Montgomery Primary School, Colchester: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £515k in reserve, 15% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Essex · 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 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£75k | £201k | 326 |
2019-20 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£16k | £185k | 343 |
2020-21 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£89k | £275k | 326 |
2021-22 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£108k | £383k | 345 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£7k | £390k | 346 |
2023-24 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£38k | £428k | 341 |
2024-25 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£31k | £397k | 340 |
2025-26 | £3.4m | £3.3m | +£141k | £515k | 595 |
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 83% of them. It spends £5,521 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,255.
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 | £2,533 | £3,002 | £2,838–£3,199 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,280 | £1,302 | £1,094–£1,546 |
Supply staff | £89 | £77 | £34–£198 |
Admin and clerical | £246 | £255 | £213–£317 |
Premises | £280 | £303 | £248–£366 |
Energy | £90 | £84 | £74–£114 |
Learning resources & ICT | £251 | £240 | £158–£287 |
Bought-in services | £142 | £123 | £84–£184 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Holly Spring Primary School Large reserves
- Mills Hill Primary School In deficit
- Martins Wood Primary School Large reserves
- Norbreck Primary Academy Heading for deficit
- Anchorsholme Primary Academy Large reserves
- King's Academy Meadow Vale Heading for deficit
- St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Rykneld Primary School Healthy
- St John the Baptist CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Heyes Lane Primary School Healthy
- Woodside Primary School Large reserves
- Heyhouses Endowed Church of England Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.3m | £5,516 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £76k | £128 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £246k | £413 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £144k | £243 |
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?
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 Montgomery Primary School, Colchester · All Essex school finances