Meppershall Church of England Academy: school finances
Tight
Holds £27k 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). Central Bedfordshire · Primary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: POPPY HILL CHURCH OF ENGLAND MULTI ACADEMY TRUST can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Earlier years come from this school's return before it became an academy (a different DfE number).
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 | £492k | £526k | -£34k | £11k | 108 |
2019-20 | £562k | £618k | -£56k | -£19k | 113 |
2020-21 | £654k | £651k | +£3k | £9k | — |
2021-22 | £686k | £627k | +£59k | £106k | 98 |
2022-23 | £758k | £770k | -£12k | £95k | 159 |
2023-24 | £1.0m | £899k | +£144k | £109k | 212 |
2024-25 | £1.5m | £1.0m | +£434k | £27k | 222 |
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 37% of them. It spends £4,658 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,337.
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 | £1,973 | £3,033 | £2,852–£3,358 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,054 | £1,235 | £970–£1,498 |
Supply staff | £108 | £163 | £63–£247 |
Admin and clerical | £500 | £288 | £239–£426 |
Premises | £144 | £329 | £284–£415 |
Energy | £36 | £104 | £79–£143 |
Learning resources & ICT | £230 | £266 | £191–£341 |
Bought-in services | £72 | £133 | £19–£190 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Nansloe Academy Healthy
- Dearham Primary School In deficit
- Lydiate Primary School Healthy
- South Malling CofE Primary and Nursery School In deficit
- St Stephen's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Lace Hill Academy In deficit
- Priors Wood Primary School Large reserves
- Parsons Down Junior School Heading for deficit
- Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Andrew's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Jarrow In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £6,270 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £141k | £635 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £76k | £342 |
Money raised by parents
MEPPERSHALL ACADEMY PTA (charity 1081004, Registered) raised £7k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-10 | £7k | £12k |
2024-10 | £6k | £4k |
2023-10 | £6k | £7k |
2022-10 | £10k | £6k |
2021-10 | £2k | £3k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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 admin and clerical is £500 a pupil, against a typical £288 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Meppershall Church of England Academy · All Central Bedfordshire school finances