Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Essex · Primary · Voluntary aided school
Healthy
Holds £57k £463 per pupil in reserve, 7% of a year's income. It has spent more than it received for 4 years, so watch the trend.
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 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £809k £6,523 per pupil and spending £874k £7,051 per pupil. Spending was £65k £527 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 | 124.0 | £859k £6,931 per pupil | £874k £7,051 per pupil | -£15k -£119 per pupil | £57k £463 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 131.0 | £803k £6,134 per pupil | £832k £6,353 per pupil | -£29k -£220 per pupil | £72k £551 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 119.0 | £789k £6,634 per pupil | £794k £6,671 per pupil | -£4k -£37 per pupil | £101k £848 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 133.0 | £757k £5,689 per pupil | £778k £5,847 per pupil | -£21k -£158 per pupil | £105k £792 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 143.0 | £756k £5,287 per pupil | £743k £5,194 per pupil | +£13k +£93 per pupil | £126k £883 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 145.0 | £713k £4,916 per pupil | £748k £5,161 per pupil | -£35k -£245 per pupil | £113k £779 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 147.0 | £748k £5,085 per pupil | £736k £5,009 per pupil | +£11k +£76 per pupil | £148k £1,010 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 151.0 | £744k £4,926 per pupil | £733k £4,853 per pupil | +£11k +£74 per pupil | £137k £909 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 | £859k £6,931 per pupil | +41% +7% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £809k £6,523 per pupil | +44% +10% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £568 £5 per pupil | -94% -96% real | £295 | |
| Pupil premium | £27k £214 per pupil | +50% +14% real | £197 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £51k £411 per pupil | +4% -21% real | £586 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £10k £77 per pupil | -21% -40% real | £50 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £22k £176 per pupil | +38% +5% real | £249 | |
| Catering income | £6k £46 per pupil | -54% -65% real | £37 | |
| Other DfE grants | £38k £308 per pupil | +17% -11% real | £311 |
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 | £874k £7,051 per pupil | +45% +11% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £403k £3,247 per pupil | +50% +14% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £190 £2 per pupil | -95% -96% real | £171 | |
| Support staff | £107k £865 per pupil | +14% -13% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £79k £638 per pupil | +90% +45% real | £448 | |
| Premises staff | £45k £361 per pupil | +47% +12% real | £51 | |
| Catering staff | £22k £177 per pupil | +5% -20% real | £0 | |
| Other staff costs | £37k £299 per pupil | +97% +50% real | £288 | |
| All staff costs | £633k £5,107 per pupil | +47% +12% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £64k £517 per pupil | +44% +10% real | £389 | |
| Energy | £16k £133 per pupil | +129% +75% real | £114 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £79k £640 per pupil | +61% +23% real | £629 | |
| Catering | £54k £432 per pupil | +57% +19% real | £281 | |
| Learning resources | £42k £336 per pupil | +142% +84% real | £489 | |
| Supplies and services | £98k £787 per pupil | +28% -2% real | £854 | |
| Bought-in services | £46k £372 per pupil | -8% -30% real | £210 |
Staff costs were 72% 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 £874k £7,051 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
- 2018-19 151.0
- 2019-20 147.0
- 2020-21 145.0
- 2021-22 143.0
- 2022-23 133.0
- 2023-24 119.0
- 2024-25 131.0
- 2025-26 124.0
Pupil numbers fell from 151.0 to 124.0 (18% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 year to August 2026 | £3k | £6k |
| 2025-26 year to August 2025 | £7k £53 per pupil | £4k £34 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £6k £48 per pupil | £9k £66 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £5k £44 per pupil | £3k £25 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £1k £10 per pupil | £754 £6 per pupil |
- BIRCH SCHOOL PARENTS AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION (charity 1040912) Latest return: £3k in the year to August 2026.
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
- 10% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 17%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 5 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 8 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 31% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 74% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 11% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 1 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 £403k £3,249 per pupil
- Support staff £107k £865 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £64k £517 per pupil
- Energy £16k £133 per pupil
- Learning resources £42k £336 per pupil
- Everything else £242k £1,950 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.
- How many pupils does Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- How does Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided 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)
- 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)
- Could spare space be let out or shared to bring in income?
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.
- Moretonhampstead Primary School
- St Margaret's, Collier Street Church of England Voluntary Controlled School
- Broughton CofE Primary and Nursery School
- Churchfields, the Village School
- Skirlaugh Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Essex school finances · Schools in Witham
- 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)