St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £231k in reserve, 23% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). County Durham · Primary · Voluntary aided 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 | £756k | £703k | +£53k | £118k | 153 |
2019-20 | £799k | £805k | -£6k | £112k | 160 |
2020-21 | £836k | £818k | +£18k | £130k | 163 |
2021-22 | £888k | £884k | +£4k | £134k | 163 |
2022-23 | £939k | £983k | -£44k | £90k | 159 |
2023-24 | £951k | £974k | -£22k | £68k | 161 |
2024-25 | £1.1m | £966k | +£116k | £184k | 142 |
2025-26 | £1.0m | £975k | +£48k | £231k | 127 |
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 £7,681 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,585.
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 | £3,017 | £3,606 | £3,319–£3,991 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,047 | £1,323 | £1,090–£1,748 |
Supply staff | £345 | £146 | £66–£336 |
Admin and clerical | £357 | £359 | £285–£474 |
Premises | £708 | £375 | £286–£433 |
Energy | £114 | £119 | £107–£144 |
Learning resources & ICT | £677 | £415 | £323–£553 |
Bought-in services | £449 | £170 | £91–£326 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Oakhill Church School Healthy
- Colgate Primary School Tight
- Mill Rythe Infant School Healthy
- Bratton Primary School In deficit
- Petersfield CofE Aided Primary School Healthy
- St William's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Long Mountain CofE Primary School Large reserves
- St John's Stonefold CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Shrewton CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Morda CofE Primary School Tight
- Chelmondiston Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Michael and St John's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £954k | £7,510 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £6k | £50 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £41k | £322 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £69k | £545 |
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 17% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £449 a pupil, against a typical £170 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £708 a pupil, against a typical £375 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £677 a pupil, against a typical £415 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 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Murton · All County Durham school finances