Lyme Community Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £43k 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). St. Helens · 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 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£31k | £18k | 222 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£5k | £13k | 218 |
2020-21 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£68k | £81k | 205 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£35k | £46k | 212 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£45k | £1k | 214 |
2023-24 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£7k | £8k | 206 |
2024-25 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£29k | £37k | 209 |
2025-26 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£6k | £43k | 208 |
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 17% of them. It spends £7,823 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,218.
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 | £3,441 | £3,293 | £2,924–£3,552 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,045 | £1,486 | £1,127–£1,675 |
Supply staff | £83 | £193 | £62–£296 |
Admin and clerical | £331 | £359 | £272–£448 |
Premises | £248 | £411 | £331–£461 |
Energy | £91 | £108 | £88–£133 |
Learning resources & ICT | £363 | £292 | £208–£383 |
Bought-in services | £260 | £229 | £135–£302 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Weeley St Andrew's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Roman Way Primary School Tight
- Fairmeadows Foundation Primary School In deficit
- Church Vale Primary School and Foundation Unit Tight
- Penbridge Infant School & Nursery Large reserves
- Great Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England Academy Tight
- NCEA James Knott CofE Primary School Tight
- Ashleigh CofE Primary School Healthy
- St Peter's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Kingfisher Community Primary School Healthy
- St Denys Primary School Heading for deficit
- St John Southworth RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £7,332 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £79k | £381 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £107k | £512 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £108k | £520 |
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,045 a pupil, against a typical £1,486 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 Lyme Community Primary School · All St. Helens school finances