Thornton Watlass Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). North Yorkshire · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 2 years running; at that rate its £108k £1,192 per pupil reserve runs out in about 3 years.
Why schools go into deficit. Most of a school's money goes on people: over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. So when pay and other costs rise faster than funding, or a school loses pupils and the money that comes with each one, the budget is squeezed quickly and staffing is the only big thing left to cut. In 2024–25 and 2025–26, mainstream school funding per pupil grew by 2 percentage points less than school costs, partly because rising special needs costs took a large share of the extra money. A deficit usually comes from several of these pressures at once, not one bad decision. (IFS, pp. 62–63)
What helps. Schools in this position usually agree a recovery plan with the council, often over two or three years, and governors check progress against it each term. The questions further down are a good way to start that conversation.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2019-20 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2020-21 Large reserves same as the year before
- 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 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £745k £8,192 per pupil and spending £857k £9,423 per pupil. Spending was £112k £1,231 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 | 91.0 | £792k £8,705 per pupil | £857k £9,423 per pupil | -£65k -£718 per pupil | £108k £1,192 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 53.5 | £766k £14,321 per pupil | £832k £15,549 per pupil | -£66k -£1,228 per pupil | £174k £3,249 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 111.5 | £723k £6,486 per pupil | £705k £6,322 per pupil | +£18k +£164 per pupil | £240k £2,148 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 23.0 | £699k £30,379 per pupil | £607k £26,385 per pupil | +£92k +£3,994 per pupil | £221k £9,618 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 28.0 | £585k £20,900 per pupil | £576k £20,558 per pupil | +£10k +£342 per pupil | £129k £4,620 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 54.5 | £567k £10,405 per pupil | £499k £9,150 per pupil | +£68k +£1,255 per pupil | £120k £2,198 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 30.0 | £516k £17,199 per pupil | £521k £17,374 per pupil | -£5k -£175 per pupil | £51k £1,714 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 56.0 | £480k £8,566 per pupil | £468k £8,354 per pupil | +£12k +£212 per pupil | £57k £1,012 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 | £792k £8,705 per pupil | +2% -22% real | £9k | |
| Government funding | £745k £8,192 per pupil | +2% -22% real | £8k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £26k £285 per pupil | +1% -23% real | £350 | |
| Pupil premium | £7k £79 per pupil | -42% -56% real | £250 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £47k £513 per pupil | -7% -29% real | £778 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £1k £14 per pupil | -86% -89% real | £57 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £7k £72 per pupil | £237 | ||
| Catering income | £12k £127 per pupil | -14% -35% real | £113 | |
| Other DfE grants | £40k £444 per pupil | -37% -52% real | £400 |
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 | £857k £9,423 per pupil | +13% -14% real | £9k | |
| Teachers | £277k £3,049 per pupil | -6% -29% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £60k £658 per pupil | +129% +75% real | £77 | |
| Support staff | £222k £2,436 per pupil | +85% +41% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £35k £382 per pupil | -35% -50% real | £518 | |
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £183 | ||
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £43k £470 per pupil | +77% +35% real | £300 | |
| All staff costs | £643k £7,067 per pupil | +22% -7% real | £7k | |
| Premises | £51k £556 per pupil | -9% -31% real | £351 | |
| Energy | £11k £119 per pupil | +16% -12% real | £116 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £57k £625 per pupil | -8% -30% real | £569 | |
| Catering | £30k £328 per pupil | -20% -39% real | £314 | |
| Learning resources | £54k £595 per pupil | +15% -12% real | £435 | |
| Supplies and services | £102k £1,117 per pupil | +21% -8% real | £798 | |
| Bought-in services | £27k £300 per pupil | +27% -4% real | £207 |
Staff costs were 75% 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 £857k £9,423 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 56.0
- 2019-20 30.0
- 2020-21 54.5
- 2021-22 28.0
- 2022-23 23.0
- 2023-24 111.5
- 2024-25 53.5
- 2025-26 91.0
Money raised by parents
No registered parents' association found for Thornton Watlass 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
- 15% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 15%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 6 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 9 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 36% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 70% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 8% 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 £337k £3,707 per pupil
- Support staff £222k £2,436 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £51k £556 per pupil
- Energy £11k £119 per pupil
- Learning resources £54k £595 per pupil
- Everything else £183k £2,010 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.
- Thornton Watlass Church of England Primary School has spent more than it received for 2 years. Is that planned, and what does the school expect its reserve to be in three years' time?
- How many pupils at Thornton Watlass 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?
- What does the budget assume about pay rises and pupil numbers over the next three years? Why ask: The IFS projects school costs could grow 0.5 to 1 percentage points a year faster than funding to 2028–29. (IFS, p. 11)
- Does the council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
- How does Thornton Watlass 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)
- If the gap does not close, what would the school cut first?
- 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.
- Oakley Church of England Combined School
- Wootton Wawen CofE Primary School
- Summerseat Methodist Primary School
- North Marston Church of England School
- Crowcombe CofE VA Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Thornton Watlass Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All North Yorkshire school finances · Schools in Thirsk and Malton
- 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)