Tarleton Community Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £26k 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). Lancashire · 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 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£11k | £62k | 276 |
2019-20 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£19k | £43k | 260 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£2k | £41k | 245 |
2021-22 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£52k | £92k | 244 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£48k | £140k | 228 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£54k | £86k | 243 |
2024-25 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£29k | £116k | 237 |
2025-26 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£89k | £26k | 242 |
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 £6,795 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,236.
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 | £3,031 | £3,004 | £2,757–£3,282 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,021 | £1,212 | £1,004–£1,456 |
Supply staff | £188 | £104 | £40–£163 |
Admin and clerical | £299 | £303 | £248–£418 |
Premises | £347 | £327 | £277–£373 |
Energy | £95 | £92 | £75–£117 |
Learning resources & ICT | £532 | £288 | £220–£419 |
Bought-in services | £245 | £126 | £61–£218 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Tudor Grange Primary Academy, St James Healthy
- Olney Infant Academy Large reserves
- St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Streetly Healthy
- Kiwi Primary School In deficit
- Greenhill Primary School Tight
- Braywick Court School Large reserves
- Oakfield Junior School Heading for deficit
- Auckley Primary Academy Large reserves
- Nascot Wood Junior School Large reserves
- William Gilbert Endowed Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St John Vianney Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Crawley Ridge Junior School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £5,796 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £97k | £402 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £36k | £148 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £152k | £630 |
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 12% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £245 a pupil, against a typical £126 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £532 a pupil, against a typical £288 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £188 a pupil, against a typical £104 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 Tarleton Community Primary School · All Lancashire school finances