St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan: school finances
Tight
Holds £16k 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). Wigan · 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 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£9k | £14k | 348 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£23k | £37k | 347 |
2020-21 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£16k | £53k | 339 |
2021-22 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£10k | £63k | 343 |
2022-23 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£3k | £60k | 340 |
2023-24 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£36k | £24k | 336 |
2024-25 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£6k | £30k | 334 |
2025-26 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£14k | £16k | 319 |
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 £6,918 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,207.
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 | £3,464 | £3,081 | £2,899–£3,306 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,349 | £1,108 | £797–£1,399 |
Supply staff | £120 | £120 | £54–£173 |
Admin and clerical | £304 | £281 | £216–£345 |
Premises | £310 | £300 | £274–£396 |
Energy | £64 | £82 | £70–£101 |
Learning resources & ICT | £235 | £245 | £193–£283 |
Bought-in services | £203 | £137 | £58–£188 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Theydon Bois Primary School Tight
- Whittington Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- The Firs Lower School Large reserves
- St Martin & St Mary Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School Healthy
- Recreation Road Infant School Heading for deficit
- South Wellfield First School Large reserves
- Langho and Billington St Leonards Church of England Primary School Healthy
- St Richard's Catholic Primary School Healthy
- South Gosforth First School In deficit
- Highfields Primary School Healthy
- Davenham CofE Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.9m | £5,871 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £97k | £304 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £25k | £79 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £320k | £1,003 |
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 8% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
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 Aidan's Catholic Primary School, Wigan · All Wigan school finances