Thomas More Catholic School: school finances
Tight
Holds £2k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Croydon · Secondary · Voluntary aided 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 | £5.4m | £5.4m | -£1 | £0 | 754 |
2019-20 | £5.2m | £5.3m | -£102k | -£102k | 744 |
2020-21 | £5.1m | £5.5m | -£318k | -£420k | 679 |
2021-22 | £5.2m | £5.4m | -£126k | -£546k | 705 |
2022-23 | £5.6m | £5.4m | +£237k | -£309k | 652 |
2023-24 | £5.9m | £5.8m | +£107k | -£202k | 627 |
2024-25 | £6.0m | £6.1m | -£73k | -£276k | 631 |
2025-26 | £6.7m | £6.4m | +£278k | £2k | 599 |
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 £10,732 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,231.
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 | £5,445 | £5,785 | £5,113–£6,242 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £839 | £1,043 | £660–£1,331 |
Supply staff | £5 | £255 | £39–£431 |
Admin and clerical | £1,151 | £739 | £571–£901 |
Premises | £1,029 | £546 | £455–£790 |
Energy | £330 | £199 | £161–£266 |
Learning resources & ICT | £394 | £520 | £426–£734 |
Bought-in services | £268 | £214 | £90–£526 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Lammas School In deficit
- Ark Greenwich Free School Large reserves
- Newman Catholic College In deficit
- Laurel Park School In deficit
- La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School In deficit
- AIM Academy North London Large reserves
- Connaught School for Girls Tight
- London Nautical, City of London Academy Tight
- South Chingford Foundation School Large reserves
- Bishop Stopford's School In deficit
- Orchard Park High School Large reserves
- Fulham Cross Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.3m | £10,451 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £139k | £232 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £291k | £486 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £450k | £751 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 21% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on premises is £1,029 a pupil, against a typical £546 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £330 a pupil, against a typical £199 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £1,151 a pupil, against a typical £739 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 Thomas More Catholic School · All Croydon school finances