Russell Lower School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £237k in reserve, 8% 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 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£543 | £187k | 385 |
2019-20 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£23k | £210k | 406 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£3k | £213k | 423 |
2021-22 | £2.2m | £2.1m | +£63k | £276k | 439 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.4m | -£4k | £272k | 449 |
2023-24 | £2.6m | £2.6m | +£17k | £289k | 448 |
2024-25 | £2.9m | £2.9m | +£51k | £339k | 443 |
2025-26 | £2.9m | £3.0m | -£102k | £237k | 437 |
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 57% of them. It spends £6,919 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £5,987.
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 | £3,077 | £2,916 | £2,815–£3,111 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,327 | £1,236 | £1,016–£1,325 |
Supply staff | £106 | £67 | £33–£140 |
Admin and clerical | £288 | £305 | £207–£371 |
Premises | £254 | £280 | £238–£327 |
Energy | £90 | £74 | £62–£90 |
Learning resources & ICT | £331 | £257 | £212–£336 |
Bought-in services | £80 | £112 | £84–£176 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Bessacarr Primary Large reserves
- Prae Wood Primary School Large reserves
- Lady Boswell's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Sevenoaks Heading for deficit
- The Gerrards Cross CofE School Large reserves
- Carnarvon Primary School In deficit
- Northgate Primary School Large reserves
- Bridgewater Primary School Large reserves
- Norbury Hall Primary School Healthy
- St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Round Diamond Primary School Large reserves
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy In deficit
- Cuffley School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.6m | £5,863 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £108k | £248 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £29k | £67 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £366k | £838 |
Money raised by parents
RUSSELL LOWER SCHOOL PTA (charity 1095343, Registered) raised £28k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-12 | £28k | £26k |
2024-12 | £9k | £36k |
2023-12 | £27k | £3k |
2022-12 | £15k | £12k |
2021-12 | £10k | £2k |
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?
- 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 Russell Lower School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances