Bearwood Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £151k in reserve, 9% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Wokingham · 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 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£32k | £41k | 287 |
2019-20 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£3k | £38k | 286 |
2020-21 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£14k | £52k | 281 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£32k | £19k | 300 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£50k | £69k | 294 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£49k | £118k | 285 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£10k | £128k | 260 |
2025-26 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£23k | £151k | 218 |
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 60% of them. It spends £7,442 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,716.
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 | £3,196 | £3,020 | £2,863–£3,276 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,073 | £1,343 | £1,102–£1,609 |
Supply staff | £722 | £115 | £40–£186 |
Admin and clerical | £550 | £326 | £261–£371 |
Premises | £547 | £337 | £247–£452 |
Energy | £85 | £104 | £87–£124 |
Learning resources & ICT | £434 | £318 | £234–£455 |
Bought-in services | £60 | £205 | £79–£287 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Sidwell's Church of England Primary School & Nursery Healthy
- All Saints CofE Junior School Large reserves
- Beechcroft Infant School Heading for deficit
- Saint Lawrence Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Chorley St James' Church of England Primary School Healthy
- St Peter's Church of England Primary School (Market Bosworth) In deficit
- The Sacred Heart Primary Catholic Voluntary Academy Healthy
- South Green Junior School Healthy
- Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School Large reserves
- St Georges Church School In deficit
- Watlington Primary School Large reserves
- High Wych Church of England Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.6m | £7,389 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £25k | £113 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £70k | £318 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £34k | £158 |
Money raised by parents
BEARWOOD PTA (charity 1182671, Registered) raised £6k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £6k | £742 |
2024-08 | £5k | £3k |
2023-08 | £5k | £327 |
2022-08 | £7k | £8k |
2021-08 | £3k | £548 |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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 24% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £722 a pupil, against a typical £115 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £550 a pupil, against a typical £326 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £547 a pupil, against a typical £337 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 Bearwood Primary School · All Wokingham school finances