Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School and Sixth Form College has reported a successful year both financially and academically, according to its annual report for the year ending 31st August.
The school came in almost exactly on budget, with income of £9.32 million and expenditure of £9.29 million. Most of this funding came from the Department for Education and local authority grants, alongside income from facility hire and catering.
The largest share of spending went on education costs, including £5.97 million for wages and salaries.
The academy employed an average of 218 staff: 79 teachers, 129 support and administrative staff, and 10 in management roles.
Unrestricted income – money that does not have to be spent on education – totalled £562,887, with £375,285 spent, leaving a net increase of £187,602 in reserves. The report highlights progress in improving facilities. A new teaching block with 10 classrooms was fully opened during the year, allowing the school to retire its oldest mobile classrooms and bring confidential archive storage back on site. Leadership offices were relocated to enable all special needs facilities to be co-located on the ground floor, adjacent to the specialist resource provision.
The academy also completed two major electrical infrastructure projects worth around £800,000, funded through Condition Improvement Funding bids.
The report said the upgrades were essential for buildings that were around 60 years old. In addition, work began on replacing cladding on the three-storey teaching block, supported by a £444,000 grant.
The main body of this work was carried out in summer 2025.
In January 2025, Ofsted inspectors rated the school good in all areas. Their report praised the academy’s ambition for all pupils and its determination to ensure every student, including those who were disadvantaged or had special educational needs and disabilities, achieved well. Inspectors noted that pupils in key stage four and the sixth form achieved well in public examinations.
Following the inspection, the report said that the school launched a major review of its curriculum to ensure it remained broad and balanced.
The revised curriculum was to be implemented and evaluated during 2025/26.
The report said the school continued to play a central role in the community. It owns the 3G sports facility and playing fields, which are shared with the leisure trust under a joint-use agreement.
The arrangement covers community use of the pitch and the division of income. A separate agreement with Cheshire East Council governs the school’s use of internal sports facilities, including the sports hall and gym, and the sharing of utility costs.
The academy is the centre for initial teacher training in Cheshire East. In 2025, it took over management of training activities previously run by St Joseph’s College, Stoke. The centre generated £342,096 in teaching school income.
The school and sixth form college provides education for pupils aged 11 to 19, serving Holmes Chapel and surrounding areas. The January 2025 census recorded a roll of 1,323 students.
