Upton Westlea Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £39k 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). Cheshire West and Chester · Primary · Academy converter.
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 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 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£12k | £39k | 206 |
2019-20 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£10k | £30k | 197 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£34k | £64k | 189 |
2021-22 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£58k | £6k | 192 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£48k | -£42k | 201 |
2023-24 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£38k | -£4k | 189 |
2024-25 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£52k | £48k | 156 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£9k | £39k | 157 |
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 17% of them. It spends £9,339 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,163.
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 | £4,394 | £3,766 | £3,417–£4,084 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,942 | £1,636 | £1,511–£1,859 |
Supply staff | £250 | £139 | £67–£277 |
Admin and clerical | £338 | £432 | £300–£556 |
Premises | £401 | £487 | £384–£594 |
Energy | £122 | £119 | £95–£159 |
Learning resources & ICT | £335 | £313 | £217–£415 |
Bought-in services | £377 | £182 | £104–£306 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Watchlytes Primary School In deficit
- Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy Healthy
- Sun Academy Bradwell Tight
- Dunton Green Primary School Large reserves
- Hunstanton Primary School Large reserves
- North Lakes School Large reserves
- Huttoft Primary & Nursery School Large reserves
- St Clare's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Beresford Memorial CofE First School Large reserves
- St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Bardney Church of England and Methodist Primary School In deficit
- Our Lady and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £9,045 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £168k | £1,072 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £76k | £485 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £37k | £238 |
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 24% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £377 a pupil, against a typical £182 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 Upton Westlea Primary School · All Cheshire West and Chester school finances