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Walkwood Church of England Middle School: school finances

Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Worcestershire · Middle deemed secondary · Academy converter

Tight

Holds £39k £59 per pupil in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.

Status by year

  1. 2018-19 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
  2. 2019-20 Large reserves reserve 5% or more of a year's income
  3. 2020-21 Large reserves same as the year before
  4. 2021-22 Large reserves same as the year before
  5. 2022-23 In deficit reserve below zero
  6. 2023-24 In deficit same as the year before
  7. 2024-25 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
Present and share

School presentation · PTFA presentation

School Wrapped: Walkwood Church of England Middle School's year in money · PTFA Wrapped

Government funding vs spending per pupil

In 2024-25, government funding was £4.2m £6,313 per pupil and spending £4.2m £6,307 per pupil. Government funding was £4k £6 per pupil more than spending.

Government funding and spending per pupil, 2018-19 to 2024-25Government funding and spending per pupil each year, 2018-19 to 2024-25. 2018-19: funding £4k, spending £5k; 2019-20: funding £5k, spending £5k; 2020-21: funding £5k, spending £5k; 2021-22: funding £6k, spending £6k; 2022-23: funding £6k, spending £7k; 2023-24: funding £6k, spending £7k; 2024-25: funding £6k, spending £6k£4,000£5,000£6,000£7,0002018-192020-212022-232024-25Gov. fundingSpendingSimilarGov. fundingSpending

Funding is the money a school receives; spending is what it pays out. The two differ when a school adds to or draws on its savings, and because some money is spent on its pupils by someone else: the council (for example special needs top-ups and transport) or, for academies, the trust's central team. (IFS, pp. 7, 10, 46, 52, 54)

Government funding is the academy accounts line "grant funding from government" in academy (AAR) years and the CFR grant funding total in council-run years. The two are not strictly comparable: CFR line I07 can include some money that is not from government.

Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).

Reserve per pupil by year

Reserve per pupil, 2018-19 to 2024-25Reserve per pupil at the end of each year. 2018-19: £83; 2019-20: £341; 2020-21: £498; 2021-22: £632; 2022-23: -£88; 2023-24: -£139; 2024-25: £59-£250£0£250£500£7502018-192020-212022-232024-25ReserveSimilarReserve

Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).

Each year's figures, newest first
YearPupilsIncomeSpendingIn-year balanceReserve at year end
2024-25662.0£4.5m £6,746 per pupil£4.2m £6,307 per pupil+£291k +£440 per pupil£39k £59 per pupil
2023-24662.0£4.1m £6,133 per pupil£4.5m £6,734 per pupil-£398k -£601 per pupil-£92k -£139 per pupil
2022-23650.0£3.9m £5,938 per pupil£4.4m £6,729 per pupil-£514k -£791 per pupil-£57k -£88 per pupil
2021-22641.0£3.8m £5,970 per pupil£3.8m £5,863 per pupil+£69k +£108 per pupil£405k £632 per pupil
2020-21653.0£3.6m £5,525 per pupil£3.5m £5,383 per pupil+£93k +£142 per pupil£325k £498 per pupil
2019-20671.0£3.5m £5,243 per pupil£3.3m £4,911 per pupil+£223k +£332 per pupil£229k £341 per pupil
2018-19677.0£3.2m £4,740 per pupil£3.4m £5,077 per pupil-£228k -£337 per pupil£56k £83 per pupil

Where the money comes from

Income in 2024-25, with the trend per pupil since 2018-19
Line2024-25Trend per pupilChange per pupil since 2018-19Similar schools (median per pupil)
Total income£4.5m £6,746 per pupil+42% +12% real£8k
Government funding£4.2m £6,313 per pupil+45% +14% real£7k
Special needs (SEN) funding£138k £208 per pupil+124% +75% real£235
Pupil premiumNot reported in academy accounts
Money the school raised itself£152k £230 per pupil+10% -14% real£305
Donations (day-to-day)£2k £3 per pupil-67% -73% real£20
Donations for buildings and equipmentNot reported in academy accounts
Facilities and services£21k £32 per pupil+28% -3% real£48
Catering income£128k £193 per pupil+10% -14% real£150
Other DfE grants£0 £0 per pupil£19

Other DfE grants is a container line. It includes the grants that cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, which cannot be separated out, so no figure is shown for them on their own. Not every rise in a school's income is extra spending power. When the government raised what schools pay as employers into staff pensions and National Insurance, it gave schools grants to cover the bill. The IFS describes this as extra money to pay for extra outgoings, with no change in real resources. About £2.3 billion of the growth in school funding between 2019–20 and 2025–26 was this kind of grant. So when a school's income jumps, check whether its staff costs jumped by the same amount: the money may simply have passed through. (IFS, p. 50)

Academy accounts don't report pupil premium as a separate line, so it is shown as not reported rather than as zero.

