Bedford High School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.1m in reserve, 11% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Wigan · 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 | £5.7m | £5.4m | +£304k | £1.1m | 975 |
2019-20 | £6.2m | £6.4m | -£204k | £849k | 995 |
2020-21 | £6.5m | £6.4m | +£43k | £891k | 1,046 |
2021-22 | £7.2m | £7.3m | -£164k | £727k | 1,059 |
2022-23 | £7.6m | £8.0m | -£312k | £416k | 1,081 |
2023-24 | £8.4m | £8.1m | +£338k | £753k | 1,100 |
2024-25 | £8.7m | £8.8m | -£112k | £642k | 1,101 |
2025-26 | £9.6m | £9.2m | +£435k | £1.1m | 1,114 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 secondary schools outside London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 50% of them. It spends £8,252 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,920.
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 | £4,712 | £4,310 | £4,014–£4,598 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,055 | £930 | £836–£1,094 |
Supply staff | £193 | £148 | £80–£247 |
Admin and clerical | £473 | £398 | £331–£474 |
Premises | £421 | £419 | £337–£578 |
Energy | £151 | £145 | £112–£194 |
Learning resources & ICT | £394 | £430 | £361–£573 |
Bought-in services | £284 | £107 | £48–£207 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Abbey School Large reserves
- Don Valley Academy Large reserves
- Moat Community College Large reserves
- St Edmund Campion Catholic School Large reserves
- Meden School Large reserves
- Lees Brook Academy Healthy
- Swanwick Hall School Large reserves
- Beacon Hill Academy Large reserves
- Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy Large reserves
- All Saints' Academy, Cheltenham Large reserves
- Seaham High School Large reserves
- Foxford Community School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £9.6m | £8,588 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £176k | £158 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £555k | £499 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £60k | £54 |
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 bought-in services is £284 a pupil, against a typical £107 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 Bedford High School · All Wigan school finances