School Funding and Expenditure

School funding is a complex area, but understanding per-pupil expenditure can give parents an indication of the resources available to support their child's education. The data presented here is sourced from the Department for Education's Schools Financial Benchmarking tool.

Per-Pupil Expenditure

For the 2024-25 financial year, the total per-pupil expenditure at Oak Academy was £7,443. This figure represents the total amount of money the school spends divided by the number of pupils on roll.

To understand if this is high or low, we must compare it to local averages. The average per-pupil expenditure across all BCP secondary schools is £7,275.27, and £7,381.56 when looking exclusively at non-selective schools. At £7,443, Oak Academy's expenditure is above the BCP average. Across the 22 local schools compared, spending ranges from £6,090 to £9,307.

Teaching Staff Costs

A significant portion of any school's budget goes towards staffing. The data shows that the teaching staff cost per pupil at Oak Academy was £5,127 for the same period. This indicates the level of investment in classroom teaching, though it does not distinguish between the number of teachers and their level of experience or salary scale.

It is worth noting that funding levels are influenced by several factors, including the proportion of students eligible for Pupil Premium (which at this school is 48.1%), Special Educational Needs (SEN) funding, and whether the school shares facilities or administrative costs within the AUTHENTIC EDUCATION GROUP LIMITED. For a deeper dive into these finances, you can visit the DfE Financial Benchmarking tool.