Southwood School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £331k in reserve, 19% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Milton Keynes · Primary · Foundation 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 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£31k | £116k | 215 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£26k | £142k | 207 |
2020-21 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£13k | £130k | 191 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£42k | £172k | 172 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£7k | £179k | 182 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£40k | £219k | 193 |
2024-25 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£14k | £233k | 188 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£98k | £331k | 170 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary 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 £9,644 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,549.
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 | £4,447 | £3,913 | £3,274–£4,255 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,384 | £1,706 | £1,403–£2,122 |
Supply staff | £23 | £147 | £85–£271 |
Admin and clerical | £616 | £365 | £272–£519 |
Premises | £587 | £528 | £447–£593 |
Energy | £167 | £146 | £121–£191 |
Learning resources & ICT | £318 | £351 | £246–£433 |
Bought-in services | £370 | £193 | £90–£508 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Castle View Primary School Healthy
- Cobden Primary School Tight
- Benfieldside Primary School In deficit
- Leadgate Primary School - Split Site Large reserves
- Pennington Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Garden City Academy Tight
- Marfleet Primary Academy Tight
- Hart Plain Junior School Large reserves
- All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport Healthy
- Carnforth School Healthy
- East Stanley School Large reserves
- Henderson Green Primary Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £10,072 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £172k | £1,010 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £126k | £743 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £32k | £190 |
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 21% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £616 a pupil, against a typical £365 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,384 a pupil, against a typical £1,706 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 Southwood School · All Milton Keynes school finances