Castlethorpe First School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £822, 0% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 2 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Milton Keynes · 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 | £331k | £340k | -£9k | £29k | 43 |
2019-20 | £328k | £346k | -£18k | £11k | 41 |
2020-21 | £330k | £325k | +£5k | £16k | 45 |
2021-22 | £338k | £342k | -£4k | £12k | 44 |
2022-23 | £369k | £351k | +£18k | £30k | 38 |
2023-24 | £395k | £384k | +£11k | £41k | 32 |
2024-25 | £420k | £438k | -£18k | £23k | 35 |
2025-26 | £431k | £455k | -£24k | -£822 | 39 |
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 13% of them. It spends £11,676 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £11,841.
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 | £4,922 | £5,605 | £4,715–£6,700 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,731 | £2,086 | £1,622–£2,693 |
Supply staff | £0 | £121 | £42–£525 |
Admin and clerical | £1,050 | £670 | £512–£957 |
Premises | £215 | £539 | £407–£778 |
Energy | £149 | £207 | £163–£275 |
Learning resources & ICT | £878 | £626 | £316–£840 |
Bought-in services | £175 | £360 | £44–£518 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Mabyn CofE School Large reserves
- Ravensmere Infant School Tight
- Ashill Community Primary School Healthy
- Coads Green Primary School Tight
- Cambo First School Large reserves
- Kinlet CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Kingsley St John's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Weston Lullingfields Church of England Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Woodton Primary School Healthy
- Vernham Dean Gillum's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St James' CofE Primary School In deficit
- Clutton Church of England Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £420k | £10,757 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £2k | £59 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £5k | £117 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £12k | £304 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF CASTLETHORPE SCHOOL (charity 1052394, Registered) raised £2k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £2k | £3k |
2024-08 | £6k | £3k |
2023-08 | £4k | £1k |
2022-08 | £5k | £6k |
2021-08 | £3k | £445 |
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 9% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- 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 Castlethorpe First School · All Milton Keynes school finances