William Harding School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 2 years running; at that rate its £337k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Buckinghamshire · 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 | £3.6m | £3.6m | -£22k | £108k | 690 |
2019-20 | £3.9m | £4.0m | -£113k | -£4k | 752 |
2020-21 | £4.1m | £3.8m | +£225k | £221k | 770 |
2021-22 | £4.6m | £4.2m | +£399k | £620k | 772 |
2022-23 | £4.8m | £4.4m | +£349k | £969k | 821 |
2023-24 | £5.3m | £5.2m | +£114k | £1.1m | 814 |
2024-25 | £5.5m | £6.0m | -£533k | £550k | 808 |
2025-26 | £5.7m | £6.0m | -£213k | £337k | 798 |
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 23% of them. It spends £7,466 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £5,978.
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 | £3,150 | £2,900 | £2,549–£3,032 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,994 | £1,357 | £1,194–£1,684 |
Supply staff | £139 | £90 | £38–£174 |
Admin and clerical | £301 | £284 | £204–£345 |
Premises | £227 | £294 | £233–£370 |
Energy | £66 | £76 | £63–£109 |
Learning resources & ICT | £352 | £232 | £200–£287 |
Bought-in services | £78 | £125 | £72–£173 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Marish Primary School Large reserves
- St John's Catholic Primary School, Gravesend Large reserves
- Kestrel Mead Primary Academy Large reserves
- Wyken Croft Primary School Large reserves
- Endeavour Primary School Large reserves
- Oxley Park Academy Large reserves
- Belmont Castle Academy Large reserves
- James Elliman Academy Large reserves
- Beechwood Primary School Healthy
- River Bank Primary School Large reserves
- Riverbridge Primary School Large reserves
- Hampton Vale Primary Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £5.4m | £6,720 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £340k | £425 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £207k | £259 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £382k | £479 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £352 a pupil, against a typical £232 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,994 a pupil, against a typical £1,357 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 William Harding School · All Buckinghamshire school finances