Financial benchmarking: how-to guide

See how you can identify schools similar to yours and make comparisons using the financial benchmarking tool from the DfE. Get to grips with both the benefits and limitations of benchmarking.

Updated
on 28 May 2026
See updates
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 3315
Contents
  1. Make benchmarking an annual exercise
  2. How to use the DfE's benchmarking tool
  3. Use benchmarking to drive school improvement
  4. Cover benchmarking in your financial management handbook

Make benchmarking an annual exercise

Use the DfE's financial benchmarking and insights tool to help you compare your school's spending with similar schools to:

  • Identify opportunities for improvement
  • Make sure you're achieving value for money

Benchmarking should be completed annually (usually by your school business manager (SBM)) and the findings reported to your governing board. It can also be useful to carry out when your school is reviewing contracts for goods and services to help assess performance and value for money.

How to use the DfE's benchmarking tool

To begin, select 'start now' and search for your school. If you’re part of a multi-academy trust (MAT), you can also view spending at schools across your trust and benchmark spending against other trusts.

To compare your spending data