St Luke's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £409k in reserve, 15% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Sefton · 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 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£10k | £178k | 395 |
2019-20 | £1.8m | £1.8m | -£30k | £148k | 402 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£12k | £137k | 392 |
2021-22 | £2.1m | £2.0m | +£101k | £238k | 384 |
2022-23 | £2.3m | £2.1m | +£157k | £395k | 372 |
2023-24 | £2.7m | £2.7m | +£19k | £414k | 366 |
2024-25 | £2.5m | £2.5m | -£76k | £339k | 383 |
2025-26 | £2.7m | £2.6m | +£70k | £409k | 365 |
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 93% of them. It spends £7,158 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,386.
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 | £3,186 | £3,187 | £2,963–£3,361 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,548 | £1,115 | £916–£1,373 |
Supply staff | £146 | £94 | £56–£193 |
Admin and clerical | £197 | £284 | £211–£307 |
Premises | £330 | £296 | £231–£344 |
Energy | £71 | £87 | £70–£99 |
Learning resources & ICT | £287 | £265 | £197–£336 |
Bought-in services | £192 | £119 | £77–£209 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Burbage Junior School In deficit
- Belmont Primary School In deficit
- Hunter's Bar Junior School Heading for deficit
- Stanah Primary School Healthy
- The Sele First School Tight
- Belle Vue Primary School In deficit
- Send CofE Primary School In deficit
- Roecroft Lower School In deficit
- Wheelock Primary School Healthy
- Storrington Primary School Tight
- St Martin's Church of England Junior School Tight
- Chester Blue Coat Church of England Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.4m | £6,504 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £219k | £599 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £79k | £217 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £308k | £845 |
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,548 a pupil, against a typical £1,115 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 Luke's Church of England Primary School · All Sefton school finances