Great Finborough 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
Tight
Holds £11k £103 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 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2023-24 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% 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 £731k £6,768 per pupil and spending £800k £7,408 per pupil. Spending was £69k £641 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 | 108.0 | £816k £7,556 per pupil | £800k £7,408 per pupil | +£16k +£147 per pupil | £11k £103 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 108.0 | £787k £7,285 per pupil | £830k £7,683 per pupil | -£43k -£398 per pupil | -£5k -£44 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 117.0 | £800k £6,836 per pupil | £783k £6,690 per pupil | +£17k +£146 per pupil | £38k £327 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 127.0 | £776k £6,110 per pupil | £789k £6,211 per pupil | -£13k -£101 per pupil | £21k £166 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 135.0 | £693k £5,133 per pupil | £706k £5,229 per pupil | -£13k -£96 per pupil | £34k £251 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 130.0 | £686k £5,276 per pupil | £658k £5,059 per pupil | +£28k +£218 per pupil | £47k £361 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 133.0 | £667k £5,018 per pupil | £698k £5,248 per pupil | -£31k -£230 per pupil | £19k £140 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 131.0 | £677k £5,170 per pupil | £668k £5,101 per pupil | +£9k +£69 per pupil | £49k £377 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 | £816k £7,556 per pupil | +46% +11% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £731k £6,768 per pupil | +40% +7% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £29k £273 per pupil | +810% +600% real | £319 | |
| Pupil premium | £22k £201 per pupil | -35% -51% real | £177 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £85k £788 per pupil | +89% +45% real | £675 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £8k £76 per pupil | -40% -54% real | £55 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £32k £292 per pupil | +201% +128% real | £242 | |
| Catering income | £11k £103 per pupil | +56% +20% real | £72 | |
| Other DfE grants | £45k £421 per pupil | +43% +9% real | £381 |
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 | £800k £7,408 per pupil | +45% +11% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £339k £3,143 per pupil | +58% +21% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £69k £641 per pupil | +154% +94% real | £70 | |
| Support staff | £95k £878 per pupil | +11% -15% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £51k £469 per pupil | +16% -11% real | £479 | |
| Premises staff | £25k £227 per pupil | £143 | ||
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £25k £229 per pupil | +43% +9% real | £285 | |
| All staff costs | £579k £5,360 per pupil | +49% +13% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £40k £368 per pupil | +74% +32% real | £468 | |
| Energy | £8k £78 per pupil | +77% +37% real | £106 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £70k £647 per pupil | +57% +20% real | £661 | |
| Catering | £44k £407 per pupil | +67% +28% real | £369 | |
| Learning resources | £69k £637 per pupil | +12% -15% real | £317 | |
| Supplies and services | £103k £952 per pupil | +23% -6% real | £864 | |
| Bought-in services | £24k £222 per pupil | +39% +6% real | £367 |
Staff costs were 72% 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 £800k £7,408 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
- 2018-19 131.0
- 2019-20 133.0
- 2020-21 130.0
- 2021-22 135.0
- 2022-23 127.0
- 2023-24 117.0
- 2024-25 108.0
- 2025-26 108.0
Pupil numbers fell from 131.0 to 108.0 (18% 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 | £400 £4 per pupil | £2k £20 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £2k £18 per pupil | £203 £2 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £701 £6 per pupil | £1k £10 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £1k £8 per pupil | £679 £5 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2021 | £3k £20 per pupil | £531 £4 per pupil |
- FRIENDS OF GT. FINBOROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL (charity 1067580) Latest return: £400 £4 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 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 8 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 31% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 77% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 12% 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 £409k £3,784 per pupil
- Support staff £95k £878 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £40k £368 per pupil
- Energy £8k £78 per pupil
- Learning resources £69k £637 per pupil
- Everything else £180k £1,664 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 £11k £103 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 Great Finborough 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 much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
- Which costs does Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School expect to rise most next year?
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- How does Great Finborough 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)
- Is the budget relying on one-off grants or fundraising to balance?
- 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.
- Bredgar Church of England Primary School
- Broomhill Infant School
- Filby Primary School
- Harston and Newton Primary School
- Yeadon Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Great Finborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Suffolk school finances · Schools in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
- 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)