Thornton Heath Nursery School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £452k in reserve, 44% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Croydon · 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 | £668k | £590k | +£78k | £127k | 98 |
2019-20 | £536k | £605k | -£68k | £59k | 96 |
2020-21 | £595k | £581k | +£14k | £73k | 91 |
2021-22 | £668k | £620k | +£48k | £121k | 68 |
2022-23 | £596k | £636k | -£40k | £81k | 72 |
2023-24 | £834k | £737k | +£97k | £178k | 72 |
2024-25 | £957k | £821k | +£136k | £314k | 70 |
2025-26 | £1.0m | £896k | +£138k | £452k | 70 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 nursery 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 93% of them. It spends £12,899 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £16,278.
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 | £949 | £3,630 | £2,826–£5,372 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £7,054 | £6,429 | £4,658–£7,409 |
Supply staff | £0 | £37 | £0–£390 |
Admin and clerical | £710 | £1,064 | £771–£1,425 |
Premises | £678 | £841 | £552–£1,292 |
Energy | £216 | £176 | £131–£249 |
Learning resources & ICT | £337 | £350 | £193–£463 |
Bought-in services | £375 | £764 | £287–£1,211 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Maples Nursery School and Children's Centre In deficit
- Spencer Nursery School Large reserves
- Windham Nursery School In deficit
- Purley Nursery School Large reserves
- Moss Hall Nursery School In deficit
- Oliver Thomas Nursery School Large reserves
- Curzon Nursery School & Family Wellbeing Centre Large reserves
- Edith Kerrison Nursery School Large reserves
- Ronald Openshaw Nursery School Large reserves
- Church Hill Nursery School Large reserves
- South Acton Childrens Centre Heading for deficit
- Tunstall Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £15,255 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £126k | £1,811 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £49k | £711 |
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 29% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
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 Thornton Heath Nursery School · All Croydon school finances