Livesey Saint Francis' Church of England School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £174k in reserve, 13% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Blackburn with Darwen · 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 | £1.0m | £1.1m | -£27k | £75k | 203 |
2019-20 | £1.0m | £1.0m | -£5k | £70k | 197 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £981k | +£35k | £105k | 184 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£30k | £75k | 196 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£26k | £101k | 192 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£16k | £117k | 179 |
2024-25 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£31k | £149k | 172 |
2025-26 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£26k | £174k | 173 |
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 90% of them. It spends £7,635 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 | £3,072 | £3,322 | £3,075–£3,614 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,081 | £1,283 | £962–£1,480 |
Supply staff | £1,520 | £108 | £33–£276 |
Admin and clerical | £417 | £325 | £259–£377 |
Premises | £413 | £424 | £365–£487 |
Energy | £100 | £101 | £73–£137 |
Learning resources & ICT | £117 | £292 | £231–£334 |
Bought-in services | £446 | £144 | £71–£236 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Warton Nethersole's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Shepherd Primary Healthy
- St James' Catholic Primary School, Hebburn In deficit
- Havergal CofE (C) Primary School In deficit
- Westmeads Community Infant School Large reserves
- Silloth Primary School In deficit
- Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Heading for deficit
- Great Oldbury Primary Academy Large reserves
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Ryhope In deficit
- St Anne's Infant School In deficit
- Oakhurst Community First School Large reserves
- Branston Junior Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.3m | £7,555 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £205k | £1,185 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £70k | £406 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £40k | £229 |
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 15% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £1,520 a pupil, against a typical £108 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £446 a pupil, against a typical £144 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £417 a pupil, against a typical £325 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 Livesey Saint Francis' Church of England School · All Blackburn with Darwen school finances