Palfrey Junior School: school finances
Tight
Holds £78k 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). Walsall · 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 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£18k | £148k | 361 |
2019-20 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£9k | £139k | 365 |
2020-21 | £2.2m | £2.1m | +£101k | £240k | 358 |
2021-22 | £2.2m | £2.3m | -£102k | £138k | 361 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.4m | -£17k | £121k | 361 |
2023-24 | £2.6m | £2.6m | -£11k | £110k | 363 |
2024-25 | £2.8m | £2.8m | -£672 | £109k | 361 |
2025-26 | £2.9m | £2.9m | -£31k | £78k | 359 |
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 20% of them. It spends £8,157 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,050.
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 | £4,070 | £3,400 | £3,114–£3,482 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,793 | £1,491 | £1,190–£1,952 |
Supply staff | £2 | £186 | £39–£240 |
Admin and clerical | £377 | £301 | £231–£384 |
Premises | £300 | £356 | £272–£463 |
Energy | £314 | £123 | £79–£168 |
Learning resources & ICT | £190 | £246 | £192–£328 |
Bought-in services | £246 | £145 | £73–£220 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Aidan's Church of England Memorial Primary School Large reserves
- St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Knowles Primary School Tight
- Oak CofE Primary School In deficit
- Ramnoth Junior School Healthy
- Oyster Park Primary Academy Large reserves
- Lomeshaye Junior School In deficit
- Stephenson Memorial Primary School Large reserves
- Colne Lord Street School Large reserves
- Tipton Green Junior School Large reserves
- Roseberry Primary School Large reserves
- Lady Royd Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.8m | £7,678 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £62k | £172 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £253k | £704 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £141k | £393 |
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 energy is £314 a pupil, against a typical £123 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £246 a pupil, against a typical £145 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,070 a pupil, against a typical £3,400 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 Palfrey Junior School · All Walsall school finances