Lionel Walden Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £70k, 5% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 5 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cambridgeshire · 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 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£24k | £88k | 220 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£16k | £104k | 217 |
2020-21 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£61k | £164k | 213 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£18k | £146k | 211 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£42k | £105k | 208 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£126k | -£21k | 214 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£35k | -£56k | 209 |
2025-26 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£14k | -£70k | 205 |
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 £7,116 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,849.
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 | £3,529 | £3,239 | £3,144–£3,470 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,223 | £1,254 | £1,144–£1,550 |
Supply staff | £25 | £71 | £32–£153 |
Admin and clerical | £211 | £345 | £306–£390 |
Premises | £200 | £353 | £300–£428 |
Energy | £110 | £99 | £79–£111 |
Learning resources & ICT | £393 | £290 | £239–£352 |
Bought-in services | £76 | £181 | £80–£300 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Rayne Primary and Nursery School Healthy
- Killinghall Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Fairfield Community Primary School Tight
- Ley Hill School Large reserves
- Chipping Ongar Primary School Large reserves
- Gilthill Primary School Large reserves
- Eastburn Primary School In deficit
- Coit Primary School Heading for deficit
- Iver Heath Infant School and Nursery In deficit
- Tregoze Primary School Large reserves
- Emersons Green Primary School Tight
- Clarborough Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £6,679 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £30k | £149 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £47k | £227 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £76k | £370 |
Money raised by parents
LIONEL WALDEN SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (charity 1183159, Registered) raised £6k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-07 | £6k | £10k |
2024-07 | £10k | £7k |
2023-07 | £10k | £7k |
2022-07 | £10k | £13k |
2021-07 | £4k | £1k |
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?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £393 a pupil, against a typical £290 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 Lionel Walden Primary School · All Cambridgeshire school finances