St Martin's Academy Chester: school finances
Tight
Holds £18k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Cheshire West and Chester · Primary · Free schools.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: NORTH WEST ACADEMIES TRUST LIMITED can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £657k | £759k | -£102k | -£38k | 150 |
2019-20 | £910k | £876k | +£34k | £39k | 174 |
2020-21 | £920k | £924k | -£4k | £13k | 175 |
2021-22 | £996k | £952k | +£44k | £5k | 175 |
2022-23 | £1.0m | £989k | +£42k | -£13k | 172 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£4k | £2k | 176 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£58k | £18k | 174 |
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 30% of them. It spends £6,431 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,835.
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 | £3,540 | £3,233 | £3,059–£3,464 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £603 | £1,325 | £1,057–£1,524 |
Supply staff | £63 | £86 | £41–£230 |
Admin and clerical | £184 | £316 | £239–£428 |
Premises | £310 | £343 | £243–£414 |
Energy | £207 | £103 | £74–£123 |
Learning resources & ICT | £494 | £282 | £239–£369 |
Bought-in services | £201 | £169 | £103–£300 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Basildon C.E. Primary School Healthy
- Bledlow Ridge School Healthy
- Chalfont St Peter Infant School Healthy
- May Bank Infants' School Large reserves
- Oakwood Infant School Large reserves
- Arden Grove Infant and Nursery School Heading for deficit
- St Mary's Catholic First School, Dorchester Healthy
- Lightwater Village Infant School and Nursery Heading for deficit
- Houghton Primary School In deficit
- Goring Church of England Aided Primary School In deficit
- Gastrells Community Primary School Large reserves
- Sedgeberrow CofE First School Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £6,351 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £68k | £391 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £90k | £517 |
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 energy is £207 a pupil, against a typical £103 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £494 a pupil, against a typical £282 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 Martin's Academy Chester · All Cheshire West and Chester school finances