Ruardean Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Gloucestershire · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Large reserves
Holds £81k £1,068 per pupil in reserve, 10% of a year's income.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2019-20 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2020-21 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2021-22 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2022-23 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2023-24 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2024-25 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2025-26 Large reserves same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £724k £9,533 per pupil and spending £817k £10,749 per pupil. Spending was £92k £1,217 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 | 76.0 | £775k £10,193 per pupil | £817k £10,749 per pupil | -£42k -£557 per pupil | £81k £1,068 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 72.0 | £872k £12,107 per pupil | £807k £11,204 per pupil | +£65k +£903 per pupil | £124k £1,719 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 87.0 | £798k £9,175 per pupil | £760k £8,735 per pupil | +£38k +£440 per pupil | £59k £675 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 85.0 | £703k £8,270 per pupil | £758k £8,921 per pupil | -£55k -£651 per pupil | £20k £240 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 81.0 | £758k £9,355 per pupil | £727k £8,972 per pupil | +£31k +£382 per pupil | £76k £936 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 99.0 | £790k £7,980 per pupil | £764k £7,713 per pupil | +£26k +£267 per pupil | £45k £453 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 103.5 | £715k £6,911 per pupil | £745k £7,195 per pupil | -£29k -£284 per pupil | £18k £178 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 98.0 | £657k £6,702 per pupil | £644k £6,571 per pupil | +£13k +£131 per pupil | £48k £488 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 | £775k £10,193 per pupil | +52% +16% real | £10k | |
| Government funding | £724k £9,533 per pupil | +44% +10% real | £9k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £159k £2,094 per pupil | +189% +120% real | £315 | |
| Pupil premium | £25k £324 per pupil | -25% -42% real | £467 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £50k £660 per pupil | +535% +382% real | £515 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £4k £56 per pupil | +75% +33% real | £10 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £44k £572 per pupil | +18967% +18967% real | £183 | |
| Catering income | -£39 -£1 per pupil | £76 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £22k £288 per pupil | -6% -29% real | £412 |
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 | £817k £10,749 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £10k | |
| Teachers | £355k £4,671 per pupil | +60% +22% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £14k £185 per pupil | +70% +29% real | £154 | |
| Support staff | £171k £2,254 per pupil | +30% -1% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £52k £679 per pupil | +122% +69% real | £525 | |
| Premises staff | £7k £92 per pupil | +104% +56% real | £132 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £27k £359 per pupil | +112% +62% real | £378 | |
| All staff costs | £623k £8,203 per pupil | +55% +18% real | £8k | |
| Premises | £70k £917 per pupil | +218% +143% real | £447 | |
| Energy | £19k £255 per pupil | +143% +86% real | £138 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £51k £676 per pupil | +67% +28% real | £816 | |
| Catering | £16k £209 per pupil | +31% -0% real | £420 | |
| Learning resources | £33k £436 per pupil | +36% +4% real | £531 | |
| Supplies and services | £72k £954 per pupil | +60% +22% real | £1k | |
| Bought-in services | £27k £359 per pupil | +65% +26% real | £397 |
Staff costs were 76% 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 £817k £10,749 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 98.0
- 2019-20 103.5
- 2020-21 99.0
- 2021-22 81.0
- 2022-23 85.0
- 2023-24 87.0
- 2024-25 72.0
- 2025-26 76.0
Pupil numbers fell from 98.0 to 76.0 (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
No registered parents' association found for Ruardean Church of England Primary School. 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
- 25% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 17%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 3 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 4 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 27% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 66% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 24% 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 £369k £4,856 per pupil
- Support staff £171k £2,254 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £70k £917 per pupil
- Energy £19k £255 per pupil
- Learning resources £33k £436 per pupil
- Everything else £154k £2,032 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 Ruardean Church of England Primary School's £81k £1,068 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does Ruardean 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 Ruardean 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 Ruardean 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.
- Hollesley Primary School
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Malmesbury
- Warmingham CofE Primary School
- Bletchingdon Parochial Church of England Primary School
- The Mareham-le-Fen Church of England Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Ruardean Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Gloucestershire school finances · Schools in Forest of Dean
- 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
- 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)