Friern Barnet School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £123k, 2% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Barnet · Secondary · Community 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 | £5.7m | £5.7m | -£35k | £140k | 783 |
2019-20 | £5.8m | £5.9m | -£70k | £70k | 787 |
2020-21 | £6.1m | £5.9m | +£177k | £247k | 748 |
2021-22 | £6.0m | £6.0m | -£73k | £174k | 726 |
2022-23 | £6.4m | £6.3m | +£59k | £233k | 726 |
2023-24 | £7.2m | £7.1m | +£158k | £390k | 721 |
2024-25 | £7.4m | £7.3m | +£13k | £404k | 641 |
2025-26 | £7.0m | £7.5m | -£527k | -£123k | 592 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 secondary 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 27% of them. It spends £12,665 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,524.
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 | £7,341 | £5,285 | £4,808–£5,804 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,852 | £823 | £588–£1,105 |
Supply staff | £320 | £255 | £61–£401 |
Admin and clerical | £909 | £650 | £551–£832 |
Premises | £430 | £546 | £436–£778 |
Energy | £208 | £212 | £147–£272 |
Learning resources & ICT | £590 | £562 | £435–£723 |
Bought-in services | £126 | £227 | £125–£526 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Connaught School for Girls Tight
- South Chingford Foundation School Large reserves
- Ark Greenwich Free School Large reserves
- Orchard Park High School Large reserves
- Laurel Park School In deficit
- Newman Catholic College In deficit
- Lammas School In deficit
- Thomas More Catholic School Tight
- St Mary's Catholic High School Large reserves
- Fulham Cross Academy Large reserves
- La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School In deficit
- Eden Girls' School, Waltham Forest Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.8m | £11,524 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £636k | £1,074 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £292k | £493 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £148k | £250 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 24% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,852 a pupil, against a typical £823 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £7,341 a pupil, against a typical £5,285 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 Friern Barnet School · All Barnet school finances