Chapel Street Nursery School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £259k in reserve, 21% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Luton · 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 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£260 | £184k | 180 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£47k | £232k | 207 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £1.0m | +£17k | £248k | 156 |
2021-22 | £992k | £1.1m | -£90k | £159k | 157 |
2022-23 | £989k | £1.1m | -£108k | £51k | 74 |
2023-24 | £1.0m | £974k | +£69k | £119k | 81 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£112k | £232k | 90 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£27k | £259k | 90 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 nursery 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 63% of them. It spends £13,470 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £13,951.
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 | £2,537 | £3,001 | £2,459–£3,551 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £6,548 | £5,457 | £3,306–£6,739 |
Supply staff | £79 | £80 | £0–£384 |
Admin and clerical | £1,432 | £894 | £719–£1,071 |
Premises | £1,312 | £942 | £512–£1,519 |
Energy | £208 | £144 | £108–£181 |
Learning resources & ICT | £349 | £313 | £206–£506 |
Bought-in services | £101 | £328 | £216–£1,187 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Castle Vale Nursery School Heading for deficit
- Allens Croft Nursery School In deficit
- The Gill Blowers Nursery School Large reserves
- Knowle West Early Years Centre In deficit
- Shenley Fields Nursery School Healthy
- Low Hill Nursery School In deficit
- Appletree Nursery School Healthy
- Oxhey Nursery School Large reserves
- Pastures Way Nursery School Large reserves
- The Wharf Nursery School Large reserves
- Blagdon Nursery School Large reserves
- Grace Owen Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £13,154 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £11k | £127 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £56k | £618 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 50% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £1,432 a pupil, against a typical £894 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £208 a pupil, against a typical £144 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 Chapel Street Nursery School · All Luton school finances