Comet Nursery School and Children's Centre: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £287k in reserve, 16% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Hackney · 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 | £941k | £865k | +£76k | £225k | 73 |
2019-20 | £980k | £945k | +£35k | £260k | 74 |
2020-21 | £929k | £911k | +£18k | £278k | 73 |
2021-22 | £1.0m | £1.1m | -£32k | £246k | 74 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.3m | -£171k | £75k | 78 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£11k | £63k | 74 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£33k | £96k | 74 |
2025-26 | £1.8m | £1.6m | +£192k | £287k | 94 |
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 67% of them. It spends £16,830 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £18,434.
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 | £4,888 | £4,152 | £3,496–£4,796 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £7,093 | £6,815 | £4,709–£8,998 |
Supply staff | £345 | £95 | £24–£241 |
Admin and clerical | £1,287 | £1,296 | £831–£1,617 |
Premises | £763 | £1,123 | £774–£1,425 |
Energy | £125 | £210 | £143–£276 |
Learning resources & ICT | £343 | £333 | £247–£401 |
Bought-in services | £265 | £895 | £416–£1,808 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Pembury House Nursery School Large reserves
- Dulwich Wood Nursery School Large reserves
- Holmewood Nursery School Large reserves
- Maytree Nursery School In deficit
- Randolph Beresford Early Years Centre Large reserves
- Wentworth Nursery School and Children's Centre Large reserves
- Abbey Wood Nursery School In deficit
- Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre Tight
- North Islington Nursery School Healthy
- Pound Park Nursery School Large reserves
- Robert Owen Nursery School In deficit
- The Grove Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £15,212 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £142k | £1,515 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £344k | £3,659 |
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?
- Spending on supply staff is £345 a pupil, against a typical £95 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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