St James' Catholic Primary School Orrell: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £186k in reserve, 8% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
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 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£67k | £168k | 417 |
2019-20 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£51k | £219k | 416 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£133k | £353k | 400 |
2021-22 | £2.0m | £1.9m | +£32k | £385k | 402 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£19k | £366k | 401 |
2023-24 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£52k | £418k | 385 |
2024-25 | £2.2m | £2.3m | -£121k | £297k | 371 |
2025-26 | £2.2m | £2.3m | -£111k | £186k | 347 |
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 73% of them. It spends £6,730 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,056.
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 | £3,496 | £3,027 | £2,812–£3,226 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £972 | £1,103 | £987–£1,294 |
Supply staff | £401 | £105 | £38–£204 |
Admin and clerical | £260 | £246 | £195–£343 |
Premises | £316 | £297 | £260–£342 |
Energy | £59 | £84 | £68–£108 |
Learning resources & ICT | £208 | £291 | £199–£351 |
Bought-in services | £236 | £118 | £68–£232 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Mary Elton Primary School Healthy
- Middleton Cheney Primary Academy Large reserves
- High Down Junior School Healthy
- Abbey Junior School In deficit
- Kents Hill Junior School Large reserves
- The Grove Junior School Healthy
- Farley Hill Primary School Large reserves
- Deer Park Primary School Healthy
- North Worcester Primary School Large reserves
- Lydgate Infant School In deficit
- Bentley Heath Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Canada Hill Community Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.1m | £5,927 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £37k | £107 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £66k | £191 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £167k | £482 |
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?
- 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 supply staff is £401 a pupil, against a typical £105 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 James' Catholic Primary School Orrell · All Wigan school finances