Kennet Valley Church of England Aided Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Wiltshire · Primary · Voluntary aided school
In deficit
In deficit by £20k £384 per pupil, 4% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 3 years running.
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 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
- 2022-23 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2023-24 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2024-25 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
- 2025-26 In deficit reserve below zero
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £542k £10,234 per pupil and spending £574k £10,829 per pupil. Spending was £32k £594 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 | 53.0 | £552k £10,413 per pupil | £574k £10,829 per pupil | -£22k -£416 per pupil | -£20k -£384 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 58.0 | £576k £9,933 per pupil | £599k £10,335 per pupil | -£23k -£402 per pupil | £2k £29 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 69.0 | £574k £8,319 per pupil | £600k £8,702 per pupil | -£26k -£383 per pupil | £25k £362 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 75.0 | £577k £7,698 per pupil | £563k £7,502 per pupil | +£15k +£196 per pupil | £51k £686 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 75.0 | £500k £6,664 per pupil | £505k £6,738 per pupil | -£6k -£74 per pupil | £37k £491 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 76.0 | £459k £6,035 per pupil | £461k £6,064 per pupil | -£2k -£29 per pupil | £42k £557 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 72.0 | £426k £5,917 per pupil | £463k £6,428 per pupil | -£37k -£511 per pupil | £45k £619 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 71.0 | £527k £7,417 per pupil | £488k £6,879 per pupil | +£38k +£538 per pupil | £81k £1,146 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 | £552k £10,413 per pupil | +40% +7% real | £11k | |
| Government funding | £542k £10,234 per pupil | +50% +14% real | £10k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £4k £66 per pupil | £460 | ||
| Pupil premium | £6k £121 per pupil | -52% -64% real | £211 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £12k £221 per pupil | -62% -71% real | £596 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £778 £15 per pupil | -85% -89% real | £89 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £8k £147 per pupil | +14600% +14600% real | £119 | |
| Catering income | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £132 | |
| Other DfE grants | £25k £465 per pupil | +2% -22% real | £515 |
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 | £574k £10,829 per pupil | +57% +20% real | £11k | |
| Teachers | £285k £5,381 per pupil | +69% +29% real | £5k | |
| Supply staff | £34k £641 per pupil | +333% +230% real | £186 | |
| Support staff | £76k £1,432 per pupil | +12% -14% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £30k £558 per pupil | +42% +9% real | £493 | |
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £7 | ||
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £30k £571 per pupil | +139% +82% real | £304 | |
| All staff costs | £458k £8,643 per pupil | +63% +25% real | £8k | |
| Premises | £24k £446 per pupil | +39% +6% real | £605 | |
| Energy | £10k £189 per pupil | +130% +77% real | £149 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £32k £599 per pupil | +56% +19% real | £872 | |
| Catering | £8k £160 per pupil | -30% -47% real | £478 | |
| Learning resources | £30k £570 per pupil | +7% -18% real | £527 | |
| Supplies and services | £60k £1,141 per pupil | +30% -1% real | £1k | |
| Bought-in services | £17k £312 per pupil | +62% +24% real | £343 |
Staff costs were 80% 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 £574k £10,829 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 71.0
- 2019-20 72.0
- 2020-21 76.0
- 2021-22 75.0
- 2022-23 75.0
- 2023-24 69.0
- 2024-25 58.0
- 2025-26 53.0
Pupil numbers fell from 71.0 to 53.0 (25% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 year to August 2026 | £5k | £8k |
| 2025-26 year to August 2025 | £7k £126 per pupil | £4k £68 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £26k £454 per pupil | £15k £263 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £9k £128 per pupil | £6k £80 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £10k £136 per pupil | £18k £234 per pupil |
- FRIENDS OF KENNET VALLEY SCHOOL (charity 1096828) Latest return: £5k in the year to August 2026. It reports 12 volunteers. Annual return due 30 June 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
- 13% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 14%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 5 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 8 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 46% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 71% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 10% 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 £319k £6,022 per pupil
- Support staff £76k £1,432 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £24k £446 per pupil
- Energy £10k £189 per pupil
- Learning resources £30k £570 per pupil
- Everything else £115k £2,170 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.
- What is the plan to get Kennet Valley Church of England Aided Primary School back into balance, and how many years will it take? Has the council agreed it?
- How many pupils does Kennet Valley Church of England Aided 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 is driving the deficit: falling pupil numbers, staff costs, special needs support, or something else? Why ask: Over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- How does Kennet Valley Church of England Aided 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)
- Will the recovery plan change class sizes, the subjects on offer or the number of support staff?
- 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.
- Plumbland CofE School
- Willow Grove Primary School
- St Germans Primary School
- Clunbury CofE Primary School
- Walpole Cross Keys Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Kennet Valley Church of England Aided Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Wiltshire school finances · Schools in East Wiltshire
- 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)