St Paul's Catholic Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £148k in reserve, 15% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Wirral · 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 | £739k | £777k | -£38k | £50k | 94 |
2019-20 | £769k | £762k | +£6k | £56k | 92 |
2020-21 | £886k | £846k | +£40k | £96k | 98 |
2021-22 | £840k | £797k | +£43k | £139k | 103 |
2022-23 | £879k | £884k | -£5k | £134k | 98 |
2023-24 | £892k | £909k | -£17k | £117k | 96 |
2024-25 | £893k | £937k | -£44k | £74k | 99 |
2025-26 | £1.0m | £944k | +£74k | £148k | 92 |
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 70% of them. It spends £10,315 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,075.
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 | £4,577 | £4,421 | £3,920–£4,985 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,593 | £1,851 | £1,350–£2,310 |
Supply staff | £300 | £368 | £126–£696 |
Admin and clerical | £394 | £516 | £406–£621 |
Premises | £515 | £680 | £498–£780 |
Energy | £221 | £223 | £176–£263 |
Learning resources & ICT | £291 | £453 | £328–£568 |
Bought-in services | £620 | £322 | £150–£563 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Chapelhill Primary School Large reserves
- Ward Jackson Church of England Primary School Tight
- Highfields Primary Academy Large reserves
- Willowbrook Primary School Large reserves
- Cavendish Junior School Large reserves
- Sutton-on-Sea Community Primary School Large reserves
- Old Bank Academy Heading for deficit
- Aycliffe Community Primary School Large reserves
- Bridgewater Park Primary School Large reserves
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- Halebank CofE Primary School Tight
- Shortbrook Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £997k | £10,893 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £96k | £1,051 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £82k | £901 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £21k | £231 |
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 bought-in services is £620 a pupil, against a typical £322 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 Paul's Catholic Primary School · All Wirral school finances