Bacup Nursery School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £50k in reserve, 8% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Lancashire · 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 | £464k | £447k | +£17k | £61k | 66 |
2019-20 | £507k | £517k | -£10k | £50k | 67 |
2020-21 | £496k | £499k | -£3k | £47k | 66 |
2021-22 | £559k | £495k | +£63k | £111k | 70 |
2022-23 | £495k | £537k | -£42k | £69k | 49 |
2023-24 | £521k | £511k | +£9k | £78k | 56 |
2024-25 | £658k | £666k | -£7k | £70k | 54 |
2025-26 | £616k | £636k | -£20k | £50k | 52 |
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 37% of them. It spends £12,357 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £12,577.
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 | £3,905 | £3,367 | £2,625–£3,867 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £4,759 | £4,950 | £3,066–£6,221 |
Supply staff | £99 | £127 | £37–£346 |
Admin and clerical | £755 | £855 | £588–£1,103 |
Premises | £1,071 | £760 | £465–£987 |
Energy | £295 | £173 | £132–£246 |
Learning resources & ICT | £480 | £279 | £186–£432 |
Bought-in services | £384 | £352 | £170–£613 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Beechdale Nursery School Large reserves
- The Kingsdown Nursery School, Lincoln Healthy
- Wheatley Nursery School Large reserves
- Maidenhead Nursery School Large reserves
- Earlham Nursery School Tight
- Plym Bridge Nursery School and Day Care Tight
- Bordesley Green East Nursery School In deficit
- Parkview Nursery School Large reserves
- McMillan Nursery School Healthy
- Scartho Nursery School Large reserves
- Beverley Manor Nursery School Large reserves
- Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £556k | £10,799 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £4k | £73 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £60k | £1,171 |
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 23% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £480 a pupil, against a typical £279 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £295 a pupil, against a typical £173 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 Bacup Nursery School · All Lancashire school finances