Dolphinholme Church of England Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £5k 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 · 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 | £537k | £540k | -£3k | £48k | 75 |
2019-20 | £565k | £553k | +£12k | £60k | 88 |
2020-21 | £605k | £608k | -£3k | £57k | 90 |
2021-22 | £608k | £646k | -£38k | £19k | 91 |
2022-23 | £686k | £693k | -£6k | £13k | 91 |
2023-24 | £748k | £769k | -£21k | -£8k | 86 |
2024-25 | £834k | £877k | -£44k | -£52k | 78 |
2025-26 | £845k | £789k | +£57k | £5k | 82 |
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 10% of them. It spends £9,619 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,088.
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 | £3,839 | £4,003 | £3,575–£4,455 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,912 | £1,250 | £1,039–£1,567 |
Supply staff | £615 | £139 | £38–£218 |
Admin and clerical | £377 | £391 | £296–£492 |
Premises | £262 | £421 | £382–£536 |
Energy | £175 | £123 | £101–£148 |
Learning resources & ICT | £169 | £463 | £297–£624 |
Bought-in services | £903 | £229 | £89–£342 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Hawksworth Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Newnham Primary School In deficit
- Hatherop Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- All Saints Church of England School Large reserves
- Viscount Beaumont's Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Shefford C.E. Primary School Large reserves
- Crosby-on-Eden CofE School Large reserves
- Belsay Primary School Large reserves
- Burgh by Sands School Healthy
- Keevil CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Sandlings Primary School Large reserves
- Roecliffe CofE Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £758k | £9,246 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £49k | £601 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £10k | £124 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £87k | £1,064 |
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?
- Spending on supply staff is £615 a pupil, against a typical £139 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £903 a pupil, against a typical £229 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,912 a pupil, against a typical £1,250 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £175 a pupil, against a typical £123 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 Dolphinholme Church of England Primary School · All Lancashire school finances