Southill Lower School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £88k in reserve, 13% 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 | £442k | £446k | -£4k | £37k | 53 |
2019-20 | £411k | £400k | +£10k | £47k | 58 |
2020-21 | £438k | £409k | +£29k | £76k | 54 |
2021-22 | £470k | £530k | -£60k | £17k | 66 |
2022-23 | £575k | £564k | +£11k | £27k | 60 |
2023-24 | £615k | £572k | +£43k | £70k | 66 |
2024-25 | £651k | £689k | -£38k | £32k | 68 |
2025-26 | £680k | £624k | +£56k | £88k | 73 |
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 67% of them. It spends £8,549 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,849.
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 | £3,135 | £4,447 | £4,054–£4,880 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,210 | £1,430 | £1,213–£1,778 |
Supply staff | £151 | £115 | £38–£215 |
Admin and clerical | £522 | £452 | £380–£560 |
Premises | £421 | £449 | £300–£654 |
Energy | £164 | £137 | £102–£177 |
Learning resources & ICT | £211 | £368 | £278–£579 |
Bought-in services | £546 | £237 | £113–£338 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Norbury CofE Primary School Tight
- Rogate CofE Primary School In deficit
- William Gilpin Church of England Primary School Tight
- Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy Large reserves
- Egloskerry Primary School Healthy
- Gunthorpe CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Appleton Wiske Community Primary School Healthy
- Llangrove CE Academy Large reserves
- Snarestone Church of England School Healthy
- Great Paxton CofE Primary School In deficit
- Hackness Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Moor Row Community Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £641k | £8,777 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £45k | £615 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £9k | £129 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £40k | £551 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF SOUTHILL LOWER SCHOOL (charity 1149549, Registered) raised £4k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £4k | £5k |
2024-08 | £5k | £3k |
2023-08 | £4k | £6k |
2022-08 | £2k | £1k |
2021-08 | £1k | £3k |
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 bought-in services is £546 a pupil, against a typical £237 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,210 a pupil, against a typical £1,430 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 Southill Lower School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances