Bowerdean Nursery School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £371k in reserve, 34% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Buckinghamshire · 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 | £1.4m | £1.1m | +£334k | £408k | 146 |
2019-20 | £909k | £1.1m | -£164k | £244k | 122 |
2020-21 | £877k | £959k | -£83k | £161k | 109 |
2021-22 | £955k | £1.0m | -£52k | £110k | 122 |
2022-23 | £1.0m | £1.0m | -£16k | £94k | 114 |
2023-24 | £1.0m | £906k | +£143k | £237k | 102 |
2024-25 | £1.1m | £987k | +£71k | £308k | 102 |
2025-26 | £1.1m | £1.0m | +£63k | £371k | 98 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 nursery 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 83% of them. It spends £10,703 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,186.
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 | £2,806 | £2,513 | £2,002–£3,205 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £4,264 | £4,548 | £3,361–£5,682 |
Supply staff | £846 | £79 | £2–£424 |
Admin and clerical | £516 | £659 | £493–£826 |
Premises | £429 | £787 | £514–£1,384 |
Energy | £102 | £132 | £74–£163 |
Learning resources & ICT | £98 | £203 | £158–£422 |
Bought-in services | £403 | £269 | £176–£758 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Lawns Nursery School Healthy
- Camrose Early Years Centre for Children & Families In deficit
- Bedworth Heath Nursery School In deficit
- Bilston Nursery School Large reserves
- Woodcroft Nursery School Large reserves
- Basnett Street Nursery School Large reserves
- Duke Street Nursery School Healthy
- Reedley Hallows Nursery School Healthy
- Atherstone Nursery School In deficit
- Bradley Nursery School Healthy
- Whitegate Nursery School In deficit
- Rawmarsh Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £982k | £10,077 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £72k | £743 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £143k | £1,463 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 33% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £846 a pupil, against a typical £79 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 Bowerdean Nursery School · All Buckinghamshire school finances