Ethelred Nursery School and Children's Centre: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £271k, 25% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 5 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Lambeth · Nursery · Local authority nursery school.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £1.3m | £1.1m | +£184k | £227k | 54 |
2019-20 | £907k | £1.0m | -£120k | £106k | 70 |
2020-21 | £883k | £760k | +£123k | £229k | 74 |
2021-22 | £843k | £878k | -£35k | £194k | 54 |
2022-23 | £761k | £948k | -£187k | £22k | 55 |
2023-24 | £923k | £1.0m | -£108k | -£86k | 56 |
2024-25 | £1.0m | £1.1m | -£87k | -£173k | 59 |
2025-26 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£97k | -£271k | 53 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 nursery schools in London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 13% of them. It spends £22,578 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £18,920.
This school Middle half of similar schools Similar schools’ median
Show the comparison as a table
| Spending per pupil | This school | Similar schools (median) | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
Teachers | £2,719 | £4,652 | £3,506–£6,173 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £10,430 | £6,582 | £5,065–£8,143 |
Supply staff | £214 | £95 | £0–£253 |
Admin and clerical | £1,919 | £1,347 | £921–£1,735 |
Premises | £1,728 | £1,299 | £870–£1,784 |
Energy | £296 | £210 | £141–£295 |
Learning resources & ICT | £400 | £334 | £247–£401 |
Bought-in services | £2,410 | £890 | £465–£1,641 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Grove Nursery School Large reserves
- Somerset Nursery School and Children's Centre Large reserves
- Mary Paterson Nursery School Healthy
- Maytree Nursery School In deficit
- Vanessa Nursery School Large reserves
- Margaret McMillan Nursery School Large reserves
- Kintore Way Nursery School In deficit
- Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre Tight
- Nell Gwynn Nursery School Tight
- Holmewood Nursery School Large reserves
- Dulwich Wood Nursery School Large reserves
- Clyde Nursery School. In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.0m | £19,330 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £31k | £580 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £75k | £1,412 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Spending on bought-in services is £2,410 a pupil, against a typical £890 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £10,430 a pupil, against a typical £6,582 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £1,919 a pupil, against a typical £1,347 for similar schools. What's behind that?
Check these figures
Every figure here comes from the school's published return to the DfE. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the status is worked out.
Admissions, Ofsted and results for Ethelred Nursery School and Children's Centre · All Lambeth school finances