St Lawrence CofE Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £32k 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). Shropshire · 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 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£22k | £2k | 273 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£4k | £6k | 248 |
2020-21 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£16k | £22k | 268 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£24k | -£2k | 263 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£29k | -£31k | 256 |
2023-24 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£99k | £68k | 220 |
2024-25 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£36k | £31k | 210 |
2025-26 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£86 | £32k | 217 |
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 37% of them. It spends £7,368 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,900.
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 | £2,941 | £3,154 | £2,982–£3,493 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,752 | £1,180 | £1,075–£1,426 |
Supply staff | £316 | £122 | £56–£242 |
Admin and clerical | £219 | £323 | £298–£370 |
Premises | £426 | £334 | £237–£387 |
Energy | £97 | £100 | £74–£116 |
Learning resources & ICT | £432 | £315 | £228–£399 |
Bought-in services | £331 | £217 | £121–£320 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Francis Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery In deficit
- Durrington Infant School Large reserves
- Sandhills Community Primary School Large reserves
- Monks Risborough CofE Primary School Heading for deficit
- Canvey Island Infant School and Nursery Large reserves
- Goudhurst and Kilndown Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Summerhill Primary School Heading for deficit
- Frodsham Manor House Primary School Tight
- Cloverlea Primary School In deficit
- Sharnbrook Primary Large reserves
- Shakespeare Infant School Healthy
- Hob Hill CE/Methodist (VC) Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £6,773 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £243k | £1,119 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £58k | £266 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £129k | £596 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 21% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £316 a pupil, against a typical £122 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,752 a pupil, against a typical £1,180 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £426 a pupil, against a typical £334 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 Lawrence CofE Primary School · All Shropshire school finances