Walsham-le-Willows Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Suffolk · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Large reserves
Holds £226k £1,936 per pupil in reserve, 25% of a year's income.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2019-20 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2020-21 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 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 Large reserves same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £863k £7,376 per pupil and spending £860k £7,347 per pupil. Government funding was £3k £29 per pupil more than spending.
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 | 117.0 | £902k £7,712 per pupil | £860k £7,347 per pupil | +£43k +£365 per pupil | £226k £1,936 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 126.0 | £801k £6,356 per pupil | £797k £6,323 per pupil | +£4k +£33 per pupil | £184k £1,458 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 118.0 | £809k £6,853 per pupil | £727k £6,159 per pupil | +£82k +£695 per pupil | £180k £1,522 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 128.0 | £731k £5,712 per pupil | £702k £5,483 per pupil | +£29k +£229 per pupil | £98k £763 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 125.0 | £700k £5,601 per pupil | £696k £5,570 per pupil | +£4k +£31 per pupil | £68k £547 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 135.0 | £691k £5,115 per pupil | £680k £5,035 per pupil | +£11k +£81 per pupil | £65k £478 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 130.0 | £698k £5,372 per pupil | £700k £5,385 per pupil | -£2k -£13 per pupil | £54k £413 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 133.0 | £624k £4,694 per pupil | £635k £4,774 per pupil | -£11k -£80 per pupil | £55k £416 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 | £902k £7,712 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £863k £7,376 per pupil | +63% +24% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £15k £130 per pupil | +491% +364% real | £313 | |
| Pupil premium | £43k £368 per pupil | +136% +80% real | £312 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £39k £336 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £546 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £4k £35 per pupil | +289% +192% real | £50 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £15k £131 per pupil | +130% +75% real | £236 | |
| Catering income | £16k £133 per pupil | +146% +87% real | £34 | |
| Other DfE grants | £55k £468 per pupil | +67% +27% real | £315 |
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 | £860k £7,347 per pupil | +54% +17% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £452k £3,861 per pupil | +53% +17% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £3k £28 per pupil | +56% +17% real | £120 | |
| Support staff | £133k £1,141 per pupil | +59% +21% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £33k £283 per pupil | +95% +49% real | £391 | |
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £215 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £17k £143 per pupil | +25% -5% real | £393 | |
| All staff costs | £638k £5,456 per pupil | +53% +16% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £47k £406 per pupil | +140% +84% real | £428 | |
| Energy | £14k £117 per pupil | +41% +7% real | £130 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £85k £729 per pupil | +58% +20% real | £710 | |
| Catering | £50k £427 per pupil | +74% +33% real | £366 | |
| Learning resources | £31k £266 per pupil | +11% -15% real | £335 | |
| Supplies and services | £81k £693 per pupil | +31% +0% real | £816 | |
| Bought-in services | £33k £280 per pupil | +35% +3% real | £338 |
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 £860k £7,347 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
- 2018-19 133.0
- 2019-20 130.0
- 2020-21 135.0
- 2021-22 125.0
- 2022-23 128.0
- 2023-24 118.0
- 2024-25 126.0
- 2025-26 117.0
Pupil numbers fell from 133.0 to 117.0 (12% 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
No registered parents' association found for Walsham-le-Willows Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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
- 17% 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 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 31% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 74% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 15% 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 £455k £3,889 per pupil
- Support staff £133k £1,141 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £47k £406 per pupil
- Energy £14k £117 per pupil
- Learning resources £31k £266 per pupil
- Everything else £179k £1,529 per pupil
National context
- 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.
- What is Walsham-le-Willows Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's £226k £1,936 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does Walsham-le-Willows Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Walsham-le-Willows Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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?
- Is any of it already committed, for example to building work or to cover a planned overspend?
- 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 Walsham-le-Willows Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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.
- Wix and Wrabness Primary School
- Milford School
- Kingswood Primary School
- Manor Field Infant and Nursery School
- Tackley Church of England Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Walsham-le-Willows Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Suffolk school finances · Schools in Waveney Valley
- 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)