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Financial benchmarking: how-to guide
See how you can identify schools similar to yours and make comparisons using the financial benchmarking service from the DfE. You'll also understand the benefits and limitations of benchmarking, and see examples of how other schools use it.
Contents
How to use the DfE's benchmarking service
The DfE's schools financial benchmarking service allows you to find schools like yours and compare your:
- Spending
- Staffing structures
- Performance
Find your school's page and click 'Start a comparison', then 'Benchmark comparison', then choose from these options:
- Quick comparison using pre-selected characteristics
- Detailed comparison using characteristics you choose
- Manual comparison using schools you can search for by name or location
You'll be able to compare across 4 main areas:
- Expenditure
- Income
- Balance
- Workforce
Within these areas there are charts covering more specific aspects. For example, you can see charts focusing on expenditure in areas such as:
- Staff
- Premises
- Supplies and services
The data currently on the financial benchmarking service is based on 2019-20 data.
Get the most out of the benchmarking exercise
Use benchmarking to help you plan effectively
Staff Premises (such as building maintenance) Occupation (such as energy and water) Supplies and services (such as stationery, books
- Academy Trust Handbook: changes from September 2021
- Allocating departmental budgets
- Benchmarking data: questions to generate discussion and analysis
- Benchmarking staff salaries
- Budget planning: how to and templates
- Calculating the cost of lessons and courses
- Consistent financial reporting (CFR)
- Financial procedures manuals: examples
- Financial transparency: requirements for maintained schools
- How 3 schools achieved efficiency in their staffing budgets
- How to calculate the cost of your whole-school SEN provision
- Integrated curriculum and financial planning (ICFP): checklist and guidance
- Paying for refreshments out of the school budget
- Presenting your budget to governors: templates
- Request form for curriculum funds: template and guidance
- School budget: expenditure on staffing
- School budget monitoring: questions to discuss
- Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS): summary
- Teachers' pension grant: what you need to know
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