Potton Primary School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 4 years running; at that rate its £220k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Central Bedfordshire · 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 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£48k | £61k | 270 |
2019-20 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£67k | £128k | 286 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£100k | £228k | 268 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.3m | +£165k | £392k | 278 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£59k | £333k | 280 |
2023-24 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£55k | £278k | 413 |
2024-25 | £2.4m | £2.4m | -£50k | £530k | 390 |
2025-26 | £2.4m | £2.7m | -£310k | £220k | 387 |
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 63% of them. It spends £6,963 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,345.
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 | £3,021 | £3,162 | £2,989–£3,295 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,764 | £1,239 | £1,062–£1,420 |
Supply staff | £130 | £159 | £45–£266 |
Admin and clerical | £325 | £290 | £219–£347 |
Premises | £379 | £295 | £240–£375 |
Energy | £98 | £82 | £73–£105 |
Learning resources & ICT | £695 | £235 | £186–£314 |
Bought-in services | £133 | £109 | £46–£229 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Minterne Junior School Healthy
- Etchells Primary School Tight
- Sheringham Community Primary School Healthy
- Sunnyside Primary Academy Large reserves
- Puss Bank School and Nursery Healthy
- St Marie's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Cedars Primary School Large reserves
- St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary School Large reserves
- Trimley St Mary Primary School Large reserves
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Rochdale, a Voluntary Academy Tight
- Valley Invicta Primary School At Aylesford Large reserves
- River Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.4m | £6,127 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £160k | £412 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £109k | £282 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £90k | £234 |
Money raised by parents
PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF POTTON LOWER SCHOOL (charity 1020321, Registered) raised £7k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £7k | £5k |
2024-08 | £8k | £6k |
2023-08 | £6k | £7k |
2022-08 | £4k | £1k |
2021-08 | £0 | £111 |
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.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £695 a pupil, against a typical £235 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,764 a pupil, against a typical £1,239 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 Potton Primary School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances