Etherley Lane Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £385k in reserve, 21% 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 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£79k | £56k | 299 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£127k | £183k | 266 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£77k | £260k | 250 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£41k | £219k | 255 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£16k | £203k | 234 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£95k | £298k | 226 |
2024-25 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£79k | £377k | 208 |
2025-26 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£9k | £385k | 190 |
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 93% of them. It spends £9,544 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,893.
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 | £3,973 | £3,625 | £3,317–£3,951 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,174 | £1,566 | £1,254–£1,766 |
Supply staff | £329 | £250 | £75–£463 |
Admin and clerical | £383 | £357 | £290–£429 |
Premises | £603 | £429 | £342–£504 |
Energy | £109 | £146 | £115–£165 |
Learning resources & ICT | £587 | £328 | £237–£378 |
Bought-in services | £225 | £182 | £129–£405 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Silver Tree Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Sutton Manor Community Primary School Healthy
- Bryn St Peter's CofE Primary School Healthy
- Welbourne Primary Academy Large reserves
- St Helen Auckland Community Primary School Large reserves
- Angram Bank Primary School In deficit
- Mersey Drive Community Primary School Tight
- Brookvale Primary School Heading for deficit
- Oughton Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Whitefield Community Primary School Large reserves
- Sacriston Academy Large reserves
- Limbrick Wood Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.6m | £8,423 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £125k | £659 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £139k | £731 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £222k | £1,168 |
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 36% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £587 a pupil, against a typical £328 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £603 a pupil, against a typical £429 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,174 a pupil, against a typical £1,566 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 Etherley Lane Primary School · All County Durham school finances