Cherry Dale Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £59k 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). Barnsley · 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 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£41k | £75k | 301 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£30k | £45k | 299 |
2020-21 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£71k | £116k | 298 |
2021-22 | £1.8m | £1.9m | -£64k | £52k | 303 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£20k | £72k | 306 |
2023-24 | £2.2m | £2.1m | +£71k | £143k | 316 |
2024-25 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£34k | £109k | 312 |
2025-26 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£50k | £59k | 318 |
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 £7,829 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,256.
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 | £3,435 | £3,461 | £3,075–£3,764 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,463 | £1,474 | £1,300–£1,715 |
Supply staff | £153 | £107 | £33–£227 |
Admin and clerical | £171 | £289 | £231–£367 |
Premises | £1,306 | £360 | £311–£475 |
Energy | £0 | £110 | £82–£138 |
Learning resources & ICT | £603 | £262 | £212–£365 |
Bought-in services | £70 | £168 | £103–£254 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Robert Bakewell Primary School Large reserves
- Diamond Hall Infant Academy Large reserves
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Healthy
- Barnard Grove Primary School In deficit
- Morelands Primary School Tight
- Conifers Primary School Large reserves
- Perryfields Primary School Large reserves
- St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary and Pre-School Large reserves
- Tanfield Lea Community Primary School Large reserves
- Park Way Primary School Healthy
- Wenlock CofE Academy Healthy
- Bishopton Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.3m | £7,374 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £55k | £174 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £158k | £499 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £94k | £298 |
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?
- Spending on premises is £1,306 a pupil, against a typical £360 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £603 a pupil, against a typical £262 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 Cherry Dale Primary School · All Barnsley school finances