Birch Copse Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £51k 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). West Berkshire · 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 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£29k | £56k | 424 |
2019-20 | £1.9m | £2.0m | -£48k | £8k | 421 |
2020-21 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£17k | £24k | 425 |
2021-22 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£15k | £40k | 425 |
2022-23 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£36k | £75k | 423 |
2023-24 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£55k | £20k | 418 |
2024-25 | £2.6m | £2.6m | -£3k | £17k | 416 |
2025-26 | £2.8m | £2.8m | +£34k | £51k | 420 |
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 17% of them. It spends £6,670 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,091.
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 | £3,391 | £3,046 | £2,759–£3,276 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,351 | £993 | £872–£1,224 |
Supply staff | £5 | £68 | £27–£154 |
Admin and clerical | £284 | £259 | £193–£310 |
Premises | £185 | £293 | £249–£313 |
Energy | £51 | £79 | £64–£107 |
Learning resources & ICT | £266 | £243 | £196–£279 |
Bought-in services | £106 | £105 | £61–£233 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Blackhorse Primary School Heading for deficit
- St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy Healthy
- Butlers Court School Heading for deficit
- Heron Hill Primary School Healthy
- Methley Primary School Large reserves
- Holmes Chapel Primary School Large reserves
- Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School Large reserves
- Crowlees Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School Healthy
- Oakley Vale Primary School In deficit
- Moor Hall Primary School Healthy
- Poppleton Ousebank Primary School Large reserves
- Falkland Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.4m | £5,809 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £84k | £199 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £59k | £140 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £395k | £941 |
Money raised by parents
BIRCH COPSE SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (charity 1078719, Registered) raised £43k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £43k | £17k |
2024-08 | £52k | £20k |
2023-08 | £33k | £22k |
2022-08 | £22k | £19k |
2021-08 | £26k | £28k |
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 would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,351 a pupil, against a typical £993 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 Birch Copse Primary School · All West Berkshire school finances