The Willows Primary School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £102k in reserve, 4% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). West Berkshire · Primary · 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 | £2.1m | £1.8m | +£261k | £49k | 402 |
2019-20 | £2.1m | £1.9m | +£128k | £178k | 414 |
2020-21 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£32k | £146k | 392 |
2021-22 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£109k | £255k | 391 |
2022-23 | £2.2m | £2.3m | -£107k | £148k | 395 |
2023-24 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£88k | £60k | 388 |
2024-25 | £2.6m | £2.6m | -£22k | £38k | 374 |
2025-26 | £2.7m | £2.6m | +£64k | £102k | 331 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary 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 50% of them. It spends £7,993 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,495.
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 | £3,529 | £3,189 | £2,808–£3,531 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,032 | £1,337 | £945–£1,544 |
Supply staff | £26 | £120 | £13–£212 |
Admin and clerical | £274 | £244 | £201–£308 |
Premises | £381 | £299 | £245–£394 |
Energy | £163 | £91 | £65–£113 |
Learning resources & ICT | £353 | £255 | £217–£305 |
Bought-in services | £180 | £95 | £52–£232 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Charles Darwin Community Primary School Tight
- St George's Catholic Voluntary Academy In deficit
- Bassingbourn Primary School Healthy
- Oakhill Primary Academy Healthy
- Coleshill Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Peafield Lane Academy In deficit
- Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School In deficit
- St John's Church of England Primary School Tight
- Swinton Queen Primary School Large reserves
- St Augustine's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Enderby Danemill Primary School Large reserves
- Corpus Christi RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.6m | £7,808 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £60k | £180 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £145k | £438 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £125k | £378 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Pupil numbers have fallen 18% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £163 a pupil, against a typical £91 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,032 a pupil, against a typical £1,337 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £353 a pupil, against a typical £255 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 The Willows Primary School · All West Berkshire school finances