Burscough Bridge St John's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Lancashire · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Tight
Holds £23k £169 per pupil in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
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 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2022-23 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
- 2023-24 Heading for deficit same as the year before
- 2024-25 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2025-26 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £1.1m £7,816 per pupil and spending £1.2m £8,664 per pupil. Spending was £114k £848 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 | 135.0 | £1.2m £8,573 per pupil | £1.2m £8,664 per pupil | -£12k -£91 per pupil | £23k £169 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 147.0 | £1.1m £7,352 per pupil | £1.1m £7,169 per pupil | +£27k +£183 per pupil | £35k £239 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 163.0 | £974k £5,978 per pupil | £976k £5,985 per pupil | -£1k -£7 per pupil | £8k £51 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 159.0 | £924k £5,811 per pupil | £933k £5,867 per pupil | -£9k -£56 per pupil | £9k £59 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 167.0 | £850k £5,089 per pupil | £899k £5,384 per pupil | -£49k -£295 per pupil | £18k £109 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 165.0 | £821k £4,978 per pupil | £819k £4,966 per pupil | +£2k +£12 per pupil | £68k £409 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 168.0 | £846k £5,038 per pupil | £840k £4,997 per pupil | +£7k +£40 per pupil | £66k £391 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 175.0 | £818k £4,672 per pupil | £806k £4,604 per pupil | +£12k +£69 per pupil | £59k £336 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 | £1.2m £8,573 per pupil | +83% +40% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £1.1m £7,816 per pupil | +79% +36% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £46k £339 per pupil | +299% +203% real | £341 | |
| Pupil premium | £35k £260 per pupil | +78% +36% real | £230 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £102k £757 per pupil | +151% +92% real | £558 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £0 £0 per pupil recorded | -100% -100% real | £58 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £58k £430 per pupil | +154% +95% real | £183 | |
| Catering income | £34k £251 per pupil | +156% +95% real | £30 | |
| Other DfE grants | £43k £315 per pupil | +39% +6% real | £365 |
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 | £1.2m £8,664 per pupil | +88% +44% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £582k £4,310 per pupil | +91% +46% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £20k £152 per pupil | +443% +322% real | £105 | |
| Support staff | £191k £1,414 per pupil | +105% +56% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £28k £204 per pupil | +129% +76% real | £466 | |
| Premises staff | £44k £324 per pupil | +117% +66% real | £160 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £33k £245 per pupil | -14% -34% real | £252 | |
| All staff costs | £860k £6,370 per pupil | +88% +43% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £92k £682 per pupil | +117% +66% real | £388 | |
| Energy | £17k £123 per pupil | +78% +35% real | £110 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £118k £872 per pupil | +86% +42% real | £693 | |
| Catering | £54k £398 per pupil | +67% +28% real | £360 | |
| Learning resources | £38k £284 per pupil | +31% -0% real | £364 | |
| Supplies and services | £100k £740 per pupil | +71% +31% real | £689 | |
| Bought-in services | £49k £362 per pupil | +122% +70% real | £223 |
Staff costs were 74% 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 £1.2m £8,664 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
- 2018-19 175.0
- 2019-20 168.0
- 2020-21 165.0
- 2021-22 167.0
- 2022-23 159.0
- 2023-24 163.0
- 2024-25 147.0
- 2025-26 135.0
Pupil numbers fell from 175.0 to 135.0 (23% 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 +£77k +£568 per pupil on the year before, and its staff costs by +£69k +£512 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
No registered parents' association found for Burscough Bridge St John's 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
- 14% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 21%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 37% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 87% 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 £602k £4,462 per pupil
- Support staff £191k £1,414 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £92k £682 per pupil
- Energy £17k £123 per pupil
- Learning resources £38k £284 per pupil
- Everything else £229k £1,699 per pupil
National context
- In 2024–25 and 2025–26, mainstream school funding per pupil grew by 2 percentage points less than school costs nationally. (IFS, p. 62)
- 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.
- With £23k £169 per pupil in reserve, what would happen if costs rose faster than expected next year? Why ask: Pay awards are set each year by the government after independent advice; the IFS says the picture is tight for schools if they follow forecast earnings growth. (IFS, p. 63)
- How many pupils does Burscough Bridge St John's 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 much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
- Which costs does Burscough Bridge St John's Church of England Primary School expect to rise most next year?
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- How does Burscough Bridge St John's 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)
- Is the budget relying on one-off grants or fundraising to balance?
- 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)
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.
- Pirton School
- Rattlesden Church of England Primary Academy
- Newtown Primary School
- Diss Infant Academy and Nursery
- Eileen Wade Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Burscough Bridge St John's Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Lancashire school finances · Schools in West Lancashire
- 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)