Willowfield School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.6m in reserve, 17% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Waltham Forest · 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 | £6.0m | £5.9m | +£110k | £1.8m | 856 |
2019-20 | £6.4m | £6.4m | -£75k | £1.8m | 873 |
2020-21 | £6.6m | £6.5m | +£49k | £1.8m | 871 |
2021-22 | £7.0m | £6.8m | +£200k | £2.0m | 895 |
2022-23 | £7.4m | £7.6m | -£229k | £1.8m | 939 |
2023-24 | £8.5m | £8.8m | -£261k | £1.5m | 973 |
2024-25 | £8.1m | £8.4m | -£308k | £1.2m | 1,004 |
2025-26 | £9.5m | £9.2m | +£349k | £1.6m | 1,035 |
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 87% of them. It spends £8,859 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,058.
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 | £4,490 | £5,192 | £4,590–£5,664 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,144 | £853 | £654–£1,104 |
Supply staff | £96 | £170 | £70–£299 |
Admin and clerical | £621 | £564 | £467–£697 |
Premises | £845 | £505 | £367–£575 |
Energy | £185 | £151 | £119–£186 |
Learning resources & ICT | £476 | £524 | £368–£586 |
Bought-in services | £229 | £179 | £95–£331 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Harrow High School Large reserves
- Trinity Church of England School, Belvedere Large reserves
- Harris Academy Beulah Hill Large reserves
- Enfield Grammar School Large reserves
- Saint Cecilia's Church of England School Healthy
- Hammersmith Academy Large reserves
- St Anne's Catholic High School for Girls In deficit
- Lift Kingsley Large reserves
- Welling School Healthy
- The Totteridge Academy Large reserves
- St Ignatius College Tight
- Bishop Justus CofE School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £9.4m | £9,041 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £453k | £438 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £366k | £354 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £161k | £156 |
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 premises is £845 a pupil, against a typical £505 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 Willowfield School · All Waltham Forest school finances