Stow Heath Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £685k in reserve, 17% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Wolverhampton · Primary · 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 | £2.8m | £2.8m | -£31k | £100k | 454 |
2019-20 | £2.9m | £2.7m | +£212k | £312k | 449 |
2020-21 | £2.9m | £2.7m | +£241k | £553k | 445 |
2021-22 | £3.0m | £3.0m | +£9k | £561k | 458 |
2022-23 | £3.3m | £3.3m | -£26k | £535k | 450 |
2023-24 | £3.7m | £3.6m | +£37k | £573k | 452 |
2024-25 | £4.0m | £3.8m | +£146k | £719k | 449 |
2025-26 | £4.1m | £4.1m | -£34k | £685k | 443 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary schools outside London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 87% of them. It spends £9,333 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,204.
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 | £3,643 | £3,194 | £2,923–£3,459 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £3,045 | £1,689 | £1,413–£2,045 |
Supply staff | £37 | £164 | £22–£390 |
Admin and clerical | £410 | £321 | £237–£407 |
Premises | £567 | £358 | £298–£456 |
Energy | £199 | £99 | £69–£129 |
Learning resources & ICT | £303 | £274 | £175–£369 |
Bought-in services | £295 | £223 | £148–£357 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Wingrove Primary School Large reserves
- Bridgewater Primary School Large reserves
- Peterhouse CofE Primary Academy Tight
- Galton Valley Primary School Large reserves
- Bardfield Academy Large reserves
- Stocksfield Avenue Primary School Large reserves
- St James CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Christ Church CofE Primary and Nursery Academy Large reserves
- Slade Primary School In deficit
- Ridgeway Primary Academy Healthy
- Cottage Grove Primary School and Nursery Healthy
- Hanley St Luke's Church of England Academy Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.9m | £8,805 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £268k | £605 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £274k | £619 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £200k | £451 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Spending on energy is £199 a pupil, against a typical £99 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £3,045 a pupil, against a typical £1,689 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £567 a pupil, against a typical £358 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 Stow Heath Primary School · All Wolverhampton school finances