Bushmead Primary & Nursery School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £474k, 10% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 2 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Luton · 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 | £3.6m | £3.7m | -£183k | -£262k | 818 |
2019-20 | £3.8m | £3.9m | -£121k | -£383k | 799 |
2020-21 | £3.8m | £3.8m | -£8k | -£391k | 791 |
2021-22 | £4.0m | £3.9m | +£126k | -£265k | 768 |
2022-23 | £4.1m | £4.1m | +£75k | -£190k | 748 |
2023-24 | £4.4m | £4.3m | +£35k | -£155k | 722 |
2024-25 | £4.2m | £4.5m | -£269k | -£424k | 703 |
2025-26 | £4.6m | £4.6m | -£50k | -£474k | 700 |
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 0% of them. It spends £6,568 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,245.
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 | £3,384 | £3,015 | £2,624–£3,125 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,344 | £1,264 | £1,027–£1,416 |
Supply staff | £2 | £85 | £31–£171 |
Admin and clerical | £236 | £291 | £214–£433 |
Premises | £314 | £299 | £251–£363 |
Energy | £64 | £86 | £66–£100 |
Learning resources & ICT | £262 | £265 | £188–£327 |
Bought-in services | £72 | £107 | £54–£218 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Heading for deficit
- Moulsham Junior School Large reserves
- Abbey Mead Primary Academy Large reserves
- Drove Primary School Large reserves
- Tudor Court Primary School Tight
- Thomas A Becket Junior School Healthy
- Earlswood Infant and Nursery School Healthy
- Bourne Westfield Primary Academy Large reserves
- Churchtown Primary School Large reserves
- Bothal Academy Large reserves
- Great Denham Primary School In deficit
- Cradle Hill Community Primary School Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.3m | £6,103 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £117k | £166 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £144k | £206 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £276k | £394 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF BUSHMEAD SCHOOL (charity 1047609, Registered) raised £6k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £6k | £3k |
2024-08 | £15k | £20k |
2023-08 | £13k | £12k |
2022-08 | £23k | £13k |
2021-08 | £9k | £15k |
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.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 14% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- 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 Bushmead Primary & Nursery School · All Luton school finances