Darnhall Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £314k in reserve, 9% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cheshire West and Chester · 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 | -£25k | -£71k | 320 |
2019-20 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£62k | -£9k | 332 |
2020-21 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£49k | £40k | 338 |
2021-22 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£89k | -£49k | 382 |
2022-23 | £2.8m | £2.7m | +£62k | £13k | 412 |
2023-24 | £3.0m | £3.2m | -£131k | -£118k | 430 |
2024-25 | £3.5m | £3.2m | +£247k | £129k | 436 |
2025-26 | £3.7m | £3.5m | +£185k | £314k | 421 |
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 43% of them. It spends £8,259 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,020.
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 | £3,314 | £3,145 | £2,963–£3,365 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,110 | £1,722 | £1,506–£1,960 |
Supply staff | £173 | £115 | £36–£279 |
Admin and clerical | £341 | £289 | £251–£330 |
Premises | £391 | £381 | £311–£439 |
Energy | £93 | £100 | £84–£120 |
Learning resources & ICT | £428 | £259 | £194–£358 |
Bought-in services | £318 | £183 | £85–£366 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Widden Primary School Large reserves
- Scotholme Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Bentley High Street Primary School Large reserves
- Holy Trinity CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School Healthy
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary Academy Large reserves
- North Mead Primary Academy Large reserves
- Friars Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Ryders Green Primary School Large reserves
- Hanbury Primary School Heading for deficit
- Brandhall Primary School Healthy
- Springdale Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.5m | £8,240 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £289k | £687 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £273k | £648 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £193k | £459 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £428 a pupil, against a typical £259 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 Darnhall Primary School · All Cheshire West and Chester school finances