Childwall Abbey School: school finances
Tight
Holds £83k 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 · Not applicable · Community special 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 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£46k | -£38k | 151 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£43k | £5k | 159 |
2020-21 | £2.7m | £2.5m | +£183k | £188k | 160 |
2021-22 | £2.8m | £2.9m | -£44k | £144k | 162 |
2022-23 | £3.4m | £3.3m | +£105k | £249k | 179 |
2023-24 | £3.8m | £3.8m | -£17k | £232k | 213 |
2024-25 | £4.8m | £4.7m | +£156k | £388k | 217 |
2025-26 | £5.2m | £5.5m | -£305k | £83k | 216 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 special 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 £25,289 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £27,164.
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 | £8,458 | £10,026 | £9,286–£11,817 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £5,248 | £10,023 | £7,092–£11,085 |
Supply staff | £4,745 | £646 | £333–£1,472 |
Admin and clerical | £859 | £992 | £699–£1,443 |
Premises | £1,089 | £1,394 | £1,128–£1,759 |
Energy | £312 | £353 | £244–£522 |
Learning resources & ICT | £628 | £757 | £529–£1,285 |
Bought-in services | £2,333 | £510 | £157–£1,528 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Downs View Special School Heading for deficit
- Victoria School Large reserves
- Evergreen Primary School Large reserves
- The Dales School In deficit
- Churchill Park Complex Needs School Large reserves
- Hamilton School In deficit
- Mary Rose Academy Healthy
- The Meadows School Large reserves
- Hope Wood Academy Large reserves
- Portland Academy Large reserves
- Ravenshall School In deficit
- Beechcliffe Special School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £5.1m | £23,708 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £2.1m | £9,629 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £158k | £730 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £36k | £167 |
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 £4,745 a pupil, against a typical £646 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £2,333 a pupil, against a typical £510 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 Childwall Abbey School · All Liverpool school finances