Funding & Expenditure
School funding is a complex area, but one of the most accessible ways for parents to understand how a school is resourced is by looking at its per-pupil expenditure. This figure represents the total amount of money the school spends annually, divided by the number of students on its roll. It provides a baseline for comparing how well-resourced a school might be compared to others in the local area, though it is important to remember that different schools have different needs and contexts.
For the 2024-25 financial year, Livingstone Academy Bournemouth had a per-pupil expenditure of £6090. When we look at how this compares across the region, the average per-pupil expenditure for all secondary schools in the BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole) area is £7275.27. If we narrow that down to just non-selective comprehensive schools—which provides a fairer peer comparison—the BCP average is £7381.56.
This means that Livingstone Academy Bournemouth's spending is currently below the local BCP average. Across the 22 schools compared in the dataset, spending ranges from £6090 at the lowest end to £9307 at the highest.
Of that total expenditure, the school spends £4374 per pupil directly on teaching staff. This is a critical metric, as it indicates the proportion of the budget dedicated directly to the educators in the classroom.
It's important to understand what this data does and doesn't tell a parent. While higher spending can indicate smaller class sizes, better facilities, or more specialized support staff, it doesn't automatically equate to a higher quality of education. Conversely, lower spending doesn't necessarily mean a poorer experience; it could reflect a highly efficient trust structure or a newer school whose staffing costs haven't peaked.
For a deeper dive into the school's finances and how it benchmarks against similar schools nationwide, you can view the official data on the DfE Financial Benchmarking tool.