Frank Wise School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £172k in reserve, 4% of a year's income. It has spent more than it received for 4 years, so watch the trend.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Oxfordshire · Not applicable · Community special 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 | £2.4m | £2.4m | +£53k | £104k | 116 |
2019-20 | £2.5m | £2.5m | +£30k | £135k | 113 |
2020-21 | £2.8m | £2.6m | +£198k | £332k | 116 |
2021-22 | £2.8m | £2.8m | +£44k | £376k | 119 |
2022-23 | £3.0m | £3.1m | -£39k | £337k | 120 |
2023-24 | £3.3m | £3.3m | -£62k | £275k | 118 |
2024-25 | £3.6m | £3.7m | -£30k | £245k | 120 |
2025-26 | £3.9m | £4.0m | -£73k | £172k | 119 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special 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 20% of them. It spends £33,223 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £31,485.
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 | £13,266 | £9,698 | £8,760–£10,953 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £13,072 | £12,221 | £10,103–£14,706 |
Supply staff | £312 | £221 | £88–£525 |
Admin and clerical | £1,174 | £1,359 | £1,035–£1,791 |
Premises | £1,779 | £1,489 | £1,307–£2,638 |
Energy | £529 | £390 | £304–£482 |
Learning resources & ICT | £822 | £785 | £498–£1,057 |
Bought-in services | £388 | £596 | £197–£1,527 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Hillside Specialist School and College Tight
- Castle EAST School Healthy
- Watling View School Healthy
- Brimble Hill Special School Large reserves
- Kirkham Pear Tree School Healthy
- Woolgrove School, Special Needs Academy Large reserves
- Churchward School Tight
- Castle Hill School Large reserves
- Mill Water School Large reserves
- Woodfield School In deficit
- Hob Moor Oaks Academy Tight
- Saxon Hill Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.6m | £30,056 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £1.7m | £14,703 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £54k | £454 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £308k | £2,589 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF FRANK WISE SCHOOL, BANBURY (charity 800362, Registered) raised £32k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-03 | £32k | £126k |
2024-03 | £32k | £11k |
2023-03 | £26k | £34k |
2022-03 | £19k | £8k |
2021-03 | £30k | £25k |
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.
- Spending on teachers is £13,266 a pupil, against a typical £9,698 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Frank Wise School · All Oxfordshire school finances