Chalton Lower School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 4 years running; at that rate its £51k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
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 | £226k | £340k | -£114k | £101k | 61 |
2019-20 | £364k | £361k | +£2k | £104k | 67 |
2020-21 | £408k | £382k | +£26k | £130k | 65 |
2021-22 | £427k | £401k | +£26k | £156k | 68 |
2022-23 | £401k | £420k | -£19k | £137k | 67 |
2023-24 | £464k | £496k | -£32k | £105k | 67 |
2024-25 | £493k | £545k | -£51k | £53k | 64 |
2025-26 | £586k | £589k | -£3k | £51k | 65 |
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 40% of them. It spends £9,058 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,338.
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 | £4,200 | £4,430 | £3,901–£4,956 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,184 | £1,399 | £1,151–£1,967 |
Supply staff | £102 | £162 | £84–£370 |
Admin and clerical | £557 | £502 | £385–£639 |
Premises | £265 | £469 | £403–£644 |
Energy | £67 | £147 | £113–£191 |
Learning resources & ICT | £359 | £436 | £373–£595 |
Bought-in services | £338 | £268 | £104–£385 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Cockerham Parochial CofE Primary School Healthy
- Beeston Primary School In deficit
- Shipley CofE Primary School Healthy
- Bamford Primary School Large reserves
- Curry Mallet Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Norbury Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Barmby-on-the-Marsh Primary School Healthy
- Orchard Grove Primary School Large reserves
- Garras Community Primary School Healthy
- Curbar Primary School Tight
- Belton Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Broad Hinton Church of England Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £561k | £8,634 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £36k | £547 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £13k | £204 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £25k | £383 |
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,184 a pupil, against a typical £1,399 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 Chalton Lower School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances