Arnhem Wharf Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £365k, 7% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 2 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Tower Hamlets · Primary · 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 | £4.9m | £4.9m | -£3k | £240k | 638 |
2019-20 | £4.9m | £5.1m | -£170k | £71k | 593 |
2020-21 | £4.7m | £4.8m | -£69k | £1k | 598 |
2021-22 | £4.9m | £4.9m | +£72k | £73k | 612 |
2022-23 | £5.2m | £5.0m | +£103k | £176k | 590 |
2023-24 | £5.4m | £5.3m | +£59k | £235k | 538 |
2024-25 | £5.2m | £5.5m | -£316k | -£81k | 492 |
2025-26 | £5.1m | £5.4m | -£285k | -£365k | 458 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary schools in London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 3% of them. It spends £11,777 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,902.
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 | £4,716 | £4,047 | £3,426–£4,535 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £3,601 | £1,650 | £1,303–£1,995 |
Supply staff | £388 | £253 | £44–£475 |
Admin and clerical | £456 | £387 | £287–£549 |
Premises | £604 | £451 | £356–£583 |
Energy | £169 | £106 | £80–£139 |
Learning resources & ICT | £194 | £253 | £207–£324 |
Bought-in services | £323 | £229 | £69–£653 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Canonbury Primary School Healthy
- Whitehorse Manor Junior School Large reserves
- Wyvil Primary School and Resource Bases for Speech, Language and Communication Needs, and Autism Tight
- Eastfield Primary School Large reserves
- Earlsmead Primary School Tight
- Brimsdown Primary School Healthy
- Hallsville Primary School Large reserves
- Malmesbury Primary School Large reserves
- Ark Priory Primary Academy Large reserves
- Kidbrooke Park Primary School Large reserves
- Earlham Primary School Large reserves
- Tudor Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £5.0m | £11,025 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £607k | £1,325 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £316k | £690 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £60k | £131 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 28% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £3,601 a pupil, against a typical £1,650 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £169 a pupil, against a typical £106 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 Arnhem Wharf Primary School · All Tower Hamlets school finances