Laurel Avenue Community Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £156k in reserve, 14% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
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 | £737k | £744k | -£7k | £86k | 100 |
2019-20 | £766k | £759k | +£7k | £93k | 118 |
2020-21 | £920k | £823k | +£96k | £190k | 114 |
2021-22 | £934k | £922k | +£11k | £201k | 124 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£14k | £187k | 112 |
2023-24 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£44k | £230k | 100 |
2024-25 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£34k | £196k | 98 |
2025-26 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£40k | £156k | 104 |
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 63% of them. It spends £11,281 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,378.
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 | £4,189 | £4,256 | £3,799–£5,047 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,946 | £1,863 | £1,508–£2,311 |
Supply staff | £413 | £295 | £204–£534 |
Admin and clerical | £302 | £478 | £376–£574 |
Premises | £669 | £623 | £512–£799 |
Energy | £276 | £217 | £163–£256 |
Learning resources & ICT | £600 | £372 | £303–£556 |
Bought-in services | £799 | £322 | £129–£478 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Tight
- Choppington Primary School Large reserves
- Ingoldmells Academy Large reserves
- Woodside Primary School In deficit
- Highfields Primary Academy Large reserves
- Ward Jackson Church of England Primary School Tight
- Manor Primary School Healthy
- Sutton-on-Sea Community Primary School Large reserves
- St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy Large reserves
- Cavendish Junior School Large reserves
- Cottons Farm Primary Academy In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £10,555 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £97k | £934 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £109k | £1,050 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £36k | £342 |
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 £799 a pupil, against a typical £322 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,946 a pupil, against a typical £1,863 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 Laurel Avenue Community Primary School · All County Durham school finances