Coldean Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £16k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Brighton and Hove · 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 | £2.1m | £1.9m | +£159k | £240k | 370 |
2019-20 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£124k | £117k | 348 |
2020-21 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£9k | £126k | 321 |
2021-22 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£11k | £115k | 304 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.2m | -£129k | -£14k | 322 |
2023-24 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£23k | -£37k | 305 |
2024-25 | £2.2m | £2.2m | +£8k | -£28k | 318 |
2025-26 | £2.4m | £2.3m | +£45k | £16k | 304 |
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 10% of them. It spends £7,681 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,792.
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 | £4,063 | £3,538 | £3,288–£3,877 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,709 | £1,695 | £1,416–£1,932 |
Supply staff | £132 | £181 | £52–£452 |
Admin and clerical | £288 | £322 | £274–£392 |
Premises | £311 | £398 | £303–£438 |
Energy | £96 | £125 | £93–£145 |
Learning resources & ICT | £261 | £309 | £227–£386 |
Bought-in services | £164 | £140 | £75–£241 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Hillside Primary School Large reserves
- Parkhead Community Primary School Large reserves
- Ladywood Primary School Healthy
- Battle Hill Primary School Healthy
- Hamp Academy Healthy
- Bevendean Primary School and Nursery Healthy
- St Martin's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Laithes Primary School Large reserves
- Tredworth Junior School Large reserves
- All Saints Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- The Academy At St. James Healthy
- Pelton Community Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.3m | £7,484 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £36k | £117 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £191k | £631 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £104k | £344 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 18% 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 Coldean Primary School · All Brighton and Hove school finances