Wakefield Lawefield Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £433k in reserve, 15% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Wakefield · 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 | £1.5m | -£45k | £41k | 333 |
2019-20 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£85k | £126k | 350 |
2020-21 | £2.0m | £1.8m | +£164k | £289k | 386 |
2021-22 | £2.1m | £2.0m | +£47k | £337k | 418 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.3m | +£148k | £484k | 435 |
2023-24 | £2.4m | £2.6m | -£188k | £296k | 434 |
2024-25 | £2.7m | £2.7m | +£51k | £347k | 429 |
2025-26 | £2.9m | £2.8m | +£86k | £433k | 418 |
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 87% of them. It spends £6,783 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,585.
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 | £2,979 | £3,071 | £2,920–£3,339 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,451 | £1,277 | £1,110–£1,425 |
Supply staff | £385 | £139 | £26–£302 |
Admin and clerical | £387 | £292 | £209–£332 |
Premises | £342 | £318 | £280–£397 |
Energy | £105 | £100 | £70–£119 |
Learning resources & ICT | £248 | £264 | £200–£319 |
Bought-in services | £202 | £116 | £49–£181 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Montgomery Primary School Large reserves
- Ravenswood Community Primary School Large reserves
- Shawclough Community Primary School Healthy
- Compass Primary Academy In deficit
- Pendle Primary Academy Large reserves
- Sandringham Primary School Healthy
- St Botolph's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Russells Hall Primary School Tight
- Heathfield Primary School Healthy
- Brunswick House Primary School Healthy
- St Thomas More Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- King Edward Primary School & Nursery Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.8m | £6,797 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £91k | £217 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £190k | £454 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £121k | £289 |
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 supply staff is £385 a pupil, against a typical £139 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £202 a pupil, against a typical £116 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £387 a pupil, against a typical £292 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 Wakefield Lawefield Primary School · All Wakefield school finances