Thurnham Church of England Infant School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 4 years running; at that rate its £28k reserve runs out in about 1 year.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Kent · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£4k | £84k | 270 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£7k | £77k | 270 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£26k | £103k | 270 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£9k | £112k | 270 |
2022-23 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£22k | £90k | 270 |
2023-24 | £1.5m | £1.6m | -£8k | £83k | 271 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£26k | £57k | 270 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£29k | £28k | 254 |
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 27% of them. It spends £6,885 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,711.
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 | £3,161 | £3,163 | £2,958–£3,524 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,175 | £1,166 | £987–£1,436 |
Supply staff | £211 | £100 | £29–£156 |
Admin and clerical | £328 | £318 | £277–£392 |
Premises | £324 | £335 | £290–£397 |
Energy | £66 | £86 | £72–£110 |
Learning resources & ICT | £180 | £311 | £226–£398 |
Bought-in services | £194 | £171 | £112–£251 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Oaklands Junior School Healthy
- St Herbert's CofE (VA) Primary and Nursery School Healthy
- St Ives Primary & Nursery School Large reserves
- The Orchard Infant School Large reserves
- Danbury Park Community Primary School Healthy
- Queensgate Primary School Tight
- Norton Hill Primary School Large reserves
- Clayton-le-Woods Manor Road Primary School Healthy
- The Horsell Village School Large reserves
- Quilters Junior School Large reserves
- Wigginton Primary School In deficit
- Crossley Street Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.6m | £6,317 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £50k | £195 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £17k | £67 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £117k | £459 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Spending on supply staff is £211 a pupil, against a typical £100 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 Thurnham Church of England Infant School · All Kent school finances