Reserves held by schools: as at 31 March 2024 (headline results)
The report provides an analysis of financial reserves held by schools as at 31 March 2024.
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The overall level of reserves held by schools in Wales was £115 million at 31 March 2024, the equivalent of £253 per pupil. The overall level of reserves decreased by £94 million compared with the previous year. Reserves in primary schools accounted for £70 million.
During 2020-21 and 2021-22, school reserves increased significantly due to the effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and extra core funding announced late in the year. During 2022-23 and 2023-24, school reserves decreased significantly partly due to extra costs linked to high inflation, supporting learners through the ongoing effects of the pandemic and increased additional learning needs costs.
Primary schools reserves decreased by £46 million in the latest year and secondary school reserves decreased by £37 million.
Isle of Anglesey had the highest level of reserves per pupil at £602 while Monmouthshire had the lowest with a deficit of £14 per pupil.
243 primary, 46 secondary, 10 special, 1 nursery and 9 middle schools in Wales had negative reserves totalling £40 million. The remaining 1,159 schools had positive reserves, 357 of which had reserves in excess of 10% of their total delegated expenditure.
