St Mary's CofE School, Truro: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £252k in reserve, 16% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cornwall · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £1.0m | £918k | +£96k | £500k | 210 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.0m | +£78k | £578k | 212 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £1.0m | +£85k | £663k | 211 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£15k | £649k | 212 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.4m | -£183k | £466k | 207 |
2023-24 | £1.4m | £1.6m | -£236k | £230k | 209 |
2024-25 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£8k | £223k | 206 |
2025-26 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£29k | £252k | 203 |
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 £7,850 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,732.
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 | £3,593 | £3,188 | £3,031–£3,373 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,926 | £1,207 | £1,062–£1,461 |
Supply staff | £55 | £73 | £30–£153 |
Admin and clerical | £378 | £342 | £283–£445 |
Premises | £323 | £327 | £282–£386 |
Energy | £133 | £102 | £78–£111 |
Learning resources & ICT | £492 | £328 | £246–£395 |
Bought-in services | £353 | £158 | £80–£267 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Potten End CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Donisthorpe Primary School Healthy
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Heading for deficit
- Tregoze Primary School Large reserves
- Harlowbury Primary School Large reserves
- King William Street Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Coit Primary School Heading for deficit
- Aspull Church Primary School Large reserves
- Chipping Ongar Primary School Large reserves
- Gilthill Primary School Large reserves
- All Saints Church of England Primary School and Nursery, Bishop's Stortford In deficit
- Weston Turville Church of England School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.6m | £7,686 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £182k | £894 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £65k | £318 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £62k | £306 |
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 bought-in services is £353 a pupil, against a typical £158 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,926 a pupil, against a typical £1,207 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £492 a pupil, against a typical £328 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £133 a pupil, against a typical £102 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.
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