Castle Primary School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 4 years running; at that rate its £247k reserve runs out in about 3 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Devon · Primary · Foundation 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 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£4k | £111k | 320 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£80k | £191k | 320 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.7m | +£219k | £409k | 306 |
2021-22 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£178k | £587k | 309 |
2022-23 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£66k | £521k | 314 |
2023-24 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£74k | £447k | 295 |
2024-25 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£113k | £334k | 287 |
2025-26 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£87k | £247k | 293 |
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 83% of them. It spends £7,164 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,156.
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 | £3,323 | £3,318 | £3,126–£3,761 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,730 | £1,538 | £1,271–£1,863 |
Supply staff | £69 | £110 | £47–£370 |
Admin and clerical | £422 | £364 | £271–£407 |
Premises | £394 | £352 | £282–£429 |
Energy | £109 | £110 | £80–£146 |
Learning resources & ICT | £192 | £281 | £223–£402 |
Bought-in services | £149 | £150 | £101–£209 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Lea Community Primary School Healthy
- Casterton Primary Academy Healthy
- Woodland View Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Castle Hill Junior School Healthy
- Oakwood Primary Academy Healthy
- Manor Primary School Tight
- Keighley St Andrew's CofE Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Oswaldtwistle St Andrew's Church of England Primary School In deficit
- St Elphin's Church of England Primary Academy Healthy
- Priory Lane Community School In deficit
- Langafel Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.0m | £6,723 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £115k | £391 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £161k | £551 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £42k | £145 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 8% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
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 Castle Primary School · All Devon school finances