St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Morecambe: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 5 years running; at that rate its £39k reserve runs out in about 1 year.
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 | £905k | £904k | +£694 | £97k | 183 |
2019-20 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£11k | £109k | 174 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £942k | +£125k | £234k | 178 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£56k | £178k | 175 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£45k | £133k | 172 |
2023-24 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£12k | £120k | 170 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£29k | £91k | 164 |
2025-26 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£52k | £39k | 150 |
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 £9,076 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,107.
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 | £4,004 | £3,623 | £3,394–£4,033 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,547 | £1,771 | £1,314–£2,114 |
Supply staff | £535 | £223 | £31–£406 |
Admin and clerical | £270 | £363 | £285–£464 |
Premises | £372 | £470 | £391–£518 |
Energy | £137 | £127 | £112–£167 |
Learning resources & ICT | £323 | £352 | £270–£426 |
Bought-in services | £689 | £164 | £72–£311 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Thornton Primary School In deficit
- Padstow School Healthy
- Brookfield Park Primary School Large reserves
- Meadowhead Community Infant School and Nursery Large reserves
- Ladycross Infant School Large reserves
- Copeland Road Primary School Large reserves
- Woodlands Park Primary School In deficit
- St Simon and St Jude CofE Primary School Healthy
- Burradon Community Primary School In deficit
- Aldercar Infant School Healthy
- St Paul's Roman Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Standish Lower Ground St Anne's CofE Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £8,226 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £60k | £398 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £97k | £646 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £77k | £514 |
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 18% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £689 a pupil, against a typical £164 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £535 a pupil, against a typical £223 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 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Morecambe · All Lancashire school finances