Dunholme St Chad's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Lincolnshire · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Tight
Holds £12k £63 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 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2020-21 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2021-22 Healthy same as the year before
- 2022-23 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
- 2023-24 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2024-25 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2025-26 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £1.4m £7,167 per pupil and spending £1.4m £7,342 per pupil. Spending was £34k £175 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 | 196.0 | £1.5m £7,417 per pupil | £1.4m £7,342 per pupil | +£15k +£75 per pupil | £12k £63 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 203.0 | £1.4m £6,709 per pupil | £1.4m £6,861 per pupil | -£31k -£152 per pupil | -£2k -£11 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 212.0 | £1.3m £6,009 per pupil | £1.3m £5,917 per pupil | +£19k +£91 per pupil | £29k £135 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 210.0 | £1.1m £5,433 per pupil | £1.2m £5,705 per pupil | -£57k -£272 per pupil | £9k £44 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 212.0 | £1.1m £5,186 per pupil | £1.1m £5,201 per pupil | -£3k -£15 per pupil | £66k £313 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 219.0 | £1.1m £4,855 per pupil | £1.0m £4,669 per pupil | +£41k +£186 per pupil | £70k £317 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 218.0 | £960k £4,403 per pupil | £987k £4,528 per pupil | -£27k -£125 per pupil | £29k £132 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 210.0 | £961k £4,577 per pupil | £915k £4,358 per pupil | +£46k +£219 per pupil | £56k £267 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 | £1.5m £7,417 per pupil | +62% +24% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £1.4m £7,167 per pupil | +67% +27% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £121k £619 per pupil | +784% +573% real | £356 | |
| Pupil premium | £67k £343 per pupil | +80% +37% real | £291 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £49k £250 per pupil | -14% -35% real | £371 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £11k £56 per pupil | £48 | ||
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £10k £49 per pupil | -83% -87% real | £137 | |
| Catering income | £0 £0 per pupil | £46 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £57k £293 per pupil | +26% -4% real | £263 |
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 | £1.4m £7,342 per pupil | +68% +29% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £705k £3,599 per pupil | +66% +27% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £8k £41 per pupil | -24% -42% real | £47 | |
| Support staff | £272k £1,387 per pupil | +122% +69% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £78k £398 per pupil | +80% +37% real | £346 | |
| Premises staff | £5k £26 per pupil | -61% -70% real | £215 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £71k £361 per pupil | +104% +56% real | £310 | |
| All staff costs | £1.1m £5,817 per pupil | +77% +35% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £58k £298 per pupil | +30% -1% real | £399 | |
| Energy | £16k £80 per pupil | +86% +43% real | £96 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £106k £541 per pupil | +61% +23% real | £699 | |
| Catering | £46k £233 per pupil | +78% +35% real | £398 | |
| Learning resources | £66k £337 per pupil | -8% -29% real | £299 | |
| Supplies and services | £121k £619 per pupil | +24% -5% real | £545 | |
| Bought-in services | £39k £199 per pupil | +93% +49% real | £196 |
Staff costs were 79% 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 £1.4m £7,342 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
- 2018-19 210.0
- 2019-20 218.0
- 2020-21 219.0
- 2021-22 212.0
- 2022-23 210.0
- 2023-24 212.0
- 2024-25 203.0
- 2025-26 196.0
Pupil numbers fell from 210.0 to 196.0 (7% 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 August 2025 | £21k £106 per pupil | £19k £95 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £12k £58 per pupil | £11k £56 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £2k £10 per pupil | £2k £8 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £39k £184 per pupil | £46k £220 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2021 | £10k £46 per pupil | £8k £39 per pupil |
- FRIENDS OF DUNHOLME SCHOOL (charity 1205968) Latest return: £6k £28 per pupil in the year to August 2025.
- DUNHOLME SCHOOL FUND (charity 1050278) Latest return: £15k £77 per pupil in the year to August 2025. Annual return due 30 June 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
- 16% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 28%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 6 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 33% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 82% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 8% 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 £713k £3,640 per pupil
- Support staff £272k £1,387 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £58k £298 per pupil
- Energy £16k £80 per pupil
- Learning resources £66k £337 per pupil
- Everything else £314k £1,600 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 £12k £63 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 Dunholme St Chad'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 many pupils at Dunholme St Chad's 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?
- Which costs does Dunholme St Chad'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?
- Does the council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
- How does Dunholme St Chad'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)
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.
- Potley Hill Primary School
- Shaw CE Primary School
- Holmbush Primary Academy
- Longvernal Primary School
- All Saints Stibbard Church of England Primary Academy and Nursery
Admissions and catchments for Dunholme St Chad's Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Lincolnshire school finances · Schools in Gainsborough
- 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)