Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Cheshire West and Chester · Primary · Voluntary aided school
In deficit
In deficit by £305k £1,069 per pupil, 14% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 5 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 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 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2022-23 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
- 2023-24 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2024-25 In deficit same as the year before
- 2025-26 In deficit same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £2.1m £7,361 per pupil and spending £2.2m £7,861 per pupil. Spending was £142k £499 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 | 285.0 | £2.2m £7,801 per pupil | £2.2m £7,861 per pupil | -£17k -£60 per pupil | -£305k -£1,069 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 330.5 | £2.2m £6,632 per pupil | £2.3m £7,092 per pupil | -£152k -£460 per pupil | -£288k -£870 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 339.0 | £2.1m £6,148 per pupil | £2.3m £6,689 per pupil | -£183k -£541 per pupil | -£136k -£400 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 363.5 | £2.1m £5,696 per pupil | £2.1m £5,824 per pupil | -£47k -£128 per pupil | £48k £132 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 387.0 | £2.0m £5,240 per pupil | £2.1m £5,416 per pupil | -£68k -£177 per pupil | £95k £244 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 397.0 | £2.0m £5,054 per pupil | £2.0m £4,945 per pupil | +£43k +£109 per pupil | £163k £410 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 419.0 | £2.0m £4,749 per pupil | £2.1m £4,993 per pupil | -£102k -£243 per pupil | £119k £285 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 441.0 | £2.0m £4,468 per pupil | £1.9m £4,413 per pupil | +£24k +£55 per pupil | £221k £502 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 | £2.2m £7,801 per pupil | +75% +33% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £2.1m £7,361 per pupil | +74% +33% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £84k £295 per pupil | +148% +88% real | £483 | |
| Pupil premium | £122k £429 per pupil | +122% +70% real | £349 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £125k £439 per pupil | +84% +40% real | £343 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £5k £17 per pupil | -84% -88% real | £23 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £72k £251 per pupil | £103 | ||
| Catering income | £29k £101 per pupil | +42% +9% real | £40 | |
| Other DfE grants | £62k £217 per pupil | +26% -4% real | £232 |
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 | £2.2m £7,861 per pupil | +78% +36% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £1.0m £3,622 per pupil | +98% +51% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £131k £458 per pupil | +328% +227% real | £81 | |
| Support staff | £385k £1,350 per pupil | +34% +2% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £106k £371 per pupil | +41% +8% real | £333 | |
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £218 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £115k £403 per pupil | +280% +192% real | £205 | |
| All staff costs | £1.8m £6,242 per pupil | +88% +43% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £68k £240 per pupil | +17% -11% real | £349 | |
| Energy | £50k £176 per pupil | +179% +115% real | £95 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £205k £719 per pupil | +68% +28% real | £632 | |
| Catering | £83k £292 per pupil | +15% -12% real | £356 | |
| Learning resources | £76k £266 per pupil | +7% -18% real | £312 | |
| Supplies and services | £186k £653 per pupil | +46% +12% real | £569 | |
| Bought-in services | £86k £301 per pupil | +82% +39% real | £187 |
Staff costs were 79% 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 £2.2m £7,861 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
- 2018-19 441.0
- 2019-20 419.0
- 2020-21 397.0
- 2021-22 387.0
- 2022-23 363.5
- 2023-24 339.0
- 2024-25 330.5
- 2025-26 285.0
Pupil numbers fell from 441.0 to 285.0 (35% 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 | £5k £17 per pupil | £3k £12 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £2k £5 per pupil | £1k £4 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £2k £6 per pupil | £140 £0 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £0 £0 per pupil | £128 £0 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2021 | £0 £0 per pupil | £123 £0 per pupil |
| 2004-05 year to July 2004 | £6k matched with lower confidence | £6k |
- OUR LADY STAR OF THE SEA RC PRIMARY PTA (charity 1156489) Latest return: £5k £17 per pupil in the year to August 2025.
- OUR LADY'S INFANT SCHOOL PARENTS ASSOCIATION (charity 1042394) Had a registered PTA until 2009. This charity was matched with lower confidence, so check with the school that it is theirs.
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
- 23% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 15%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 26% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 79% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 5% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 3 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 £1.2m £4,080 per pupil
- Support staff £385k £1,350 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £68k £240 per pupil
- Energy £50k £176 per pupil
- Learning resources £76k £266 per pupil
- Everything else £498k £1,749 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 Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School back into balance, and how many years will it take? Has the council agreed it?
- How many pupils does Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic 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 Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic 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.
- Upton Priory School
- Nyewood CofE Junior School
- St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
- Springfield Infant School and Nursery
- Imperial Avenue Infant School
Admissions and catchments for Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Cheshire West and Chester school finances · Schools in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
- 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)