Livingstone Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £31k 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). Bedford · Primary · Foundation 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 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£72k | £159k | 400 |
2019-20 | £2.1m | £2.0m | +£28k | £186k | 378 |
2020-21 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£35k | £152k | 384 |
2021-22 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£60k | £92k | 390 |
2022-23 | £2.5m | £2.6m | -£57k | £35k | 405 |
2023-24 | £2.7m | £2.7m | +£3k | £39k | 427 |
2024-25 | £3.0m | £3.0m | +£17k | £56k | 434 |
2025-26 | £3.1m | £3.1m | -£24k | £31k | 437 |
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 7% of them. It spends £7,143 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,096.
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 | £2,888 | £3,199 | £3,039–£3,648 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,128 | £1,474 | £1,147–£1,766 |
Supply staff | £22 | £143 | £40–£295 |
Admin and clerical | £404 | £287 | £264–£336 |
Premises | £310 | £367 | £298–£469 |
Energy | £94 | £97 | £78–£121 |
Learning resources & ICT | £357 | £271 | £201–£338 |
Bought-in services | £164 | £200 | £109–£305 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Clarendon Primary School Large reserves
- Billingham South Community Primary School Healthy
- Sandford Hill Primary School Large reserves
- Mount Carmel RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- Scraptoft Valley Primary School Healthy
- Newby Primary School Healthy
- Acacias Community Primary School Large reserves
- English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, Fenham Large reserves
- Willowbrook School Large reserves
- Freehold Community Academy Large reserves
- The Gateway Primary Free School Healthy
- Crocketts Community Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.0m | £6,912 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £142k | £326 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £204k | £467 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £91k | £209 |
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,128 a pupil, against a typical £1,474 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £404 a pupil, against a typical £287 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 Livingstone Primary School · All Bedford school finances