St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £1.8m in reserve, 20% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Essex · Secondary · 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 | £5.9m | £6.0m | -£33k | £167k | 1,107 |
2019-20 | £6.1m | £6.1m | -£14k | £153k | 1,138 |
2020-21 | £6.3m | £6.1m | +£270k | £423k | 1,195 |
2021-22 | £7.0m | £6.6m | +£440k | £863k | 1,194 |
2022-23 | £7.6m | £7.1m | +£488k | £1.4m | 1,197 |
2023-24 | £8.1m | £7.7m | +£358k | £1.7m | 1,179 |
2024-25 | £8.5m | £8.5m | +£38k | £1.7m | 1,210 |
2025-26 | £9.0m | £8.9m | +£46k | £1.8m | 1,244 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 secondary 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 90% of them. It spends £7,192 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,232.
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 | £4,143 | £4,197 | £4,059–£4,537 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £843 | £697 | £550–£780 |
Supply staff | £44 | £84 | £35–£171 |
Admin and clerical | £427 | £456 | £335–£576 |
Premises | £504 | £397 | £319–£464 |
Energy | £137 | £127 | £114–£146 |
Learning resources & ICT | £263 | £493 | £353–£620 |
Bought-in services | £144 | £65 | £37–£96 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Birinus School In deficit
- Helsby High School Healthy
- Congleton High School In deficit
- Sawston Village College Tight
- Wolverhampton Girls' High School Large reserves
- The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School Large reserves
- Swavesey Village College Large reserves
- Woldgate School and Sixth Form College In deficit
- Prince Henry's High School Large reserves
- Abbey Park School Large reserves
- Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls Large reserves
- Cockermouth School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £8.5m | £6,825 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £161k | £129 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £205k | £165 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £503k | £404 |
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 £144 a pupil, against a typical £65 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 John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford · All Essex school finances