Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £193k in reserve, 22% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Somerset · 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 | £621k | £637k | -£16k | £36k | 119 |
2019-20 | £632k | £607k | +£24k | £60k | 108 |
2020-21 | £624k | £615k | +£9k | £69k | 94 |
2021-22 | £602k | £635k | -£33k | £36k | 104 |
2022-23 | £730k | £667k | +£63k | £99k | 92 |
2023-24 | £775k | £729k | +£46k | £145k | 96 |
2024-25 | £855k | £779k | +£76k | £221k | 102 |
2025-26 | £890k | £918k | -£28k | £193k | 117 |
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 93% of them. It spends £7,848 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,063.
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 | £3,041 | £3,373 | £2,967–£3,561 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,082 | £1,360 | £1,059–£1,794 |
Supply staff | £79 | £94 | £33–£266 |
Admin and clerical | £373 | £357 | £305–£437 |
Premises | £734 | £372 | £302–£473 |
Energy | £85 | £120 | £103–£157 |
Learning resources & ICT | £425 | £323 | £252–£467 |
Bought-in services | £373 | £157 | £76–£253 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Shoscombe Church School Large reserves
- Ugborough Primary School In deficit
- North Cave Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Morland Area CofE Primary School In deficit
- Penny Bridge CofE School Large reserves
- Barton CofE VA Primary School Large reserves
- Horbury Bridge Church of England Junior and Infant Academy Healthy
- St Lucia's CofE Primary School & Nursery In deficit
- Sun Hill Infant and Preschool Healthy
- Shipton Bellinger Primary School In deficit
- Nightingale Infant & Nursery School In deficit
- Thelwall Infant School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £792k | £6,769 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £24k | £209 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £23k | £193 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £98k | £839 |
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?
- Spending on bought-in services is £373 a pupil, against a typical £157 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £734 a pupil, against a typical £372 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 Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School · All Somerset school finances