West Tytherley Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Hampshire · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Healthy
Holds £44k £852 per pupil in reserve, 7% of a year's income.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2019-20 Healthy same as the year before
- 2020-21 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 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 £595k £11,436 per pupil and spending £652k £12,537 per pupil. Spending was £57k £1,101 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 | 52.0 | £619k £11,901 per pupil | £652k £12,537 per pupil | -£33k -£635 per pupil | £44k £852 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 53.0 | £578k £10,901 per pupil | £576k £10,877 per pupil | +£1k +£25 per pupil | £77k £1,459 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 57.0 | £610k £10,706 per pupil | £607k £10,643 per pupil | +£4k +£63 per pupil | £76k £1,334 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 54.0 | £529k £9,790 per pupil | £493k £9,127 per pupil | +£36k +£663 per pupil | £72k £1,341 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 51.0 | £418k £8,190 per pupil | £440k £8,623 per pupil | -£22k -£433 per pupil | £37k £719 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 41.0 | £472k £11,511 per pupil | £433k £10,555 per pupil | +£39k +£957 per pupil | £59k £1,433 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 59.0 | £484k £8,205 per pupil | £490k £8,310 per pupil | -£6k -£105 per pupil | £20k £331 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 65.0 | £470k £7,235 per pupil | £466k £7,166 per pupil | +£4k +£69 per pupil | £26k £396 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 | £619k £11,901 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £11k | |
| Government funding | £595k £11,436 per pupil | +74% +33% real | £10k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £73k £1,400 per pupil | +6900% +5285% real | £464 | |
| Pupil premium | £18k £352 per pupil | +148% +89% real | £145 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £24k £465 per pupil | -30% -47% real | £635 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £419 £8 per pupil | -98% -98% real | £114 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £13k £255 per pupil | +150% +92% real | £201 | |
| Catering income | £8k £150 per pupil | +50% +14% real | £95 | |
| Other DfE grants | £29k £566 per pupil | +13% -14% real | £577 |
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 | £652k £12,537 per pupil | +75% +33% real | £11k | |
| Teachers | £339k £6,519 per pupil | +93% +47% real | £5k | |
| Supply staff | £150 £3 per pupil | -98% -99% real | £66 | |
| Support staff | £75k £1,436 per pupil | +108% +58% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £25k £489 per pupil | +7% -18% real | £620 | |
| Premises staff | £20k £385 per pupil | +74% +33% real | £0 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £9k £173 per pupil | -47% -59% real | £338 | |
| All staff costs | £450k £8,662 per pupil | +71% +30% real | £8k | |
| Premises | £30k £579 per pupil | +59% +21% real | £502 | |
| Energy | £10k £185 per pupil | +40% +7% real | £154 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £59k £1,133 per pupil | +38% +6% real | £711 | |
| Catering | £20k £384 per pupil | +8% -18% real | £347 | |
| Learning resources | £27k £512 per pupil | +40% +7% real | £496 | |
| Supplies and services | £113k £2,164 per pupil | +139% +82% real | £1k | |
| Bought-in services | £79k £1,514 per pupil | +206% +133% real | £405 |
Staff costs were 69% 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 £652k £12,537 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 65.0
- 2019-20 59.0
- 2020-21 41.0
- 2021-22 51.0
- 2022-23 54.0
- 2023-24 57.0
- 2024-25 53.0
- 2025-26 52.0
Pupil numbers fell from 65.0 to 52.0 (20% 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 +£41k +£791 per pupil on the year before, and its staff costs by +£54k +£1,031 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
| School year | Raised | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 year to August 2026 | £3k | £575 |
| 2025-26 year to August 2025 | £3k £57 per pupil | £10k £199 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £4k £74 per pupil | £2k £36 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £2k £42 per pupil | £3k £47 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £3k £64 per pupil | £2k £44 per pupil |
- WEST TYTHERLEY PTA (charity 1154103) 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 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 42% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 66% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 16% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 2 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 £339k £6,522 per pupil
- Support staff £75k £1,436 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £30k £579 per pupil
- Energy £10k £185 per pupil
- Learning resources £27k £512 per pupil
- Everything else £172k £3,303 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 West Tytherley 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 West Tytherley 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 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 West Tytherley 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)
- 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)
- Is the council's high needs budget in deficit, and could that affect the school's top-ups? Why ask: Councils' accumulated high needs deficits are forecast to reach £14 billion by 2028. Statutory override: since 2020-21 DSG deficits are held in a separate unusable reserve rather than met from council general funds. The override runs to the end of 2027-28. Under the February 2026 approach, the High Needs Stability Grant pays 90% of each LA's eligible DSG deficit at 31 March 2026 from autumn 2026, so 2026-27 balances will fall sharply. (IFS, p. 61)
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.
- Marwood Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant School, Great Ayton
- Easton Royal Academy
- Dean Barwick Primary School
- Lanlivery Primary Academy
- St Augustine's CofE Academy
Admissions and catchments for West Tytherley Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Hampshire school finances · Schools in Romsey and Southampton North
- 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)