St Mary's Catholic Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £17k, 1% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 4 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). St. Helens · Primary · Voluntary aided 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 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£3k | £97k | 209 |
2019-20 | £1.0m | £1.0m | -£9k | £88k | 204 |
2020-21 | £967k | £934k | +£33k | £121k | 202 |
2021-22 | £990k | £961k | +£29k | £149k | 196 |
2022-23 | £1.0m | £1.1m | -£63k | £86k | 199 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£14k | £72k | 200 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£35k | £37k | 186 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£54k | -£17k | 177 |
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 10% of them. It spends £6,931 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,774.
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 | £3,393 | £3,270 | £2,942–£3,391 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,265 | £1,202 | £980–£1,584 |
Supply staff | £64 | £76 | £15–£160 |
Admin and clerical | £209 | £377 | £276–£428 |
Premises | £412 | £294 | £242–£388 |
Energy | £143 | £97 | £80–£133 |
Learning resources & ICT | £230 | £305 | £188–£419 |
Bought-in services | £295 | £143 | £92–£231 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Abbots Farm Infant School Tight
- Worlebury St Pauls Church School Healthy
- Birches First School Large reserves
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF Tight
- Ropley CofE Primary School Healthy
- Endon Hall Primary School Heading for deficit
- Highburton CofE First Academy Healthy
- Fetcham Village Infant School Tight
- St John's CofE Primary Academy Large reserves
- Marlow Church of England Infant School Heading for deficit
- Thorney Island Community Primary School Large reserves
- Oaklands Infant School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £6,227 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £46k | £262 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £29k | £164 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £71k | £399 |
Money raised by parents
BIRCHLEY ST. MARYS SCHOOL PTA (charity 1163553, Registered) raised £7k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-09 | £7k | £4k |
2024-09 | £7k | £5k |
2023-09 | £2k | £4k |
2022-09 | £771 | £116 |
2021-09 | £81 | £2k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 15% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £295 a pupil, against a typical £143 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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.
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