DfE Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool: 
https://financial-benchmarking-and-insights-tool.education.gov.uk/school/102558

Academy Trust Handbook 2026 – Publication of Pay (2.29)

There is 1 school employee with a gross annual salary of £100,000 or more.

How the school is financed

The Willows School Academy Trust School's funding is determined using a combination of 'place funding' and 'top-up funding'.

Place funding

• Our school receives a set amount per high-needs place from the Local Authority (Hillingdon). 
• The number of places at the school is agreed with the LA – currently that number is 100 pupils.

1. The school also receives funding in addition to place funding. This is known as 'top-up funding'.

Top-up funding:

• Is the funding required above the core funding the school receives, to enable a pupil with high needs to participate in education
• Is paid by the LA that places the pupil in your school
• Reflects the additional support costs a school incurs relating to the individual pupil's needs
• The Local Authority sets local arrangements for how top-up funding is allocated