Farnham Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Essex · Primary · Voluntary aided school
Large reserves
Holds £123k £13,714 per pupil in reserve, 29% of a year's income.
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 £410k £45,594 per pupil and spending £375k £41,676 per pupil. Government funding was £35k £3,918 per pupil more than spending.
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 | 9.0 | £419k £46,506 per pupil | £375k £41,676 per pupil | +£43k +£4,830 per pupil | £123k £13,714 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 28.0 | £400k £14,269 per pupil | £430k £15,360 per pupil | -£31k -£1,091 per pupil | £80k £2,856 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 37.0 | £415k £11,222 per pupil | £402k £10,877 per pupil | +£13k +£345 per pupil | £110k £2,986 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 41.0 | £386k £9,421 per pupil | £395k £9,641 per pupil | -£9k -£220 per pupil | £98k £2,383 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 40.0 | £408k £10,193 per pupil | £400k £10,009 per pupil | +£7k +£185 per pupil | £107k £2,668 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 49.0 | £390k £7,950 per pupil | £384k £7,837 per pupil | +£6k +£113 per pupil | £99k £2,028 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 51.0 | £365k £7,160 per pupil | £360k £7,050 per pupil | +£6k +£111 per pupil | £94k £1,840 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 44.0 | £356k £8,098 per pupil | £352k £7,995 per pupil | +£5k +£103 per pupil | £88k £2,004 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 | £419k £46,506 per pupil | +474% +338% real | £23k | |
| Government funding | £410k £45,594 per pupil | +502% +359% real | £21k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £60k £6,636 per pupil | +5721% +4354% real | £680 | |
| Pupil premium | £12k £1,347 per pupil | +541% +390% real | £475 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £8k £912 per pupil | +26% -4% real | £1k | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £684 £76 per pupil | -44% -57% real | £44 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £2k £211 per pupil | -49% -61% real | £306 | |
| Catering income | £2k £236 per pupil | +40% +7% real | £78 | |
| Other DfE grants | £17k £1,890 per pupil | +228% +150% real | £1k |
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 | £375k £41,676 per pupil | +421% +298% real | £23k | |
| Teachers | £151k £16,751 per pupil | +361% +252% real | £10k | |
| Supply staff | £9k £1,043 per pupil | +223% +147% real | £321 | |
| Support staff | £79k £8,795 per pupil | +608% +440% real | £3k | |
| Office and admin staff | £25k £2,730 per pupil | +397% +280% real | £1k | |
| Premises staff | £5k £512 per pupil | +439% +310% real | £384 | |
| Catering staff | £10k £1,136 per pupil | +761% +557% real | £0 | |
| Other staff costs | £5k £503 per pupil | +281% +191% real | £590 | |
| All staff costs | £270k £29,973 per pupil | +406% +286% real | £17k | |
| Premises | £13k £1,405 per pupil | +212% +138% real | £1k | |
| Energy | £9k £1,003 per pupil | +445% +314% real | £387 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £29k £3,225 per pupil | +438% +310% real | £2k | |
| Catering | £13k £1,446 per pupil | +340% +235% real | £635 | |
| Learning resources | £20k £2,237 per pupil | +421% +298% real | £1k | |
| Supplies and services | £64k £7,073 per pupil | +595% +430% real | £3k | |
| Bought-in services | £37k £4,095 per pupil | +769% +564% real | £1k |
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 £375k £41,676 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 44.0
- 2019-20 51.0
- 2020-21 49.0
- 2021-22 40.0
- 2022-23 41.0
- 2023-24 37.0
- 2024-25 28.0
- 2025-26 9.0
Pupil numbers fell from 44.0 to 9.0 (80% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 year to March 2025 | £640 £23 per pupil | £115 £4 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to March 2024 | £1k £28 per pupil | £2k £52 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to March 2023 | £116 £3 per pupil | £2k £45 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to March 2022 | £1k £34 per pupil | £2k £59 per pupil |
| 2020-21 year to March 2021 | £592 £12 per pupil | £1k £28 per pupil |
- THE FRIENDS OF FARNHAM SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (charity 1055051) Latest return: £640 £23 per pupil in the year to March 2025.
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
- 33% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 17%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 9 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 42% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 73% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 11% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 3 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 £160k £17,794 per pupil
- Support staff £79k £8,795 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £13k £1,405 per pupil
- Energy £9k £1,003 per pupil
- Learning resources £20k £2,237 per pupil
- Everything else £94k £10,442 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 Farnham Church of England Primary School's £123k £13,714 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does Farnham 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 many pupils at Farnham Church of England Primary School 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)
- 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?
- Does the council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
- How does Farnham 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)
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.
- Black Torrington Church of England Primary School
- Branscombe Church of England Primary School
- Membury Primary Academy
- Ridgmont Lower School
- Elton CofE Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Farnham Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Essex school finances · Schools in North West Essex
- 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)