St Swithun's Church of England VC Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £40k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Central Bedfordshire · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £986k | £1.1m | -£111k | £51k | 218 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£238 | £52k | 224 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£32k | £83k | 218 |
2021-22 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£25k | £108k | 204 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£42k | £66k | 214 |
2023-24 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£10k | £77k | 216 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£6k | £82k | 192 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£42k | £40k | 165 |
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 27% of them. It spends £10,389 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,388.
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 | £5,100 | £3,560 | £3,060–£3,902 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,264 | £1,244 | £978–£1,512 |
Supply staff | £339 | £105 | £27–£213 |
Admin and clerical | £442 | £377 | £284–£440 |
Premises | £393 | £372 | £326–£444 |
Energy | £96 | £96 | £70–£114 |
Learning resources & ICT | £291 | £301 | £191–£373 |
Bought-in services | £222 | £197 | £90–£289 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Avenue Infant School Large reserves
- Tidcombe Primary School Healthy
- Freethorpe Community Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Bidbury Infant School Large reserves
- Appleby Primary School Large reserves
- St Edward's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Homer First School and Nursery In deficit
- Slimbridge Primary School Large reserves
- Southsea Infant School Healthy
- Bollington Cross CofE Primary School In deficit
- Colwall CofE Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Tasburgh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £9,354 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £244k | £1,480 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £52k | £312 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £129k | £779 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 24% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £339 a pupil, against a typical £105 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,264 a pupil, against a typical £1,244 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £5,100 a pupil, against a typical £3,560 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 St Swithun's Church of England VC Primary School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances