Shefford Lower School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £413k in reserve, 12% of a year's income.
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 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£40k | £138k | 472 |
2019-20 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£26k | £111k | 483 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£179k | £290k | 477 |
2021-22 | £2.5m | £2.5m | +£34k | £324k | 484 |
2022-23 | £2.6m | £2.7m | -£29k | £296k | 490 |
2023-24 | £2.9m | £2.9m | -£60k | £235k | 490 |
2024-25 | £3.2m | £3.1m | +£143k | £378k | 488 |
2025-26 | £3.5m | £3.5m | +£35k | £413k | 493 |
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 70% of them. It spends £7,027 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,388.
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 | £2,992 | £3,084 | £2,731–£3,283 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,996 | £1,289 | £1,138–£1,615 |
Supply staff | £30 | £91 | £7–£157 |
Admin and clerical | £461 | £278 | £195–£348 |
Premises | £365 | £321 | £275–£376 |
Energy | £79 | £74 | £61–£112 |
Learning resources & ICT | £244 | £265 | £213–£338 |
Bought-in services | £50 | £128 | £62–£200 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Hugglescote Community Primary School Large reserves
- Dosthill Primary School Large reserves
- Penistone St John's Voluntary Aided Primary School In deficit
- West Hove Infant School Tight
- Queen's Park Academy Large reserves
- Talavera Junior School Large reserves
- Lakeside Primary School Large reserves
- St Anthony's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Marlcliffe Community Primary School Heading for deficit
- Round Hill Primary School Healthy
- Garden Fields Junior Mixed and Infant School Large reserves
- William Cobbett Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.4m | £6,966 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £371k | £753 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £85k | £173 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £65k | £132 |
Money raised by parents
SHEFFORD LOWER SCHOOL PARENTS AND STAFF ASSOCIATION (charity 1043462, Registered) raised £12k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2026-08 | £12k | £13k |
2025-08 | £25k | £30k |
2024-03 | £24k | £24k |
2023-03 | £16k | £12k |
2022-03 | £8k | £5k |
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 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?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £461 a pupil, against a typical £278 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,996 a pupil, against a typical £1,289 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 Shefford Lower School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances