Marlborough Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £417k in reserve, 28% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Sunderland · 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 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£30k | £152k | 186 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£1k | £153k | 181 |
2020-21 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£117k | £270k | 172 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£6k | £277k | 154 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£9k | £268k | 154 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£9k | £277k | 150 |
2024-25 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£12k | £265k | 140 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.3m | +£152k | £417k | 138 |
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 93% of them. It spends £9,647 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,965.
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 | £4,140 | £4,221 | £3,806–£4,670 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £959 | £1,969 | £1,561–£2,507 |
Supply staff | £693 | £225 | £137–£421 |
Admin and clerical | £633 | £464 | £331–£509 |
Premises | £582 | £605 | £479–£750 |
Energy | £186 | £169 | £137–£241 |
Learning resources & ICT | £352 | £406 | £261–£507 |
Bought-in services | £373 | £402 | £166–£558 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Larkspur Community Primary School In deficit
- St Nicholas of Tolentine Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Fishwick Primary School Large reserves
- St Michaels Junior Church School Healthy
- Somerlea Park Junior School Large reserves
- Elland Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Junior, Infant and Nursery School In deficit
- Ewanrigg Junior School Tight
- Astmoor Primary School Tight
- Kingsway Primary School In deficit
- Denaby Main Primary Academy Healthy
- Stanmore Primary School Heading for deficit
- Murdishaw West Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £10,240 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £88k | £637 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £134k | £974 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £71k | £515 |
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 26% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £693 a pupil, against a typical £225 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £633 a pupil, against a typical £464 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 Marlborough Primary School · All Sunderland school finances