Light Oaks Infant School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £104k in reserve, 6% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Salford · 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 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£5k | £71k | 288 |
2019-20 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£7k | £78k | 284 |
2020-21 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£39k | £118k | 278 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£56k | £62k | 286 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£21k | £41k | 285 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£16k | £57k | 274 |
2024-25 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£73k | £130k | 268 |
2025-26 | £1.8m | £1.8m | -£26k | £104k | 240 |
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 30% of them. It spends £7,428 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,352.
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 | £3,610 | £3,015 | £2,776–£3,319 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £904 | £1,122 | £842–£1,526 |
Supply staff | £338 | £107 | £45–£213 |
Admin and clerical | £249 | £296 | £227–£374 |
Premises | £354 | £322 | £280–£383 |
Energy | £106 | £100 | £88–£121 |
Learning resources & ICT | £40 | £339 | £197–£412 |
Bought-in services | £825 | £107 | £54–£230 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Aloysius Catholic Junior School Academy Large reserves
- The Ridge Junior School Healthy
- Writtle Junior School Large reserves
- Christ Church Ainsworth Church of England Primary School In deficit
- St Joseph Catholic Primary School Healthy
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy Large reserves
- St Teresa's RC Primary School a Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- St Chad's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Eagley Junior School Large reserves
- St Luke's Catholic Academy Healthy
- Temple Mill Primary School Large reserves
- Westdale Junior School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £7,259 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £66k | £276 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £61k | £253 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £15k | £62 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Pupil numbers have fallen 17% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £825 a pupil, against a typical £107 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £338 a pupil, against a typical £107 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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