Varndean School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £741k in reserve, 6% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Brighton and Hove · Secondary · 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 | £8.0m | £7.9m | +£170k | £144k | 1,352 |
2019-20 | £8.5m | £8.1m | +£327k | £472k | 1,390 |
2020-21 | £8.7m | £8.0m | +£714k | £1.2m | 1,419 |
2021-22 | £9.4m | £9.1m | +£253k | £1.4m | 1,466 |
2022-23 | £10.5m | £10.6m | -£95k | £1.3m | 1,498 |
2023-24 | £11.2m | £11.7m | -£531k | £813k | 1,493 |
2024-25 | £12.2m | £12.4m | -£151k | £662k | 1,497 |
2025-26 | £13.0m | £12.9m | +£79k | £741k | 1,497 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 secondary 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 33% of them. It spends £8,636 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,210.
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 | £4,408 | £4,214 | £3,938–£4,555 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £658 | £689 | £480–£985 |
Supply staff | £103 | £92 | £38–£141 |
Admin and clerical | £860 | £349 | £266–£453 |
Premises | £607 | £398 | £320–£503 |
Energy | £128 | £135 | £112–£162 |
Learning resources & ICT | £902 | £487 | £353–£580 |
Bought-in services | £72 | £83 | £47–£167 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Barr Beacon School Large reserves
- Tuxford Academy Tight
- The Streetly Academy Large reserves
- St Wilfrid's Catholic High School & Sixth Form College: A Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- St Clere's School Large reserves
- Watling Academy Large reserves
- Fairfax Large reserves
- Aston Academy Tight
- King Ecgbert School Healthy
- Sir John Leman High School Healthy
- Caludon Castle School Large reserves
- The Howard School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £11.9m | £7,933 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £530k | £354 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £436k | £291 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £1.1m | £755 |
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 admin and clerical is £860 a pupil, against a typical £349 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £902 a pupil, against a typical £487 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £607 a pupil, against a typical £398 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 Varndean School · All Brighton and Hove school finances