Rice Lane Primary School and Nursery: school finances
Tight
Holds £65k 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 · 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 | £3.2m | £3.2m | -£36k | £291k | 660 |
2019-20 | £3.3m | £3.3m | -£19k | £272k | 648 |
2020-21 | £3.2m | £3.2m | -£58k | £213k | 625 |
2021-22 | £3.3m | £3.5m | -£217k | -£3k | 629 |
2022-23 | £3.6m | £3.7m | -£47k | -£50k | 632 |
2023-24 | £4.0m | £4.0m | +£15k | -£35k | 640 |
2024-25 | £4.3m | £4.2m | +£170k | £135k | 615 |
2025-26 | £4.6m | £4.6m | -£70k | £65k | 589 |
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 10% of them. It spends £7,860 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,014.
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 | £3,568 | £3,203 | £3,031–£3,454 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,328 | £1,496 | £1,241–£1,695 |
Supply staff | £434 | £131 | £60–£195 |
Admin and clerical | £372 | £274 | £214–£338 |
Premises | £522 | £321 | £278–£402 |
Energy | £126 | £88 | £58–£100 |
Learning resources & ICT | £321 | £247 | £192–£293 |
Bought-in services | £218 | £148 | £78–£239 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Vigo Primary School Healthy
- Michael Drayton Junior School Large reserves
- St Oswald's Catholic Primary School Tight
- Millhouse Primary School Large reserves
- Hamstel Junior School Large reserves
- St. George's School Large reserves
- White Meadows Primary Academy Healthy
- Napier Community Primary and Nursery Academy Healthy
- Whitehouse Community Primary School Large reserves
- Riverside Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's, Prittlewell, CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Bare Trees Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.1m | £6,973 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £198k | £336 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £288k | £489 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £452k | £767 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 11% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £434 a pupil, against a typical £131 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £522 a pupil, against a typical £321 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £126 a pupil, against a typical £88 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £372 a pupil, against a typical £274 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.
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