Wanstead High School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £206k, 2% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 4 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Redbridge · 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 | £8.1m | £7.9m | +£181k | £904k | 1,387 |
2019-20 | £8.2m | £8.4m | -£221k | £683k | 1,355 |
2020-21 | £8.5m | £8.6m | -£153k | £530k | 1,412 |
2021-22 | £8.9m | £8.7m | +£195k | £725k | 1,445 |
2022-23 | £9.4m | £9.7m | -£231k | £494k | 1,470 |
2023-24 | £10.3m | £10.5m | -£184k | £310k | 1,471 |
2024-25 | £11.2m | £11.4m | -£128k | £182k | 1,434 |
2025-26 | £11.7m | £12.1m | -£388k | -£206k | 1,436 |
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 7% of them. It spends £8,435 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,799.
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 | £4,734 | £4,771 | £4,351–£4,974 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,065 | £560 | £366–£761 |
Supply staff | £238 | £95 | £43–£233 |
Admin and clerical | £535 | £536 | £401–£646 |
Premises | £387 | £379 | £308–£452 |
Energy | £222 | £136 | £108–£161 |
Learning resources & ICT | £357 | £498 | £418–£619 |
Bought-in services | £352 | £163 | £124–£265 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Philomena's Catholic High School for Girls Tight
- Ursuline High School Wimbledon Large reserves
- Tolworth Girls' School and Sixth Form Large reserves
- Blackfen School for Girls Healthy
- Teddington School Large reserves
- Wembley High Technology College Large reserves
- BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology Large reserves
- The Douay Martyrs Catholic School Large reserves
- Twyford Church of England High School Large reserves
- Harris Academy Beckenham Large reserves
- Ruislip High School Large reserves
- Gunnersbury Catholic School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £11.3m | £7,860 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £428k | £298 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £267k | £186 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £437k | £304 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Spending on bought-in services is £352 a pupil, against a typical £163 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,065 a pupil, against a typical £560 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £222 a pupil, against a typical £136 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 Wanstead High School · All Redbridge school finances