Mersea Island School: school finances
Tight
Holds £75k 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). Essex · Primary · Foundation 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 | £2.0m | £1.9m | +£32k | £47k | 418 |
2019-20 | £2.0m | £1.9m | +£74k | £121k | 406 |
2020-21 | £2.0m | £1.9m | +£134k | £255k | 377 |
2021-22 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£29k | £284k | 380 |
2022-23 | £2.1m | £2.3m | -£128k | £156k | 390 |
2023-24 | £2.3m | £2.3m | -£28k | £127k | 375 |
2024-25 | £2.3m | £2.4m | -£92k | £35k | 378 |
2025-26 | £2.5m | £2.5m | +£39k | £75k | 376 |
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 33% of them. It spends £6,537 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,295.
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 | £3,247 | £3,103 | £2,871–£3,289 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,300 | £1,235 | £925–£1,398 |
Supply staff | £1 | £158 | £76–£308 |
Admin and clerical | £327 | £300 | £259–£389 |
Premises | £354 | £319 | £272–£385 |
Energy | £116 | £94 | £83–£116 |
Learning resources & ICT | £461 | £267 | £188–£299 |
Bought-in services | £107 | £104 | £49–£158 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Ashford CofE Primary School Healthy
- South Wilford Endowed CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School Tight
- Greasley Beauvale Primary and Nursery School Heading for deficit
- Ravenhurst Primary School Tight
- St Vincent De Paul Roman Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Tight
- Overton Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
- Houghton Regis Primary School In deficit
- Anlaby Primary School Healthy
- Hampton Lakes Primary School Large reserves
- Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School Large reserves
- Millfield Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.4m | £6,251 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £138k | £368 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £97k | £259 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £147k | £391 |
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 10% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £461 a pupil, against a typical £267 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 Mersea Island School · All Essex school finances