Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £353k in reserve, 13% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Blackburn with Darwen · 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 | £2.2m | £2.2m | +£30k | £189k | 448 |
2019-20 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£13k | £177k | 454 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£63k | £239k | 442 |
2021-22 | £2.3m | £2.5m | -£165k | £74k | 448 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.3m | +£139k | £213k | 440 |
2023-24 | £2.6m | £2.3m | +£237k | £451k | 436 |
2024-25 | £2.7m | £2.8m | -£55k | £396k | 443 |
2025-26 | £2.8m | £2.8m | -£43k | £353k | 444 |
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 73% of them. It spends £6,403 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,330.
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 | £2,423 | £2,963 | £2,724–£3,222 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £911 | £1,526 | £1,197–£1,692 |
Supply staff | £594 | £94 | £41–£213 |
Admin and clerical | £272 | £241 | £184–£296 |
Premises | £536 | £315 | £271–£370 |
Energy | £79 | £87 | £77–£106 |
Learning resources & ICT | £520 | £258 | £197–£341 |
Bought-in services | £212 | £103 | £33–£165 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Cottingley Village Primary School Healthy
- Hilltop Primary School Healthy
- Roebuck Academy Healthy
- St Martin's CofE Primary & Nursery School Large reserves
- Valley Invicta Primary School At East Borough Large reserves
- Five Lanes Primary School Healthy
- Highwood Primary School Healthy
- Templenewsam Halton Primary School Large reserves
- St John's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Columb Minor Academy Healthy
- Parkdale Primary School Large reserves
- Ballifield Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.8m | £6,403 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £116k | £262 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £144k | £324 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £70k | £159 |
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?
- Spending on supply staff is £594 a pupil, against a typical £94 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £212 a pupil, against a typical £103 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £520 a pupil, against a typical £258 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £536 a pupil, against a typical £315 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 Blackburn St Thomas' Church of England Primary School · All Blackburn with Darwen school finances