Melling St Wilfrid Church of England Primary School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 3 years running; at that rate its £23k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
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 | £351k | £318k | +£33k | £52k | 32 |
2019-20 | £311k | £315k | -£4k | £48k | 31 |
2020-21 | £318k | £316k | +£2k | £50k | 28 |
2021-22 | £321k | £322k | -£351 | £49k | 33 |
2022-23 | £375k | £361k | +£14k | £63k | 31 |
2023-24 | £407k | £418k | -£11k | £52k | 28 |
2024-25 | £398k | £408k | -£11k | £41k | 23 |
2025-26 | £388k | £406k | -£18k | £23k | 22 |
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 50% of them. It spends £18,468 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £16,328.
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 | £7,127 | £7,185 | £6,215–£8,451 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £3,261 | £2,503 | £1,761–£3,054 |
Supply staff | £1,374 | £276 | £130–£967 |
Admin and clerical | £820 | £1,028 | £767–£1,367 |
Premises | £1,191 | £990 | £723–£1,140 |
Energy | £419 | £310 | £244–£382 |
Learning resources & ICT | £403 | £878 | £641–£1,321 |
Bought-in services | £1,492 | £729 | £226–£1,304 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Lee Common Church of England School Large reserves
- Peaslake Free School Large reserves
- North Clifton Primary School Healthy
- Hartington CofE Primary School Healthy
- King's Caple Primary Academy Healthy
- Cringleford Prep Tight
- Patterdale CofE Primary School Tight
- Long Lane Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Farlow CofE Primary School Heading for deficit
- Burston Community Primary School Tight
- Slaidburn Brennands Endowed Primary School In deficit
- Thorneyholme Roman Catholic Primary School, Dunsop Bridge Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £358k | £16,267 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £19k | £851 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £2k | £69 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £30k | £1,375 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 31% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £1,374 a pupil, against a typical £276 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £1,492 a pupil, against a typical £729 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 Melling St Wilfrid Church of England Primary School · All Lancashire school finances