Crookham Church of England Aided Infant School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Hampshire · Primary · Voluntary aided school
Healthy
Holds £69k £462 per pupil in reserve, 7% of a year's income.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2019-20 Tight same as the year before
- 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 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 £979k £6,569 per pupil and spending £1.1m £7,408 per pupil. Spending was £125k £839 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 | 149.0 | £1.0m £6,827 per pupil | £1.1m £7,408 per pupil | -£87k -£581 per pupil | £69k £462 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 145.0 | £1.1m £7,822 per pupil | £1.1m £7,326 per pupil | +£72k +£496 per pupil | £155k £1,072 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 176.0 | £973k £5,529 per pupil | £991k £5,632 per pupil | -£18k -£102 per pupil | £84k £475 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 167.0 | £892k £5,339 per pupil | £897k £5,373 per pupil | -£6k -£35 per pupil | £102k £609 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 163.5 | £834k £5,103 per pupil | £789k £4,827 per pupil | +£45k +£276 per pupil | £107k £657 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 166.0 | £868k £5,232 per pupil | £830k £4,999 per pupil | +£39k +£233 per pupil | £62k £375 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 178.0 | £848k £4,763 per pupil | £842k £4,731 per pupil | +£6k +£31 per pupil | £24k £132 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 180.5 | £843k £4,670 per pupil | £876k £4,856 per pupil | -£34k -£186 per pupil | £18k £99 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 | £1.0m £6,827 per pupil | +46% +12% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £979k £6,569 per pupil | +48% +13% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £93k £626 per pupil | +508% +364% real | £230 | |
| Pupil premium | £19k £129 per pupil | +34% +2% real | £142 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £38k £258 per pupil | +5% -20% real | £611 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £12k £80 per pupil | -26% -44% real | £63 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £9k £63 per pupil | -5% -28% real | £225 | |
| Catering income | £73 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £88 | |
| Other DfE grants | £73k £492 per pupil | +8% -17% real | £332 |
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 | £1.1m £7,408 per pupil | +53% +16% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £503k £3,376 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £5k £35 per pupil | -48% -60% real | £109 | |
| Support staff | £250k £1,679 per pupil | +102% +54% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £71k £476 per pupil | +53% +17% real | £420 | |
| Premises staff | £23k £157 per pupil | +134% +80% real | £103 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £19k £128 per pupil | -38% -53% real | £179 | |
| All staff costs | £854k £5,734 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £71k £474 per pupil | +14% -13% real | £368 | |
| Energy | £21k £143 per pupil | +175% +110% real | £108 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £104k £695 per pupil | +51% +15% real | £613 | |
| Catering | £69k £461 per pupil | +27% -3% real | £340 | |
| Learning resources | £28k £191 per pupil | -29% -46% real | £413 | |
| Supplies and services | £75k £504 per pupil | +6% -19% real | £756 | |
| Bought-in services | £35k £238 per pupil | +59% +21% real | £262 |
Staff costs were 77% 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 £1.1m £7,408 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
- 2018-19 180.5
- 2019-20 178.0
- 2020-21 166.0
- 2021-22 163.5
- 2022-23 167.0
- 2023-24 176.0
- 2024-25 145.0
- 2025-26 149.0
Pupil numbers fell from 180.5 to 149.0 (17% 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 January 2026 | £28k £188 per pupil | £14k £93 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to January 2025 | £19k £131 per pupil | £26k £182 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to January 2024 | £22k £126 per pupil | £7k £37 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to January 2023 | £20k £118 per pupil | £32k £192 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to January 2022 | £17k £105 per pupil | £6k £38 per pupil |
- FRIENDS OF CROOKHAM INFANTS SCHOOL (charity 1046354) Latest return: £28k £188 per pupil in the year to January 2026. It reports 31 volunteers. Annual return due 17 November 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
- 7% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 17%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 39% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 91% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 2% 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 £508k £3,411 per pupil
- Support staff £250k £1,679 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £71k £474 per pupil
- Energy £21k £143 per pupil
- Learning resources £28k £191 per pupil
- Everything else £225k £1,510 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 Crookham Church of England Aided Infant 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 Crookham Church of England Aided Infant 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 Crookham Church of England Aided Infant 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.
- Stoke Prior First School
- Lickey End First School
- Jolesfield CofE Primary School
- Keinton Mandeville Primary School
- Waltham St Lawrence Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Crookham Church of England Aided Infant School on Schools in Reach · All Hampshire school finances · Schools in North East Hampshire
- 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)