Irk Valley Community School: school finances
Tight
Holds £81k 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). Manchester · 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 | £2.7m | £2.6m | +£69k | £422k | 481 |
2019-20 | £2.5m | £2.8m | -£316k | £105k | 481 |
2020-21 | £2.7m | £2.7m | +£46k | £151k | 462 |
2021-22 | £2.8m | £2.8m | -£54k | £97k | 466 |
2022-23 | £2.9m | £3.0m | -£78k | £19k | 438 |
2023-24 | £3.1m | £3.1m | +£2k | £21k | 476 |
2024-25 | £3.3m | £3.3m | +£36k | £58k | 459 |
2025-26 | £3.6m | £3.6m | +£23k | £81k | 437 |
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 20% of them. It spends £8,231 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,840.
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 | £3,310 | £3,345 | £3,079–£3,696 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,200 | £1,805 | £1,477–£2,008 |
Supply staff | £795 | £117 | £61–£325 |
Admin and clerical | £362 | £348 | £261–£419 |
Premises | £795 | £402 | £323–£534 |
Energy | £139 | £103 | £89–£131 |
Learning resources & ICT | £400 | £297 | £223–£386 |
Bought-in services | £208 | £233 | £122–£327 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Gwladys Street Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Smith's Wood Primary Academy Large reserves
- Fairburn View Primary School, Castleford Healthy
- Brocklewood Primary and Nursery School Healthy
- Stradbroke Primary School Heading for deficit
- Chantry Community Primary School Healthy
- Horton Park Primary School Large reserves
- St. Margaret's Anfield Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Cavendish Primary School Tight
- Northcote Primary School Large reserves
- Penbridge Junior School Healthy
- The Priory Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.4m | £7,805 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £298k | £683 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £270k | £619 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £210k | £479 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 9% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £795 a pupil, against a typical £117 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £795 a pupil, against a typical £402 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.
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