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All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill: school finances

Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). East Sussex · Primary · Voluntary controlled school

Large reserves

Holds £208k £825 per pupil in reserve, 8% of a year's income.

Status by year

  1. 2018-19 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
  2. 2019-20 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
  3. 2020-21 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
  4. 2021-22 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
  5. 2022-23 Healthy same as the year before
  6. 2023-24 Healthy same as the year before
  7. 2024-25 Healthy same as the year before
  8. 2025-26 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income

Government funding vs spending per pupil

In 2025-26, government funding was £2.4m £9,336 per pupil and spending £2.4m £9,458 per pupil. Spending was £31k £122 per pupil more than government funding; the difference came from other income, such as lettings, catering or donations, or from the school's reserve.

Government funding and spending per pupil, 2018-19 to 2025-26Government funding and spending per pupil each year, 2018-19 to 2025-26. 2018-19: funding £6k, spending £6k; 2019-20: funding £5k, spending £5k; 2020-21: funding £5k, spending £6k; 2021-22: funding £6k, spending £6k; 2022-23: funding £7k, spending £7k; 2023-24: funding £8k, spending £8k; 2024-25: funding £8k, spending £9k; 2025-26: funding £9k, spending £9k£4,000£6,000£8,0002019-202021-222023-242025-26Gov. fundingSpendingSimilarGov. fundingSpending

Funding is the money a school receives; spending is what it pays out. The two differ when a school adds to or draws on its savings, and because some money is spent on its pupils by someone else: the council (for example special needs top-ups and transport) or, for academies, the trust's central team. (IFS, pp. 7, 10, 46, 52, 54)

Government funding is the academy accounts line "grant funding from government" in academy (AAR) years and the CFR grant funding total in council-run years. The two are not strictly comparable: CFR line I07 can include some money that is not from government.

Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).

Reserve per pupil by year

Reserve per pupil, 2018-19 to 2025-26Reserve per pupil at the end of each year. 2018-19: £833; 2019-20: £401; 2020-21: £545; 2021-22: £441; 2022-23: £461; 2023-24: £590; 2024-25: £548; 2025-26: £825£400£600£800£1,0002019-202021-222023-242025-26ReserveSimilarReserve

Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).

Each year's figures, newest first
YearPupilsIncomeSpendingIn-year balanceReserve at year end
2025-26252.5£2.5m £9,719 per pupil£2.4m £9,458 per pupil+£66k +£261 per pupil£208k £825 per pupil
2024-25259.5£2.3m £8,879 per pupil£2.3m £8,921 per pupil-£11k -£43 per pupil£142k £548 per pupil
2023-24260.0£2.1m £8,087 per pupil£2.1m £7,962 per pupil+£32k +£125 per pupil£153k £590 per pupil
2022-23262.0£1.8m £6,930 per pupil£1.8m £6,895 per pupil+£9k +£35 per pupil£121k £461 per pupil
2021-22253.5£1.6m £6,142 per pupil£1.6m £6,244 per pupil-£26k -£102 per pupil£112k £441 per pupil
2020-21252.5£1.4m £5,703 per pupil£1.4m £5,561 per pupil+£36k +£142 per pupil£138k £545 per pupil
2019-20254.0£1.3m £5,129 per pupil£1.4m £5,407 per pupil-£71k -£278 per pupil£102k £401 per pupil
2018-19207.0£1.2m £6,038 per pupil£1.2m £5,808 per pupil+£48k +£230 per pupil£172k £833 per pupil

Where the money comes from

Income in 2025-26, with the trend per pupil since 2018-19
Line2025-26Trend per pupilChange per pupil since 2018-19Similar schools (median per pupil)
Total income£2.5m £9,719 per pupil+61% +23% real£8k
Government funding£2.4m £9,336 per pupil+61% +23% real£8k
Special needs (SEN) funding£287k £1,136 per pupil+28300% +22620% real£370
Pupil premium£162k £640 per pupil+11% -15% real£725
Money the school raised itself£97k £383 per pupil+52% +16% real£306
Donations (day-to-day)£24k £94 per pupil+154% +92% real£12
Donations for buildings and equipment£0 £0 per pupil£0
Facilities and services£51k £201 per pupil+328% +224% real£102
Catering income£9k £37 per pupil£58
Other DfE grants£46k £184 per pupil£218

