Chawson First School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £63k, 2% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 5 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Worcestershire · 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 | £1.6m | -£11k | £184k | 356 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£45k | £139k | 395 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£101k | £240k | 365 |
2021-22 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£6k | £234k | 337 |
2022-23 | £2.1m | £2.2m | -£56k | £178k | 370 |
2023-24 | £2.2m | £2.3m | -£126k | £52k | 381 |
2024-25 | £2.5m | £2.6m | -£76k | -£23k | 355 |
2025-26 | £2.7m | £2.8m | -£39k | -£63k | 338 |
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 3% of them. It spends £8,220 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,914.
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 | £3,362 | £3,230 | £3,095–£3,450 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,605 | £1,332 | £1,128–£1,687 |
Supply staff | £215 | £75 | £21–£190 |
Admin and clerical | £360 | £277 | £231–£383 |
Premises | £361 | £356 | £285–£496 |
Energy | £38 | £92 | £62–£121 |
Learning resources & ICT | £255 | £259 | £209–£344 |
Bought-in services | £280 | £142 | £67–£196 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery In deficit
- St Anthony's Catholic Primary Academy Healthy
- Barnes Junior School Large reserves
- Clarendon Road Community Primary School Healthy
- Mount Pleasant Primary School Healthy
- St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School Large reserves
- Dunston Hill Community Primary School Heading for deficit
- Norwood Primary & Pre-School Large reserves
- St Wilfrid's CofE Aided Primary School Northenden Large reserves
- The Churchill School Large reserves
- Brookland Junior School Large reserves
- Combs Ford Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.7m | £7,941 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £456k | £1,352 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £150k | £444 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £55k | £163 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Spending on supply staff is £215 a pupil, against a typical £75 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £280 a pupil, against a typical £142 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,605 a pupil, against a typical £1,332 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 Chawson First School · All Worcestershire school finances