Firle Church of England Primary School: 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 £65k £1,226 per pupil in reserve, 11% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2019-20 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2020-21 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2021-22 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2022-23 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2023-24 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2024-25 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2025-26 Large reserves same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £549k £10,367 per pupil and spending £596k £11,250 per pupil. Spending was £47k £883 per pupil more than government funding; the difference came from other income, such as lettings, catering or donations, or from the school's reserve.
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
Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).
| Year | Pupils | Income | Spending | In-year balance | Reserve at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 53.0 | £594k £11,198 per pupil | £596k £11,250 per pupil | -£3k -£52 per pupil | £65k £1,226 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 54.0 | £623k £11,534 per pupil | £634k £11,733 per pupil | -£11k -£200 per pupil | £68k £1,255 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 62.0 | £635k £10,243 per pupil | £630k £10,168 per pupil | +£5k +£75 per pupil | £79k £1,266 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 79.0 | £648k £8,207 per pupil | £633k £8,013 per pupil | +£15k +£193 per pupil | £74k £935 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 74.0 | £476k £6,438 per pupil | £504k £6,807 per pupil | -£27k -£369 per pupil | £59k £792 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 65.0 | £479k £7,375 per pupil | £464k £7,134 per pupil | +£16k +£241 per pupil | £86k £1,322 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 70.0 | £460k £6,577 per pupil | £464k £6,630 per pupil | -£4k -£53 per pupil | £70k £1,004 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 68.0 | £523k £7,696 per pupil | £475k £6,984 per pupil | +£48k +£713 per pupil | £74k £1,088 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2025-26 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £594k £11,198 per pupil | +46% +11% real | £11k | |
| Government funding | £549k £10,367 per pupil | +42% +8% real | £11k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £12k £226 per pupil | +335% +228% real | £356 | |
| Pupil premium | £15k £286 per pupil | -17% -37% real | £378 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £44k £832 per pupil | +105% +57% real | £587 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £31k £583 per pupil | +69% +29% real | £12 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £0 | |
| Facilities and services | £3k £65 per pupil | +160% +97% real | £235 | |
| Catering income | £0 £0 per pupil | £98 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £24k £455 per pupil | £510 |
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
| Line | 2025-26 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £596k £11,250 per pupil | +61% +23% real | £11k | |
| Teachers | £283k £5,336 per pupil | +38% +5% real | £5k | |
| Supply staff | £13k £241 per pupil | +323% +221% real | £167 | |
| Support staff | £125k £2,364 per pupil | +207% +134% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £29k £555 per pupil | +32% +1% real | £522 | |
| Premises staff | £17k £325 per pupil | +68% +27% real | £0 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £15k £282 per pupil | +38% +5% real | £460 | |
| All staff costs | £467k £8,814 per pupil | +65% +26% real | £8k | |
| Premises | £27k £504 per pupil | +77% +35% real | £612 | |
| Energy | £11k £204 per pupil | +41% +7% real | £146 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £45k £856 per pupil | +59% +21% real | £896 | |
| Catering | £18k £340 per pupil | +66% +26% real | £456 | |
| Learning resources | £19k £354 per pupil | -22% -40% real | £559 | |
| Supplies and services | £56k £1,054 per pupil | +30% -1% real | £1k | |
| Bought-in services | £23k £429 per pupil | +35% +3% real | £389 |
Staff costs were 78% 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 £596k £11,250 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
- 2018-19 68.0
- 2019-20 70.0
- 2020-21 65.0
- 2021-22 74.0
- 2022-23 79.0
- 2023-24 62.0
- 2024-25 54.0
- 2025-26 53.0
Pupil numbers fell from 68.0 to 53.0 (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)
Money raised by parents
| School year | Raised | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 year to August 2025 | £3k £65 per pupil | £2k £46 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £3k £63 per pupil | £3k £62 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £1k £19 per pupil | £20k £329 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £17k £220 per pupil | £5k £61 per pupil |
| 2007-08 year to February 2008 | £3k | £5k |
- FRIENDS OF FIRLE SCHOOL (charity 1193884) Latest return: £3k £65 per pupil in the year to August 2025. It reports 22 volunteers. Annual return due 30 June 2023.
- FRIENDS OF FIRLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (charity 1024204) Had a registered PTA until 2011.
Each return is placed in the school year that holds the end of the charity's financial year, and per-pupil figures use that year's pupils. A parents' association's money is its own and isn't in the school's accounts above. Money a parents' association gives the school can also appear in the school's own accounts as donations, so the two can overlap. They are shown separately here and never added together.
Across England, the typical registered parents' association raised £50 per pupil in 2025-26.
Intake and area
- 21% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 21%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 3 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 3 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 29% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 38% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 28% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 4 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.
- Teachers £296k £5,576 per pupil
- Support staff £125k £2,364 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £27k £504 per pupil
- Energy £11k £204 per pupil
- Learning resources £19k £354 per pupil
- Everything else £119k £2,248 per pupil
National context
- Primary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by over 300,000 (about 8%) between 2024–25 and 2030–31. (IFS, p. 19)
- Council-run primary schools spend about £400 (6%) more per pupil than primary academies, and council-run secondaries about £300 (4%) more, partly because trusts spend some money centrally. (IFS, p. 56)
- Pupil premium is £1,515 a year per eligible primary pupil and £1,075 per eligible secondary pupil, over 16% lower in real terms than in 2015–16. (IFS, p. 51)
- Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year of extra support for a pupil with special needs from their own budget. (IFS, p. 46)
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTFA committees.
- What is Firle Church of England Primary School's £65k £1,226 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does Firle Church of England Primary School 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)
- How much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
- Is any of it already committed, for example to building work or to cover a planned overspend?
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- How does Firle Church of England Primary School'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)
- Could some be spent on current pupils without putting future years at risk?
- Has the council talked about reducing places, merging or closing schools in this area? Why ask: The IFS notes savings from falling numbers only come if staff or the number of schools are reduced. (IFS, p. 64)
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.
- Fleggburgh CofE Primary School
- Butterknowle Primary School
- South Darley CofE Primary School
- Port Isaac Academy
- Altarnun Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Firle Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All East Sussex school finances · Schools in Lewes
- DfE Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool data: CFR returns for council-run schools (April to March) and academy accounts returns (September to August), Open Government Licence v3.0
- Get Information about Schools, Open Government Licence v3.0
- Charity Commission register, Open Government Licence v3.0
- National context: IFS, Annual report on education spending in England: 2025–26 (January 2026); IFS figures are in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, November 2025)
- Real-terms figures on this page: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026)