Elton Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £179k in reserve, 12% 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 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£33k | £99k | 204 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£53k | £153k | 196 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £1.0m | +£59k | £212k | 186 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£32k | £179k | 206 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£86k | £93k | 196 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£108k | £201k | 202 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£14k | £215k | 200 |
2025-26 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£37k | £179k | 192 |
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 77% of them. It spends £7,668 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,102.
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 | £3,520 | £3,290 | £2,929–£3,629 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,927 | £1,310 | £1,019–£1,642 |
Supply staff | £47 | £141 | £76–£265 |
Admin and clerical | £369 | £361 | £225–£426 |
Premises | £388 | £398 | £303–£482 |
Energy | £152 | £97 | £80–£119 |
Learning resources & ICT | £228 | £267 | £199–£371 |
Bought-in services | £244 | £156 | £71–£313 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Roundwood Primary School In deficit
- John Blow Primary School In deficit
- Clayton Village Academy Healthy
- Chilvers Coton Community Infant School Large reserves
- Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Tight
- St James' CofE Academy Healthy
- The Alderton Infant School and Nursery Large reserves
- St Mary's Primary School Knaresborough, A Voluntary Catholic Academy Large reserves
- Poulner Infant School and Nursery In deficit
- St Matthew's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School Healthy
- The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £7,176 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £132k | £692 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £50k | £260 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £58k | £301 |
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 energy is £152 a pupil, against a typical £97 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,927 a pupil, against a typical £1,310 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 Elton Primary School · All Cheshire West and Chester school finances