Fairway Infant School, Copthorne: school finances
Tight
Holds £2k 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 | £773k | £762k | +£10k | £49k | 158 |
2019-20 | £777k | £793k | -£17k | £32k | 156 |
2020-21 | £779k | £806k | -£27k | £6k | 158 |
2021-22 | £829k | £807k | +£22k | £28k | 157 |
2022-23 | £1.0m | £974k | +£28k | £56k | 173 |
2023-24 | £979k | £1.0m | -£50k | £6k | 164 |
2024-25 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£12k | -£6k | 175 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£8k | £2k | 171 |
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 13% of them. It spends £6,912 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,742.
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 | £3,258 | £3,290 | £3,101–£3,506 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,438 | £1,205 | £897–£1,524 |
Supply staff | £255 | £66 | £22–£156 |
Admin and clerical | £474 | £357 | £246–£428 |
Premises | £268 | £309 | £221–£387 |
Energy | £64 | £101 | £74–£123 |
Learning resources & ICT | £193 | £282 | £245–£389 |
Bought-in services | £221 | £115 | £87–£184 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Gastrells Community Primary School Large reserves
- Chalfont St Peter Infant School Healthy
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester Healthy
- Caton St Paul's Church of England Primary School Healthy
- St Andrew's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Lightwater Village Infant School and Nursery Heading for deficit
- Oakwood Infant School Large reserves
- Awbridge Primary School Large reserves
- St Roberts Catholic First School, Morpeth Large reserves
- Houghton Primary School In deficit
- Basildon C.E. Primary School Healthy
- Marlow Church of England Infant School Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £6,675 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £59k | £343 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £28k | £164 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £49k | £287 |
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?
- Spending on supply staff is £255 a pupil, against a typical £66 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £221 a pupil, against a typical £115 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £474 a pupil, against a typical £357 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 Fairway Infant School, Copthorne · All West Sussex school finances