Underwood Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Nottinghamshire · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 7 years running; at that rate its £24k £138 per pupil reserve runs out in about 2 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 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2023-24 Healthy same as the year before
- 2024-25 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
- 2025-26 Heading for deficit same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £1.1m £6,185 per pupil and spending £1.2m £6,786 per pupil. Spending was £104k £600 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 | 173.0 | £1.2m £6,715 per pupil | £1.2m £6,786 per pupil | -£12k -£71 per pupil | £24k £138 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 165.0 | £1.1m £6,785 per pupil | £1.1m £6,911 per pupil | -£21k -£126 per pupil | £36k £219 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 169.0 | £1.1m £6,292 per pupil | £1.1m £6,369 per pupil | -£13k -£77 per pupil | £57k £337 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 176.0 | £988k £5,611 per pupil | £994k £5,648 per pupil | -£7k -£37 per pupil | £70k £398 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 178.0 | £920k £5,168 per pupil | £923k £5,188 per pupil | -£4k -£20 per pupil | £77k £431 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 180.0 | £859k £4,774 per pupil | £888k £4,933 per pupil | -£29k -£159 per pupil | £80k £445 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 174.0 | £889k £5,109 per pupil | £914k £5,251 per pupil | -£25k -£142 per pupil | £109k £625 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 184.0 | £881k £4,786 per pupil | £875k £4,758 per pupil | +£5k +£29 per pupil | £133k £725 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 £6,715 per pupil | +40% +7% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £1.1m £6,185 per pupil | +45% +10% real | £6k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £69k £400 per pupil | +426% +300% real | £320 | |
| Pupil premium | £34k £199 per pupil | +79% +36% real | £152 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £92k £529 per pupil | +4% -20% real | £598 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £13k £77 per pupil | +670% +492% real | £54 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £29k £166 per pupil | -32% -48% real | £248 | |
| Catering income | £15k £88 per pupil | -8% -30% real | £3 | |
| Other DfE grants | £46k £265 per pupil | +2% -23% real | £322 |
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 £6,786 per pupil | +43% +9% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £590k £3,410 per pupil | +54% +17% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £4k £23 per pupil | -79% -84% real | £66 | |
| Support staff | £143k £828 per pupil | +30% -1% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £50k £288 per pupil | +20% -9% real | £342 | |
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £209 | ||
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £108k £623 per pupil | +77% +35% real | £164 | |
| All staff costs | £903k £5,217 per pupil | +45% +11% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £71k £410 per pupil | +51% +15% real | £347 | |
| Energy | £8k £46 per pupil | -4% -26% real | £95 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £79k £458 per pupil | +4% -21% real | £690 | |
| Catering | £48k £275 per pupil | -7% -29% real | £350 | |
| Learning resources | £66k £380 per pupil | +57% +20% real | £267 | |
| Supplies and services | £119k £689 per pupil | +57% +19% real | £615 | |
| Bought-in services | £43k £247 per pupil | +46% +12% real | £194 |
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 £1.2m £6,786 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
- 2018-19 184.0
- 2019-20 174.0
- 2020-21 180.0
- 2021-22 178.0
- 2022-23 176.0
- 2023-24 169.0
- 2024-25 165.0
- 2025-26 173.0
Pupil numbers fell from 184.0 to 173.0 (6% 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 | £7k £39 per pupil | £5k £29 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £6k £34 per pupil | £7k £43 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £7k £41 per pupil | £4k £25 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £2k £12 per pupil | £2k £13 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2021 | £0 £0 per pupil | £182 £1 per pupil |
- THE FRIENDS OF UNDERWOOD CE PRIMARY SCHOOL (FIS) (charity 1116266) Latest return: £7k £39 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
- 9% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 22%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 8 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 27% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 88% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 1% 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 £594k £3,433 per pupil
- Support staff £143k £828 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £71k £410 per pupil
- Energy £8k £46 per pupil
- Learning resources £66k £380 per pupil
- Everything else £292k £1,689 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.
- Underwood Church of England Primary School has spent more than it received for 7 years. Is that planned, and what does the school expect its reserve to be in three years' time?
- How many pupils does Underwood 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?
- 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)
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- How does Underwood 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?
- 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.
- Blisworth Community Primary School
- Hutton Cranswick Community Primary School
- Bishopswood Infant School
- Belbroughton CofE Primary School
- St Helen's Catholic Infant & Nursery School
Admissions and catchments for Underwood Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Nottinghamshire school finances · Schools in Ashfield
- 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)