Brooke Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Norfolk · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Tight
Holds £22k £227 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 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2020-21 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2021-22 Tight same as the year before
- 2022-23 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2023-24 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2024-25 Tight same as the year before
- 2025-26 Tight same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £870k £8,965 per pupil and spending £908k £9,359 per pupil. Spending was £38k £394 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 | 97.0 | £921k £9,491 per pupil | £908k £9,359 per pupil | +£13k +£132 per pupil | £22k £227 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 108.0 | £1.1m £9,897 per pupil | £1.1m £10,082 per pupil | -£20k -£185 per pupil | £9k £85 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 133.0 | £1.1m £8,234 per pupil | £1.1m £8,254 per pupil | -£3k -£20 per pupil | £29k £219 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 141.0 | £920k £6,521 per pupil | £888k £6,300 per pupil | +£31k +£222 per pupil | £32k £225 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 140.0 | £779k £5,566 per pupil | £781k £5,576 per pupil | -£1k -£9 per pupil | £503 £4 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 131.0 | £608k £4,644 per pupil | £601k £4,590 per pupil | +£7k +£55 per pupil | £2k £14 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 104.0 | £553k £5,316 per pupil | £598k £5,749 per pupil | -£45k -£433 per pupil | -£5k -£51 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 100.0 | £597k £5,974 per pupil | £590k £5,896 per pupil | +£8k +£78 per pupil | £40k £397 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 | £921k £9,491 per pupil | +59% +21% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £870k £8,965 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £8k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £54k £552 per pupil | +790% +581% real | £395 | |
| Pupil premium | £23k £242 per pupil | +23% -6% real | £238 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £51k £526 per pupil | +4% -21% real | £583 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £2k £19 per pupil | -67% -75% real | £48 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £30k £308 per pupil | +24% -6% real | £212 | |
| Catering income | £11k £109 per pupil | -13% -34% real | £59 | |
| Other DfE grants | £47k £484 per pupil | +53% +16% real | £338 |
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 | £908k £9,359 per pupil | +59% +21% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £432k £4,451 per pupil | +65% +26% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £9k £94 per pupil | -16% -36% real | £96 | |
| Support staff | £180k £1,858 per pupil | +194% +124% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £24k £249 per pupil | -7% -29% real | £422 | |
| Premises staff | £17k £179 per pupil | +238% +159% real | £69 | |
| Catering staff | £2k £20 per pupil | -94% -95% real | £0 | |
| Other staff costs | £46k £478 per pupil | +117% +66% real | £182 | |
| All staff costs | £696k £7,176 per pupil | +78% +36% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £46k £472 per pupil | +7% -19% real | £401 | |
| Energy | £10k £106 per pupil | +56% +19% real | £123 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £77k £798 per pupil | +18% -10% real | £630 | |
| Catering | £45k £465 per pupil | +0% -24% real | £324 | |
| Learning resources | £27k £281 per pupil | +23% -6% real | £440 | |
| Supplies and services | £75k £775 per pupil | +37% +4% real | £837 | |
| Bought-in services | £39k £398 per pupil | +30% -1% real | £214 |
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 £908k £9,359 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
- 2018-19 100.0
- 2019-20 104.0
- 2020-21 131.0
- 2021-22 140.0
- 2022-23 141.0
- 2023-24 133.0
- 2024-25 108.0
- 2025-26 97.0
Pupil numbers fell from 100.0 to 97.0 (3% 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 | £4k £43 per pupil | £12k £129 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £6k £53 per pupil | £3k £24 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £3k £26 per pupil | £3k £20 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £6k £40 per pupil | £2k £13 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2021 | £1k £10 per pupil | £910 £6 per pupil |
| 2004-05 year to September 2004 | £5k | £0 |
- FRIENDS OF BROOKE SCHOOL (charity 1098594) Had a registered PTA until 2008.
- BROOKE PARENT - TEACHER AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION (charity 1034707) Latest return: £4k £43 per pupil in the year to August 2025.
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
- 12% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 20%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 6 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 9 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 38% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 75% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 15% 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 £441k £4,545 per pupil
- Support staff £180k £1,858 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £46k £472 per pupil
- Energy £10k £106 per pupil
- Learning resources £27k £281 per pupil
- Everything else £203k £2,098 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 £22k £227 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 Brooke Voluntary Controlled 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 Brooke Voluntary Controlled 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 Brooke Voluntary Controlled 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 Brooke Voluntary Controlled 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.
- Harting CofE Primary School
- Tadcaster Primary Academy
- Great Kimble Church of England School
- Rushton Primary School
- St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, Coppull
Admissions and catchments for Brooke Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Norfolk school finances · Schools in South Norfolk
- 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)