Caversham Park Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £130k, 12% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Reading · 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 | £908k | £919k | -£11k | £39k | 198 |
2019-20 | £966k | £950k | +£16k | £55k | 195 |
2020-21 | £963k | £977k | -£14k | £41k | 176 |
2021-22 | £951k | £982k | -£32k | £10k | 144 |
2022-23 | £953k | £971k | -£18k | -£9k | 137 |
2023-24 | £945k | £1.0m | -£70k | -£78k | 124 |
2024-25 | £1.0m | £1.1m | -£71k | -£149k | 110 |
2025-26 | £1.1m | £1.0m | +£19k | -£130k | 90 |
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 7% of them. It spends £11,558 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,858.
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 | £6,639 | £3,961 | £3,580–£4,151 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,362 | £1,244 | £905–£1,457 |
Supply staff | £31 | £80 | £20–£232 |
Admin and clerical | £997 | £359 | £267–£482 |
Premises | £346 | £340 | £271–£443 |
Energy | £146 | £124 | £95–£160 |
Learning resources & ICT | £437 | £460 | £350–£562 |
Bought-in services | £463 | £185 | £109–£322 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Clive CofE Primary School Healthy
- Tedburn St Mary School Healthy
- Eccleston CofE Primary School Healthy
- Gorran School Large reserves
- Stockton-on-the-Forest Primary School Large reserves
- Hailey Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
- Widecombe-in-the-Moor Primary Healthy
- St Andrew's Church of England Infant School Large reserves
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell Tight
- Digby the Tedder Primary School Healthy
- Church Walk CofE Primary School In deficit
- Eckington CofE First School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.0m | £11,252 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £25k | £276 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £18k | £200 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £46k | £516 |
Money raised by parents
CAVERSHAM PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL PARENT STAFF ASSOCIATION (charity 1185867, Registered) raised £6k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-12 | £6k | £7k |
2024-12 | £5k | £12k |
2023-12 | £7k | £6k |
2022-12 | £8k | £5k |
2021-12 | £5k | £873 |
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.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 55% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £997 a pupil, against a typical £359 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £463 a pupil, against a typical £185 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £6,639 a pupil, against a typical £3,961 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 Caversham Park Primary School · All Reading school finances