Shepherd Primary: school finances
Healthy
Holds £94k in reserve, 6% of a year's income. It has spent more than it received for 5 years, so watch the trend.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Hertfordshire · 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 | +£34k | £189k | 292 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£101k | £290k | 272 |
2020-21 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£114k | £405k | 244 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£130k | £275k | 238 |
2022-23 | £1.4m | £1.6m | -£112k | £163k | 222 |
2023-24 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£10k | £153k | 204 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£52k | £101k | 182 |
2025-26 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£8k | £94k | 172 |
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 50% of them. It spends £8,449 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,145.
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 | £4,451 | £3,383 | £3,078–£3,731 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £934 | £1,283 | £1,048–£1,681 |
Supply staff | £35 | £94 | £24–£276 |
Admin and clerical | £689 | £296 | £251–£401 |
Premises | £585 | £428 | £351–£487 |
Energy | £230 | £106 | £68–£133 |
Learning resources & ICT | £313 | £287 | £224–£341 |
Bought-in services | £248 | £158 | £77–£236 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St James' Catholic Primary School, Hebburn In deficit
- Warton Nethersole's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Silloth Primary School In deficit
- Westmeads Community Infant School Large reserves
- Livesey Saint Francis' Church of England School Large reserves
- St Anne's Infant School In deficit
- Barling Magna Primary Academy Large reserves
- Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Heading for deficit
- Statham Primary School Large reserves
- Havergal CofE (C) Primary School In deficit
- Chellaston Fields Spencer Academy In deficit
- The Harlaxton Church of England Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £7,833 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £79k | £461 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £64k | £371 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £114k | £660 |
Money raised by parents
SHEPHERD PRIMARY SCHOOL PTA (charity 1169611, Registered) raised £5k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2026-08 | £5k | £8k |
2025-08 | £4k | £1k |
2024-08 | £3k | £1k |
2023-08 | £5k | £2k |
2022-08 | £2k | £9k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Pupil numbers have fallen 41% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £689 a pupil, against a typical £296 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £230 a pupil, against a typical £106 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £585 a pupil, against a typical £428 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,451 a pupil, against a typical £3,383 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Shepherd Primary · All Hertfordshire school finances