Where it goes

Spending in 2024-25, with the trend per pupil since 2018-19
Line2024-25Trend per pupilChange per pupil since 2018-19Similar schools (median per pupil)
Total spending£4.2m £6,307 per pupil+24% -2% real£8k
Teachers£2.3m £3,505 per pupil+31% +3% real£4k
Supply staff£104k £157 per pupil+71% +34% real£123
Support staff£562k £849 per pupil+12% -12% real£817
Office and admin staff£239k £361 per pupil+876% +667% real£412
Premises staff£96k £145 per pupil-50% -61% real£150
Catering staff£90k £136 per pupil+46% +15% real£0
Other staff costs£46k £69 per pupil-63% -71% real£79
All staff costs£3.3m £4,941 per pupil+32% +4% real£6k
Premises£188k £284 per pupil-39% -52% real£416
Energy£55k £83 per pupil+69% +35% real£147
Rates, water and other building costs£279k £421 per pupil+45% +15% real£472
Catering£184k £278 per pupil+38% +9% real£218
Learning resources£273k £412 per pupil+40% +10% real£591
Supplies and services£436k £659 per pupil+20% -6% real£844
Bought-in services£149k £225 per pupil+134% +85% real£86

Staff costs were 78% of this school's spending in 2024-25. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)

In 2025-26 prices, this school spent £4.3m £6,428 per pupil in 2024-25. Across England, secondary schools are expected to spend about £7,800 per pupil in 2025–26, including sixth forms. (IFS, p. 7)

Academy figures exclude the trust's central spending on its schools, so they can look lower than a council-run school's. See the trust's central spending below.

Pupils by year

  1. 2018-19 677.0
  2. 2019-20 671.0
  3. 2020-21 653.0
  4. 2021-22 641.0
  5. 2022-23 650.0
  6. 2023-24 662.0
  7. 2024-25 662.0

Trust central spending

What WALKWOOD ACADEMY TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:

  1. 2018-19 £0
  2. 2019-20 £0
  3. 2020-21 £0
  4. 2021-22 £0
  5. 2022-23 £0
  6. 2023-24 £0
  7. 2024-25 £0

These are cash figures. The IFS average below is in 2025-26 prices.

On average, academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24, money that is not counted in their individual schools' own spending. (IFS, p. 56)

Money raised by parents

No registered parents' association found for Walkwood Church of England Middle School. Charities with an income of £5,000 or less a year don't have to register with the Charity Commission, so many schools have an active PTA or friends' group that isn't on the register.

Across England, the typical registered parents' association raised £50 per pupil in 2025-26.

Intake and area

academy · Middle deemed secondary · Mixed · WALKWOOD ACADEMY TRUST (single-academy trust) · Church of England

Intake band 2 of 5 nationally, combining free-school-meal eligibility and the deprivation of the school's neighbourhood (1 = least disadvantaged, 5 = most).

Context, not a judgement: schools with different intakes get different funding and face different costs.

How my school's money is split

For pupils: out of every pound the school spent in 2024-25, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.

National context

Questions to ask the school

Useful for parents, governors and PTFA committees.

  1. With £39k £59 per pupil in reserve, what would happen if costs rose faster than expected next year? Why ask: Pay awards are set each year by the government after independent advice; the IFS says the picture is tight for schools if they follow forecast earnings growth. (IFS, p. 63)
  2. How much of Walkwood Church of England Middle School's funding does WALKWOOD ACADEMY TRUST keep centrally each year, and what does the school get for it? Why ask: Academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24 on average. (IFS, p. 56)
  3. How much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
  4. Which costs does Walkwood Church of England Middle School expect to rise most next year?
  5. Does the school's reserve figure include its share of the trust's central reserves?
  6. How does Walkwood Church of England Middle School's spending per pupil compare with similar schools, and why? Why ask: Nationally, primaries spend about £7,000 and secondaries about £7,800 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)
  7. Is the budget relying on one-off grants or fundraising to balance?
  8. Can the trust move money between its schools, and has this school given or received any?

Check at source

Every figure here comes from the school's published return. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the figures are worked out.

Similar schools: the closest in phase, size and share of pupils on free school meals.

Compare side by side

Admissions and catchments for Walkwood Church of England Middle School on Schools in Reach · All Worcestershire school finances · Schools in Redditch · WALKWOOD ACADEMY TRUST