Willow Grove Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £60k 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). Wigan · 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 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£31k | £51k | 53 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£11k | £41k | 62 |
2020-21 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£66k | £107k | 63 |
2021-22 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£42k | £148k | 63 |
2022-23 | £1.9m | £2.0m | -£91k | £57k | 64 |
2023-24 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£45k | £102k | 67 |
2024-25 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£54k | £156k | 73 |
2025-26 | £2.5m | £2.6m | -£96k | £60k | 68 |
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 £38,211 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £34,022.
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 | £13,568 | £12,999 | £11,046–£15,374 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £11,297 | £10,228 | £8,147–£13,256 |
Supply staff | £926 | £665 | £146–£1,492 |
Admin and clerical | £1,386 | £1,629 | £1,177–£2,010 |
Premises | £1,805 | £1,730 | £1,386–£2,246 |
Energy | £344 | £653 | £344–£796 |
Learning resources & ICT | £1,134 | £1,143 | £676–£1,529 |
Bought-in services | £6,013 | £1,100 | £251–£2,332 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Bishopswood School Tight
- Battledown School Tight
- Sir Bobby Robson School Tight
- Bloxham Grove Academy Large reserves
- The Wymering School Large reserves
- SAIL (Salisbury Academy for Inspirational Learning) Tight
- Penny Field School Healthy
- Cicely Haughton School Large reserves
- Valley School Tight
- New Horizons Learning Centre In deficit
- Adelaide School Large reserves
- Broadmeadow Special School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.5m | £36,683 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £515k | £7,581 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £89k | £1,310 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £8k | £113 |
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 bought-in services is £6,013 a pupil, against a typical £1,100 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 Willow Grove Primary School · All Wigan school finances