Other DfE grants is a container line. It includes the grants that cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, which cannot be separated out, so no figure is shown for them on their own. Not every rise in a school's income is extra spending power. When the government raised what schools pay as employers into staff pensions and National Insurance, it gave schools grants to cover the bill. The IFS describes this as extra money to pay for extra outgoings, with no change in real resources. About £2.3 billion of the growth in school funding between 2019–20 and 2025–26 was this kind of grant. So when a school's income jumps, check whether its staff costs jumped by the same amount: the money may simply have passed through. (IFS, p. 50)

Where it goes

Spending in 2025-26, with the trend per pupil since 2018-19
Line2025-26Trend per pupilChange per pupil since 2018-19Similar schools (median per pupil)
Total spending£2.4m £9,458 per pupil+63% +24% real£8k
Teachers£968k £3,833 per pupil+87% +43% real£4k
Supply staff£7k £26 per pupil-91% -93% real£38
Support staff£803k £3,178 per pupil+216% +141% real£2k
Office and admin staff£125k £495 per pupil+78% +36% real£363
Premises staff£65k £259 per pupil+59% +22% real£271
Catering staff£0 £0 per pupil£0
Other staff costs£26k £104 per pupil-8% -30% real£261
All staff costs£1.9m £7,674 per pupil+103% +55% real£6k
Premises£102k £403 per pupil+51% +15% real£464
Energy£21k £85 per pupil+77% +35% real£111
Rates, water and other building costs£193k £763 per pupil+64% +25% real£782
Catering£89k £354 per pupil+113% +62% real£380
Learning resources£64k £253 per pupil-21% -40% real£332
Supplies and services£150k £593 per pupil-15% -35% real£720
Bought-in services£47k £185 per pupil-49% -61% real£387

Staff costs were 81% of this school's spending in 2025-26. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)

In 2025-26 prices, this school spent £2.4m £9,458 per pupil in 2025-26. Across England, primary schools are expected to spend about £7,000 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)

Pupils by year

  1. 2018-19 207.0
  2. 2019-20 254.0
  3. 2020-21 252.5
  4. 2021-22 253.5
  5. 2022-23 262.0
  6. 2023-24 260.0
  7. 2024-25 259.5
  8. 2025-26 252.5

Pupil numbers fell from 207.0 to 252.5 (22% fewer) over the years shown.

Schools are mostly funded per pupil, so fewer pupils means less money. Costs do not fall in step: a class with a few fewer pupils still needs a teacher. Primary schools in England have already lost about 100,000 pupils (3%) between 2019–20 and 2024–25, and are expected to lose over 300,000 more (about 8%) by 2030–31. Secondary numbers are expected to start falling from about 2026–27. The IFS points out that money is only saved if schools actually reduce what they spend, such as staff or the number of schools. That is why a well-run school with falling numbers can still find its budget under pressure. (IFS, pp. 19, 64)

Income that passed straight through

In 2025-26, this school's income rose by +£150k +£594 per pupil on the year before, and its staff costs by +£158k +£627 per pupil. Much of the extra money may have gone straight out again on higher pay, pension and National Insurance costs.

About £2.3 billion of the rise in school funding since 2019–20 was grants to cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, not extra spending power. (IFS, p. 50)

Money raised by parents

No registered parents' association found for All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill. Charities with an income of £5,000 or less a year don't have to register with the Charity Commission, so many schools have an active PTA or friends' group that isn't on the register.

Across England, the typical registered parents' association raised £50 per pupil in 2025-26.

Intake and area

council-run · Primary · Mixed · Church of England

Intake band 5 of 5 nationally, combining free-school-meal eligibility and the deprivation of the school's neighbourhood (1 = least disadvantaged, 5 = most).

Context, not a judgement: schools with different intakes get different funding and face different costs.

How my school's money is split

For pupils: out of every pound the school spent in 2025-26, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.

National context

Questions to ask the school

Useful for parents, governors and PTFA committees.

  1. What is All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill's £208k £825 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
  2. How many pupils does All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill expect in each year group over the next three years? Why ask: Primary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by over 300,000 (about 8%) by 2030–31. (IFS, p. 19)
  3. How many pupils at All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill have an EHCP or need extra support, and how is support above the first £6,000 a year funded? Why ask: Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year per pupil from their core budget. (IFS, p. 46)
  4. How much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
  5. Is any of it already committed, for example to building work or to cover a planned overspend?
  6. Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
  7. Does the council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
  8. How does All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill's spending per pupil compare with similar schools, and why? Why ask: Nationally, primaries spend about £7,000 and secondaries about £7,800 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)

Check at source

Every figure here comes from the school's published return. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the figures are worked out.

Similar schools: the closest in phase, size and share of pupils on free school meals.

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