Heath Lane Nursery School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £178k in reserve, 24% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Hertfordshire · 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 | £503k | £487k | +£16k | £77k | 58 |
2019-20 | £467k | £452k | +£15k | £92k | 50 |
2020-21 | £484k | £430k | +£54k | £146k | 54 |
2021-22 | £520k | £505k | +£15k | £161k | 34 |
2022-23 | £594k | £556k | +£38k | £198k | 42 |
2023-24 | £640k | £642k | -£2k | £196k | 45 |
2024-25 | £656k | £699k | -£43k | £153k | 34 |
2025-26 | £734k | £709k | +£25k | £178k | 55 |
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 80% of them. It spends £12,884 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £12,545.
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 | £5,197 | £3,298 | £2,419–£3,719 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £3,333 | £5,376 | £3,711–£6,397 |
Supply staff | £334 | £139 | £31–£274 |
Admin and clerical | £986 | £863 | £631–£1,138 |
Premises | £813 | £706 | £438–£1,012 |
Energy | £227 | £144 | £104–£217 |
Learning resources & ICT | £341 | £276 | £182–£393 |
Bought-in services | £622 | £380 | £185–£711 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Great Coates Village Nursery School Large reserves
- Windsor Nursery School Large reserves
- Staghills Nursery School Large reserves
- Hindpool Nursery School In deficit
- Beverley Manor Nursery School Large reserves
- Aspiring Foundations Federated Nursery Schools - Warrington Road Nursery School Large reserves
- Bushy Leaze Early Years Centre Large reserves
- Taywood Nursery School In deficit
- Highfield Nursery School In deficit
- Longshaw Nursery School Large reserves
- Oxclose Nursery School Large reserves
- Parklands Nursery School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £645k | £11,719 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £29k | £527 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £94k | £1,716 |
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 supply staff is £334 a pupil, against a typical £139 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £5,197 a pupil, against a typical £3,298 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 Heath Lane Nursery School · All Hertfordshire school finances