St Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton: school finances
Healthy
Holds £184k in reserve, 6% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Bolton · 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 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£5k | £200k | 436 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£6k | £206k | 424 |
2020-21 | £2.5m | £2.4m | +£110k | £316k | 408 |
2021-22 | £2.5m | £2.7m | -£142k | £174k | 421 |
2022-23 | £3.0m | £2.9m | +£87k | £261k | 424 |
2023-24 | £3.1m | £3.0m | +£65k | £326k | 416 |
2024-25 | £3.3m | £3.3m | +£1k | £328k | 422 |
2025-26 | £3.3m | £3.4m | -£144k | £184k | 405 |
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 43% of them. It spends £8,485 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,193.
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 | £3,724 | £3,202 | £2,920–£3,546 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,201 | £1,620 | £1,434–£1,828 |
Supply staff | £375 | £210 | £50–£299 |
Admin and clerical | £354 | £320 | £254–£349 |
Premises | £362 | £366 | £299–£449 |
Energy | £86 | £107 | £84–£120 |
Learning resources & ICT | £464 | £295 | £190–£395 |
Bought-in services | £176 | £160 | £64–£335 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Primary School Tight
- Mayfield Primary School Healthy
- Mauldeth Road Primary School Healthy
- Pinehurst Primary School Large reserves
- Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff Large reserves
- Ashbrow School Healthy
- Bedford Drive Primary School Healthy
- Westover Green Community School and Autism Centre Healthy
- Buswells Lodge Primary School Healthy
- Cherry Tree Primary School In deficit
- St Johns Church of England Primary School Tight
- Tymberwood Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.2m | £7,957 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £139k | £344 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £244k | £604 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £131k | £322 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on supply staff is £375 a pupil, against a typical £210 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £464 a pupil, against a typical £295 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,201 a pupil, against a typical £1,620 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 Matthew's CofE Primary School, Bolton · All Bolton school finances