Meridian Community Primary School and Nursery: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £401k in reserve, 11% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). East Sussex · 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 | £2.6m | £2.5m | +£162k | £212k | 475 |
2019-20 | £2.7m | £2.5m | +£139k | £351k | 472 |
2020-21 | £2.7m | £2.6m | +£95k | £446k | 431 |
2021-22 | £2.8m | £2.9m | -£55k | £392k | 454 |
2022-23 | £3.0m | £3.0m | -£25k | £367k | 473 |
2023-24 | £3.4m | £3.2m | +£119k | £486k | 454 |
2024-25 | £3.7m | £3.6m | +£51k | £536k | 442 |
2025-26 | £3.8m | £3.9m | -£136k | £401k | 434 |
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 57% of them. It spends £8,976 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,340.
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 | £3,820 | £2,943 | £2,633–£3,289 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,187 | £1,392 | £1,106–£1,634 |
Supply staff | £140 | £163 | £97–£381 |
Admin and clerical | £278 | £235 | £175–£316 |
Premises | £7 | £282 | £218–£358 |
Energy | £0 | £86 | £67–£114 |
Learning resources & ICT | £329 | £233 | £175–£325 |
Bought-in services | £354 | £127 | £31–£248 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Dudley Wood Primary School Large reserves
- Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Fairfield Road Primary School Large reserves
- Oakridge School Large reserves
- Kingston Park Primary School Large reserves
- Long Lawford Primary School Healthy
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- King's Academy College Park (Junior) Healthy
- Hearsall Community Academy Healthy
- Rickley Park Primary School Large reserves
- Little Mead Primary Academy Large reserves
- Woodhall Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.7m | £8,518 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £216k | £496 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £169k | £390 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £63k | £146 |
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 9% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £354 a pupil, against a typical £127 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £3,820 a pupil, against a typical £2,943 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 Meridian Community Primary School and Nursery · All East Sussex school finances