Herons Dale School: school finances
Tight
Holds £94k 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). West Sussex · Not applicable · Community special 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 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£43k | £118k | 101 |
2019-20 | £2.5m | £2.3m | +£164k | £282k | 126 |
2020-21 | £2.9m | £2.8m | +£88k | £369k | 132 |
2021-22 | £3.1m | £3.0m | +£94k | £463k | 135 |
2022-23 | £3.3m | £3.5m | -£143k | £320k | 133 |
2023-24 | £3.6m | £3.9m | -£281k | £38k | 141 |
2024-25 | £4.0m | £4.0m | -£31k | £7k | 145 |
2025-26 | £4.4m | £4.3m | +£87k | £94k | 146 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special 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 27% of them. It spends £29,768 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £29,208.
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 | £8,894 | £10,688 | £8,907–£12,506 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £14,290 | £10,173 | £8,250–£12,961 |
Supply staff | £2 | £351 | £116–£903 |
Admin and clerical | £1,726 | £1,262 | £900–£1,737 |
Premises | £1,801 | £1,403 | £1,137–£2,205 |
Energy | £412 | £352 | £274–£441 |
Learning resources & ICT | £722 | £933 | £682–£1,209 |
Bought-in services | £413 | £886 | £291–£1,853 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Baytree School Healthy
- Riverside Special School In deficit
- Linden Bridge School Tight
- Fairfield School Tight
- Heritage House School Large reserves
- Chadsgrove School Large reserves
- Heathlands School Large reserves
- Sherbrook Primary School Large reserves
- St Dominic's School Large reserves
- Presfield High School and Specialist College Large reserves
- Summerdown School Large reserves
- St Anne's School and Sixth Form College In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.3m | £29,165 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £2.3m | £16,001 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £72k | £490 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £175k | £1,196 |
Money raised by parents
THE FRIENDS OF HERONS DALE PRIMARY SCHOOL (charity 1155102, Registered) raised £19k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2026-03 | £19k | £7k |
2025-03 | £27k | £30k |
2024-03 | £22k | £17k |
2023-03 | £10k | £5k |
2022-03 | £19k | £26k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £14,290 a pupil, against a typical £10,173 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Herons Dale School · All West Sussex school finances