Shelley Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £65k 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). West Sussex · Primary · Community 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 | +£44k | £98k | 350 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£28k | £125k | 366 |
2020-21 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£56k | £181k | 382 |
2021-22 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£11k | £192k | 395 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£15k | £206k | 409 |
2023-24 | £2.2m | £2.3m | -£168k | £39k | 415 |
2024-25 | £2.3m | £2.3m | -£9k | £30k | 411 |
2025-26 | £2.4m | £2.4m | +£36k | £65k | 412 |
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 17% of them. It spends £5,775 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,160.
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 | £3,114 | £2,995 | £2,793–£3,218 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,173 | £1,132 | £1,009–£1,440 |
Supply staff | £113 | £139 | £80–£200 |
Admin and clerical | £276 | £258 | £213–£305 |
Premises | £177 | £313 | £252–£356 |
Energy | £43 | £72 | £67–£101 |
Learning resources & ICT | £186 | £253 | £210–£312 |
Bought-in services | £100 | £122 | £77–£201 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Elworth CofE Primary School In deficit
- Christ The King Catholic Primary School Healthy
- St Swithun's CofE Primary School Healthy
- Outwoods Edge Primary School Large reserves
- Rowley Lane Junior Infant and Nursery School Healthy
- St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, Crawley Tight
- St Catherine's CofE (VC) Primary School Healthy
- Notley Green Primary School Large reserves
- Allesley Primary School In deficit
- The Merton Primary School Large reserves
- Willow Primary School Healthy
- Whitby Heath Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.4m | £5,757 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £70k | £171 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £81k | £197 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £43k | £104 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF SHELLEY SCHOOL (charity 1136192, Registered) raised £11k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £11k | £12k |
2024-08 | £17k | £26k |
2023-08 | £24k | £20k |
2022-08 | £19k | £11k |
2021-08 | £11k | £6k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Shelley Primary School · All West Sussex school finances