Platanos College: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.7m in reserve, 17% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Lambeth · Secondary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: THE PLATANOS TRUST can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £8.5m | £7.4m | +£1.1m | £711k | 1,004 |
2019-20 | £9.1m | £7.9m | +£1.1m | £753k | 1,002 |
2020-21 | £9.3m | £8.6m | +£646k | £1.5m | 955 |
2021-22 | £9.5m | £8.0m | +£1.5m | £1.5m | 899 |
2022-23 | £9.5m | £9.4m | +£45k | £1.8m | 844 |
2023-24 | £9.8m | £9.9m | -£117k | £1.7m | 856 |
2024-25 | £9.7m | £9.4m | +£223k | £1.7m | 916 |
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 87% of them. It spends £10,301 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,653.
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 | £5,459 | £6,082 | £5,283–£6,481 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £0 | £886 | £661–£1,350 |
Supply staff | £346 | £140 | £27–£267 |
Admin and clerical | £788 | £659 | £550–£947 |
Premises | £791 | £584 | £478–£947 |
Energy | £492 | £182 | £133–£233 |
Learning resources & ICT | £1,180 | £581 | £433–£748 |
Bought-in services | £260 | £254 | £83–£347 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Haberdashers' Borough Academy Large reserves
- St Augustine's Federated Schools: CE High School Large reserves
- City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park Tight
- Saint John Bosco College Large reserves
- Lilian Baylis Technology School Heading for deficit
- Harris Academy Battersea Large reserves
- Langdon Park Community School Large reserves
- The Lea Valley Academy Large reserves
- William Ellis School Heading for deficit
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School Large reserves
- City of London Academy Highbury Grove In deficit
- Ark Burlington Danes Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £9.6m | £10,468 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £70k | £76 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 9% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £492 a pupil, against a typical £182 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £346 a pupil, against a typical £140 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £1,180 a pupil, against a typical £581 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 Platanos College · All Lambeth school finances