Caversham Nursery School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £418k, 53% 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). Reading · 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 | £823k | £792k | +£31k | -£56k | 40 |
2019-20 | £884k | £847k | +£37k | -£20k | 36 |
2020-21 | £773k | £946k | -£173k | -£193k | 38 |
2021-22 | £975k | £1000k | -£25k | -£217k | 44 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£38k | -£255k | 30 |
2023-24 | £954k | £1.0m | -£78k | -£333k | 38 |
2024-25 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£14k | -£319k | 43 |
2025-26 | £788k | £887k | -£100k | -£418k | 57 |
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 3% of them. It spends £15,567 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £15,267.
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 | £2,654 | £3,532 | £2,766–£4,248 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,803 | £5,035 | £3,942–£6,662 |
Supply staff | £34 | £211 | £28–£822 |
Admin and clerical | £1,537 | £957 | £582–£1,270 |
Premises | £517 | £862 | £561–£1,061 |
Energy | £166 | £180 | £145–£274 |
Learning resources & ICT | £208 | £304 | £211–£498 |
Bought-in services | £443 | £813 | £348–£1,829 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Edith Cadbury Nursery School Large reserves
- Broomhall Nursery School Large reserves
- Garretts Green Nursery School Large reserves
- Kings Norton Nursery School Large reserves
- Jakeman Nursery School Large reserves
- Muriel Green Nursery School Large reserves
- Newtown Nursery School In deficit
- New Bridge Nursery School Healthy
- Bloomsbury Nursery School Large reserves
- Highters Heath Nursery School Large reserves
- Ripley Nursery School Large reserves
- Grace Owen Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £511k | £8,972 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £12k | £209 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £276k | £4,848 |
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 admin and clerical is £1,537 a pupil, against a typical £957 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 Caversham Nursery School · All Reading school finances