St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Crewe: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £816k in reserve, 22% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cheshire East · Primary · Voluntary aided 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 | £2.6m | £2.6m | -£25k | £376k | 598 |
2019-20 | £2.7m | £2.8m | -£54k | £322k | 573 |
2020-21 | £2.8m | £2.8m | +£72k | £394k | 562 |
2021-22 | £3.0m | £3.0m | +£79k | £472k | 592 |
2022-23 | £3.3m | £3.2m | +£105k | £577k | 582 |
2023-24 | £3.7m | £3.4m | +£333k | £911k | 600 |
2024-25 | £3.8m | £3.9m | -£102k | £808k | 580 |
2025-26 | £3.7m | £3.7m | +£8k | £816k | 550 |
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 87% of them. It spends £6,671 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,303.
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 | £2,963 | £3,043 | £2,731–£3,394 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,706 | £1,251 | £1,082–£1,621 |
Supply staff | £71 | £102 | £37–£192 |
Admin and clerical | £302 | £290 | £246–£347 |
Premises | £298 | £297 | £252–£342 |
Energy | £84 | £86 | £68–£104 |
Learning resources & ICT | £266 | £243 | £200–£307 |
Bought-in services | £176 | £134 | £91–£167 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- White Court School Healthy
- Lord Scudamore Primary Academy Large reserves
- Avenue Primary School In deficit
- Wimborne Primary School Large reserves
- Tower Road Academy Large reserves
- Southcote Primary School Healthy
- St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Portfields Primary School Heading for deficit
- Heyes Lane Primary School Healthy
- Francis Baily Primary School Large reserves
- Wixams Tree Primary Academy Large reserves
- Barnes Farm Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.6m | £6,460 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £138k | £251 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £154k | £281 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £124k | £226 |
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?
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 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Crewe · All Cheshire East school finances