grants | £56k £35 per pupil | +1067% +1100% real | £17 | |
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)
Academy accounts don't report pupil premium as a separate line, so it is shown as not reported rather than as zero.
Where it goes
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £11.8m £7,434 per pupil | +43% +11% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £7.3m £4,619 per pupil | +47% +14% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £572k £360 per pupil | +134% +83% real | £95 | |
| Support staff | £645k £406 per pupil | +3% -20% real | £807 | |
| Office and admin staff | £502k £316 per pupil | +32% +2% real | £377 | |
| Premises staff | £302k £190 per pupil | +15% -10% real | £135 | |
| Catering staff | £216k £136 per pupil | +39% +9% real | £0 | |
| Other staff costs | £131k £82 per pupil | -17% -35% real | £95 | |
| All staff costs | £9.3m £5,829 per pupil | +44% +12% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £423k £266 per pupil | +6% -17% real | £380 | |
| Energy | £225k £142 per pupil | +95% +52% real | £143 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £1.0m £651 per pupil | +61% +25% real | £464 | |
| Catering | £678k £427 per pupil | +83% +43% real | £96 | |
| Learning resources | £466k £293 per pupil | -6% -27% real | £470 | |
| Supplies and services | £1.1m £687 per pupil | +42% +11% real | £676 | |
| Bought-in services | £35k £22 per pupil | -84% -88% real | £69 |
Staff costs were 78% of this school's spending in 2024-25. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
In 2025-26 prices, this school spent £12.0m £7,577 per pupil in 2024-25. Across England, secondary schools are expected to spend about £7,800 per pupil in 2025–26, including sixth forms. (IFS, p. 7)
Academy figures exclude the trust's central spending on its schools, so they can look lower than a council-run school's. See the trust's central spending below.
Pupils by year
- 2018-19 1,577.0
- 2019-20 1,598.0
- 2020-21 1,636.0
- 2021-22 1,646.0
- 2022-23 1,642.0
- 2023-24 1,621.0
- 2024-25 1,588.0
Pupil numbers fell from 1,577.0 to 1,588.0 (1% 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)
Income that passed straight through
In 2024-25, this school's income rose by +£837k +£527 per pupil on the year before, and its staff costs by +£713k +£449 per pupil. Much of the extra money may have gone straight out again on higher pay, pension and National Insurance costs.
About £2.3 billion of the rise in school funding since 2019–20 was grants to cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, not extra spending power. (IFS, p. 50)
Trust central spending
What BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2019-20 £77
- 2020-21 £218
- 2021-22 £287
- 2022-23 £453
- 2023-24 £521
- 2024-25 £586
These are cash figures. The IFS average below is in 2025-26 prices.
On average, academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24, money that is not counted in their individual schools' own spending. (IFS, p. 56)
Money raised by parents
No registered parents' association found for St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington. 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
- 16% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 31%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 46% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 87% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 3% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 1 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 2024-25, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £7.9m £4,979 per pupil
- Support staff £645k £406 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £423k £266 per pupil
- Energy £225k £142 per pupil
- Learning resources £466k £293 per pupil
- Everything else £2.1m £1,347 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)
- Secondary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by about 100,000 (4%) by 2030–31, starting from about 2026–27. (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)
- 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)
- School sixth forms get about £6,400 per student in 2025–26, compared with about £8,000 in further education colleges. (IFS, p. 69)
- Funding per student in school sixth forms is around 20% lower in real terms than in 2010–11. (IFS, p. 11)
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTFA committees.
- With £328k £207 per pupil in reserve, what would happen if costs rose faster than expected next year? Why ask: Pay awards are set each year by the government after independent advice; the IFS says the picture is tight for schools if they follow forecast earnings growth. (IFS, p. 63)
- How many pupils does St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington 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 much of St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington's funding does BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST keep centrally each year, and what does the school get for it? Why ask: Academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24 on average. (IFS, p. 56)
- How much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
- Which costs does St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington expect to rise most next year?
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- Does the school's reserve figure include its share of the trust's central reserves?
- How does St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington'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.
- Plantsbrook School
- The Appleton School
- The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College
- Ashlawn School
- Beckfoot School
Admissions and catchments for St Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Washington on Schools in Reach · All Sunderland school finances · Schools in Washington and Gateshead South · BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST
- 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)