PUPILS at Brentwood's newest secondary school are having about £3,000 extra spent on them compared to other students across the borough.
New figures have revealed the true cost of educating children at Becket Keys, which has been open since September.
Figures from the Department for Education show that Becket Keys is set to receive £977,826 this school year to educate 123 pupils in their first year.
It means that Becket Keys is receiving funding of £7,949.80 per pupil.
As a free school, the Sawyers Hall Lane school's core funding comes from central Government, which also funds three other academies in Brentwood.
St Martin's, Brentwood's largest secondary school, will receive around £6.8 million for its 1,360 pupils in years 7 to 11. That works out at almost £5,000 per pupil.
Anglo European School in Ingatestone will receive around £5,030 for its 1,050 pupils.
Mike O'Sullivan, head teacher at St Martin's School, in Hanging Hill Lane, Hutton, said: "After a few years the start-up costs will reduce and the per pupil funding will fall into line with other schools in Brentwood."
This 'start up' funding contributes to the costs of employing key staff and purchasing school resources.
However there are those who worry that the school was partially replicating money that was being used anyway at the now-closed Sawyers Hall College.
In addition, money was not being spent on existing schools, but also being funnelled away from Brentwood towards the Russell Education Trust, which helped set up Becket Keys.
Becket Keys head teacher Andy Scott-Evans said: "This additional funding has always been available from the Department for Education, to set up new primary and secondary schools.
"The funding spent on new schools has no impact on the funding of neighbouring schools."