Houghton Conquest Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £207k, 20% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 4 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Central Bedfordshire · 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 | £594k | £654k | -£60k | -£16k | 96 |
2019-20 | £594k | £634k | -£39k | -£56k | 98 |
2020-21 | £606k | £600k | +£5k | -£51k | 108 |
2021-22 | £753k | £731k | +£22k | -£28k | 126 |
2022-23 | £850k | £857k | -£7k | -£35k | 122 |
2023-24 | £862k | £917k | -£55k | -£90k | 120 |
2024-25 | £883k | £940k | -£56k | -£146k | 127 |
2025-26 | £1.0m | £1.1m | -£61k | -£207k | 120 |
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 £8,989 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,037.
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 | £3,611 | £3,678 | £3,286–£3,899 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,368 | £1,613 | £1,213–£2,004 |
Supply staff | £50 | £166 | £62–£476 |
Admin and clerical | £870 | £408 | £317–£546 |
Premises | £445 | £402 | £323–£532 |
Energy | £116 | £132 | £102–£164 |
Learning resources & ICT | £433 | £323 | £268–£413 |
Bought-in services | £212 | £207 | £108–£398 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- William Lilley Infant and Nursery School Tight
- Luddington & Garthorpe Primary Large reserves
- Layston Church of England First School In deficit
- St Peter's Church of England Junior School Healthy
- Sleights Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Large reserves
- Stallingborough CofE Primary School Tight
- St Charles Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy In deficit
- St Catherine's Roman Catholic School In deficit
- Saint Edmund's Roman Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Kilburn Infant and Nursery School Healthy
- Tilstock CofE Primary and Nursery Healthy
- Brownsover Community School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £982k | £8,180 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £56k | £464 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £37k | £306 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £36k | £301 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF HOUGHTON CONQUEST LOWER SCHOOL (charity 1093797, Registered) raised £164 in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2026-08 | £164 | £791 |
2025-08 | £10k | £6k |
2024-08 | £3k | £2k |
2023-08 | £5k | £5k |
2022-08 | £6k | £7k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £870 a pupil, against a typical £408 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,368 a pupil, against a typical £1,613 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Houghton Conquest Primary School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances