Our Lady's RC Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £286k in reserve, 19% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Herefordshire, County of · Primary · 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 | £957k | £990k | -£32k | £94k | 200 |
2019-20 | £984k | £995k | -£11k | £83k | 202 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £956k | +£46k | £129k | 192 |
2021-22 | £1.0m | £1.0m | -£3k | £127k | 185 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£19k | £108k | 206 |
2023-24 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£57k | £165k | 195 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£43k | £208k | 190 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£78k | £286k | 181 |
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 80% of them. It spends £7,865 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,222.
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 | £3,370 | £3,290 | £3,079–£3,589 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,029 | £1,380 | £1,184–£1,583 |
Supply staff | £247 | £89 | £31–£229 |
Admin and clerical | £322 | £323 | £279–£413 |
Premises | £379 | £351 | £272–£425 |
Energy | £58 | £99 | £91–£120 |
Learning resources & ICT | £441 | £317 | £253–£375 |
Bought-in services | £227 | £169 | £60–£257 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Kirkby Stephen Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage Large reserves
- Huish Episcopi Primary School In deficit
- Kingswood Primary School Large reserves
- Sandhurst Primary School Heading for deficit
- Wolvey CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Washingwell Community Primary School In deficit
- Tregony Community Primary School Large reserves
- Greatfield Park Primary School In deficit
- Baldwins Hill Primary School, East Grinstead Tight
- Totternhoe Church of England Academy Healthy
- The Free School Norwich Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £8,149 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £57k | £315 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £71k | £392 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £27k | £147 |
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,029 a pupil, against a typical £1,380 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £441 a pupil, against a typical £317 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 Our Lady's RC Primary School · All Herefordshire, County of school finances