Wharton CofE Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £254k, 15% 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). Cheshire West and Chester · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£101k | £52k | 362 |
2019-20 | £1.8m | £1.9m | -£36k | £16k | 352 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£94k | £110k | 349 |
2021-22 | £1.9m | £2.1m | -£154k | -£44k | 324 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£20k | -£64k | 309 |
2023-24 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£43k | -£21k | 283 |
2024-25 | £1.9m | £2.0m | -£80k | -£100k | 235 |
2025-26 | £1.8m | £1.9m | -£154k | -£254k | 244 |
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 £7,810 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,311.
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 | £3,602 | £3,177 | £2,952–£3,457 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,415 | £1,762 | £1,484–£1,889 |
Supply staff | £311 | £96 | £57–£242 |
Admin and clerical | £257 | £312 | £268–£432 |
Premises | £431 | £410 | £308–£501 |
Energy | £121 | £96 | £82–£115 |
Learning resources & ICT | £241 | £335 | £211–£416 |
Bought-in services | £404 | £240 | £81–£373 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Coney Hill Community Primary School Healthy
- Bolsover Infant School In deficit
- Mengham Junior School Large reserves
- Lyndon Green Infant School Heading for deficit
- Sneinton St Stephen's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Redgate Community Primary School Large reserves
- Hobletts Manor Junior School Heading for deficit
- St John Bosco Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Cleves Cross Primary and Nursery School Academy Large reserves
- Moss Side Primary School Healthy
- St Anthony's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Cambridge Road Community Primary and Nursery School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.6m | £6,737 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £41k | £168 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £97k | £398 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £108k | £442 |
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 33% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £311 a pupil, against a typical £96 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 Wharton CofE Primary School · All Cheshire West and Chester school finances