Balham Nursery School: school finances
Tight
Holds £7k 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). Wandsworth · 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 | £944k | £988k | -£44k | -£20k | 54 |
2019-20 | £808k | £885k | -£77k | -£98k | 46 |
2020-21 | £651k | £670k | -£19k | -£117k | 43 |
2021-22 | £617k | £578k | +£40k | -£77k | 42 |
2022-23 | £595k | £610k | -£16k | -£93k | 34 |
2023-24 | £551k | £654k | -£103k | -£196k | 48 |
2024-25 | £589k | £527k | +£62k | -£134k | 33 |
2025-26 | £671k | £531k | +£140k | £7k | 36 |
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 37% of them. It spends £14,742 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £20,989.
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 | £4,552 | £5,219 | £4,119–£6,701 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £4,098 | £6,630 | £4,119–£10,229 |
Supply staff | £134 | £156 | £34–£426 |
Admin and clerical | £1,711 | £1,457 | £974–£1,973 |
Premises | £1,158 | £1,159 | £845–£1,784 |
Energy | £430 | £205 | £123–£286 |
Learning resources & ICT | £311 | £337 | £241–£448 |
Bought-in services | £482 | £948 | £540–£1,835 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Dorothy Gardner Nursery School Large reserves
- Bayonne Nursery School Heading for deficit
- Eastwood Nursery School In deficit
- Golborne & Maxilla Nursery School Large reserves
- St Anne's & Avondale Park Nursery School In deficit
- Thomas Coram Centre In deficit
- Ethelred Nursery School and Children's Centre In deficit
- Portman Early Childhood Centre Tight
- The Grove Nursery School Large reserves
- Columbia Market Nursery School In deficit
- Mary Paterson Nursery School Healthy
- Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children's Centre Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £610k | £16,939 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £79k | £2,185 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £61k | £1,700 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 34% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £430 a pupil, against a typical £205 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 Balham Nursery School · All Wandsworth school finances