The Sherwood School: school finances
Tight
Holds £36k 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). Merton · Primary · 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 | £2.3m | £2.3m | -£37k | £14k | 400 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£20k | £34k | 378 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£62k | £96k | 356 |
2021-22 | £2.4m | £2.4m | -£52k | £45k | 344 |
2022-23 | £2.3m | £2.5m | -£109k | -£64k | 321 |
2023-24 | £2.4m | £2.4m | +£30k | -£34k | 316 |
2024-25 | £2.7m | £2.6m | +£70k | £36k | 292 |
2025-26 | £2.6m | £2.6m | +£519 | £36k | 253 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary 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 40% of them. It spends £10,113 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,755.
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 | £4,369 | £4,159 | £3,819–£4,681 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,502 | £1,614 | £1,495–£1,985 |
Supply staff | £355 | £308 | £91–£716 |
Admin and clerical | £559 | £548 | £405–£680 |
Premises | £462 | £613 | £547–£661 |
Energy | £133 | £159 | £129–£265 |
Learning resources & ICT | £340 | £355 | £274–£478 |
Bought-in services | £860 | £428 | £218–£707 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Michael at Bowes CofE Junior School Healthy
- Chapel End Junior Academy Tight
- Heavers Farm Primary School In deficit
- Orion Ravensworth Healthy
- St Aidan's Catholic Primary Academy In deficit
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Foresters Primary School In deficit
- Bruce Grove Primary School Tight
- Hanover Primary School In deficit
- Thomas Jones Primary School Large reserves
- Wessex Gardens Primary School Heading for deficit
- Parkway Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.5m | £9,842 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £89k | £352 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £141k | £557 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £69k | £273 |
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 37% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £860 a pupil, against a typical £428 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 The Sherwood School · All Merton school finances