St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £459k in reserve, 14% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Birmingham · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£61k | £265k | 422 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£84k | £349k | 420 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£41k | £390k | 416 |
2021-22 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£88k | £302k | 420 |
2022-23 | £2.7m | £2.6m | +£121k | £422k | 418 |
2023-24 | £3.0m | £2.8m | +£180k | £603k | 412 |
2024-25 | £3.1m | £3.2m | -£62k | £540k | 418 |
2025-26 | £3.3m | £3.3m | -£82k | £459k | 409 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary 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 77% of them. It spends £8,183 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,635.
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 | £3,578 | £3,473 | £3,132–£3,814 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,622 | £1,805 | £1,360–£1,904 |
Supply staff | £499 | £111 | £57–£284 |
Admin and clerical | £457 | £303 | £250–£409 |
Premises | £84 | £402 | £345–£494 |
Energy | £34 | £116 | £91–£131 |
Learning resources & ICT | £221 | £278 | £240–£386 |
Bought-in services | £723 | £182 | £92–£468 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Bedford Primary School Tight
- James Watt Primary School Heading for deficit
- St Luke's CofE Primary School Healthy
- West Heath Primary School Healthy
- Pinfold Street Primary School Healthy
- Highlands Primary School Large reserves
- Leigh Primary School Large reserves
- Rolls Crescent Primary School Healthy
- Grange Farm Primary School Healthy
- Ringway Primary School Tight
- Lewis Street Primary School Large reserves
- Margate, Holy Trinity and St John's Church of England Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.2m | £7,856 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £188k | £460 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £294k | £719 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £52k | £127 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Spending on supply staff is £499 a pupil, against a typical £111 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £723 a pupil, against a typical £182 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £457 a pupil, against a typical £303 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 St James Church of England Primary School, Handsworth · All Birmingham school finances