Wilmslow High School: school finances
Tight
Holds £8k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cheshire East · 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 | £11.2m | £11.1m | +£126k | £123k | 1,995 |
2019-20 | £11.9m | £11.9m | -£19k | £105k | 2,044 |
2020-21 | £12.6m | £12.7m | -£78k | £26k | 2,079 |
2021-22 | £13.4m | £13.2m | +£212k | £238k | 2,139 |
2022-23 | £14.4m | £14.6m | -£187k | £50k | 2,157 |
2023-24 | £15.0m | £15.0m | +£11k | £22k | 2,196 |
2024-25 | £16.1m | £16.4m | -£294k | -£272k | 2,212 |
2025-26 | £17.1m | £16.8m | +£280k | £8k | 2,227 |
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 10% of them. It spends £7,532 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,170.
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 | £4,513 | £4,101 | £3,905–£4,426 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £681 | £740 | £613–£888 |
Supply staff | £119 | £70 | £32–£97 |
Admin and clerical | £584 | £417 | £318–£488 |
Premises | £351 | £396 | £337–£422 |
Energy | £150 | £128 | £103–£149 |
Learning resources & ICT | £300 | £603 | £469–£706 |
Bought-in services | £103 | £63 | £29–£105 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Lord Williams's School Healthy
- The King John School Large reserves
- Ivybridge Community College Large reserves
- Beauchamp College Large reserves
- E-Act Ousedale School Large reserves
- Comberton Village College Healthy
- Penistone Grammar School Large reserves
- St Bartholomew's School Large reserves
- South Hunsley School and Sixth Form College Large reserves
- Steyning Grammar School Large reserves
- Great Sankey High School Tight
- Rushcliffe Spencer Academy Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £16.4m | £7,375 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £1.2m | £559 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £309k | £139 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £630k | £283 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on supply staff is £119 a pupil, against a typical £70 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £584 a pupil, against a typical £417 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 Wilmslow High School · All Cheshire East school finances