Ropery Walk Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £164k in reserve, 10% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). County Durham · 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 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£821 | £141k | 251 |
2019-20 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£25k | £165k | 255 |
2020-21 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£66k | £231k | 259 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£11k | £220k | 256 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£38k | £258k | 258 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£4k | £262k | 255 |
2024-25 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£24k | £286k | 230 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£121k | £164k | 219 |
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 60% of them. It spends £8,390 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,223.
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 | £3,943 | £3,355 | £3,057–£3,550 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,587 | £1,484 | £1,189–£1,855 |
Supply staff | £120 | £108 | £56–£245 |
Admin and clerical | £282 | £362 | £316–£428 |
Premises | £334 | £394 | £341–£506 |
Energy | £113 | £110 | £82–£127 |
Learning resources & ICT | £344 | £318 | £237–£388 |
Bought-in services | £531 | £215 | £121–£307 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant School Large reserves
- The Iver Village Junior School Large reserves
- Summerhill Academy Healthy
- Witton Church Walk CofE Aided Nursery and Primary School In deficit
- Newington Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Ethelbert's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy In deficit
- Sawley Infant and Nursery School In deficit
- Grange Primary Academy Large reserves
- Livingstone Road Junior School Large reserves
- Chase Terrace Primary School Large reserves
- Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Sinclair Primary and Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.6m | £7,492 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £57k | £260 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £133k | £607 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £75k | £343 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 13% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £531 a pupil, against a typical £215 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £3,943 a pupil, against a typical £3,355 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 Ropery Walk Primary School · All County Durham school finances