Highbury Fields School: school finances
Tight
Holds £240k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Islington · Secondary · 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 | £6.8m | £6.6m | +£130k | £547k | 773 |
2019-20 | £6.8m | £6.9m | -£137k | £410k | 762 |
2020-21 | £7.0m | £6.9m | +£144k | £554k | 772 |
2021-22 | £7.4m | £7.4m | +£16k | £570k | 768 |
2022-23 | £7.5m | £7.8m | -£323k | £247k | 767 |
2023-24 | £8.1m | £7.9m | +£124k | £371k | 749 |
2024-25 | £8.2m | £8.4m | -£206k | £165k | 729 |
2025-26 | £8.5m | £8.4m | +£75k | £240k | 734 |
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 20% of them. It spends £11,488 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,565.
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 | £6,695 | £5,913 | £4,956–£6,425 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £789 | £870 | £706–£1,087 |
Supply staff | £264 | £171 | £56–£448 |
Admin and clerical | £640 | £831 | £572–£930 |
Premises | £1,364 | £537 | £415–£746 |
Energy | £6 | £209 | £145–£268 |
Learning resources & ICT | £470 | £598 | £480–£786 |
Bought-in services | £373 | £150 | £53–£451 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Clarion Large reserves
- The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy Large reserves
- Shirley High School Performing Arts College Large reserves
- Ark Blake Academy In deficit
- London Design and Engineering UTC Healthy
- Ernest Bevin Academy Large reserves
- Trinity Academy Large reserves
- Harris Academy Bermondsey Large reserves
- South Bank University Academy Large reserves
- Ark Soane Academy Healthy
- Ark Acton Academy Large reserves
- The Elms Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £8.4m | £11,449 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £161k | £219 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £398k | £542 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £104k | £141 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on premises is £1,364 a pupil, against a typical £537 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 Highbury Fields School · All Islington school finances