Arts and Media School Islington: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.3m in reserve, 17% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Islington · Secondary · Foundation 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 | £6.1m | £5.8m | +£246k | -£215k | 647 |
2019-20 | £6.2m | £6.0m | +£225k | £10k | 638 |
2020-21 | £6.1m | £5.9m | +£231k | £231k | 649 |
2021-22 | £6.5m | £5.9m | +£542k | £773k | 656 |
2022-23 | £6.8m | £6.7m | +£167k | £940k | 672 |
2023-24 | £7.4m | £7.1m | +£356k | £1.3m | 633 |
2024-25 | £7.4m | £7.6m | -£158k | £1.1m | 595 |
2025-26 | £7.6m | £7.4m | +£152k | £1.3m | 577 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 secondary schools in London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 73% of them. It spends £12,824 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £11,578.
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 | £6,632 | £6,210 | £5,767–£6,642 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,741 | £963 | £804–£1,223 |
Supply staff | £240 | £334 | £96–£500 |
Admin and clerical | £1,145 | £873 | £684–£1,031 |
Premises | £74 | £701 | £566–£965 |
Energy | £0 | £225 | £171–£317 |
Learning resources & ICT | £518 | £525 | £413–£771 |
Bought-in services | £216 | £284 | £150–£352 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Meridian High School Large reserves
- Ark All Saints Academy Large reserves
- City of London Academy, Highgate Hill Large reserves
- Rokeby School Large reserves
- Oasis Academy South Bank Large reserves
- Eastlea Community School Large reserves
- The Urswick School - A Church of England Secondary School In deficit
- Maria Fidelis Catholic School FCJ Heading for deficit
- Oasis Academy Enfield Large reserves
- Waterside Academy Large reserves
- Ark Putney Academy In deficit
- St Aloysius' College Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £7.4m | £12,839 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £252k | £437 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £426k | £738 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £143k | £248 |
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 11% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,741 a pupil, against a typical £963 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £1,145 a pupil, against a typical £873 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.
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