St Matthew's Catholic Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £15k 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). Liverpool · 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 | £2.2m | £2.3m | -£85k | £122k | 409 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£75k | £198k | 409 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£12k | £209k | 406 |
2021-22 | £2.3m | £2.4m | -£172k | £38k | 412 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£92k | -£54k | 411 |
2023-24 | £2.7m | £2.7m | -£77k | -£131k | 410 |
2024-25 | £2.8m | £2.6m | +£141k | £10k | 398 |
2025-26 | £2.9m | £2.9m | +£6k | £15k | 379 |
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 £7,549 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,777.
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 | £3,714 | £3,166 | £2,950–£3,590 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,064 | £1,314 | £1,102–£1,570 |
Supply staff | £360 | £158 | £120–£228 |
Admin and clerical | £305 | £293 | £215–£345 |
Premises | £408 | £334 | £282–£435 |
Energy | £84 | £105 | £77–£125 |
Learning resources & ICT | £357 | £247 | £190–£316 |
Bought-in services | £506 | £114 | £75–£179 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Andrew's CofE (VA) Junior School Large reserves
- St Edward's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- John Clifford Primary School In deficit
- St Paulinus Catholic Primary Academy Healthy
- Bywell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School Large reserves
- West Hill Primary School Healthy
- Liskeard Hillfort Primary School Tight
- Seal Church of England Primary School Tight
- Springfield Primary School Large reserves
- St. Mary's Blackbrook Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Ward Green Primary School Large reserves
- Leavesden JMI School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.5m | £6,676 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £148k | £392 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £337k | £889 |
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 bought-in services is £506 a pupil, against a typical £114 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £360 a pupil, against a typical £158 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £357 a pupil, against a typical £247 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 St Matthew's Catholic Primary School · All Liverpool school finances