Christ Church Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Bristol, City of · Primary · Academy converter
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 5 years running; at that rate its £209k £672 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 CHRIST CHURCH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL, 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 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2023-24 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2024-25 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £1.9m £5,997 per pupil and spending £2.1m £6,688 per pupil. Spending was £215k £691 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 311.0 | £2.0m £6,367 per pupil | £2.1m £6,688 per pupil | -£100k -£322 per pupil | £209k £672 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 312.0 | £1.8m £5,856 per pupil | £1.9m £6,199 per pupil | -£107k -£343 per pupil | £309k £990 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 320.0 | £1.8m £5,538 per pupil | £1.8m £5,725 per pupil | -£60k -£188 per pupil | £432k £1,350 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 326.0 | £1.9m £5,712 per pupil | £1.9m £5,960 per pupil | -£81k -£248 per pupil | £498k £1,528 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 352.0 | £1.8m £5,051 per pupil | £1.8m £5,244 per pupil | -£68k -£193 per pupil | £498k £1,415 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 383.0 | £1.8m £4,749 per pupil | £1.6m £4,227 per pupil | +£200k +£522 per pupil | £491k £1,282 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 389.0 | £1.7m £4,383 per pupil | £1.7m £4,332 per pupil | +£20k +£51 per pupil | £327k £841 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £2.0m £6,367 per pupil | +45% +14% real | £6k | |
| Government funding | £1.9m £5,997 per pupil | +54% +21% real | £6k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £98k £315 per pupil | +668% +506% real | £184 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £89k £286 per pupil | +6% -17% real | £462 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £16k £51 per pupil | -60% -69% real | £32 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £17k £55 per pupil | +67% +30% real | £215 | |
| Catering income | £40k £129 per pupil | +23% -4% real | £87 | |
| Other DfE grants | £10k £32 per pupil | £240 | ||
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)
Academy accounts don't report pupil premium as a separate line, so it is shown as not reported rather than as zero.
Where it goes
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £2.1m £6,688 per pupil | +54% +21% real | £6k | |
| Teachers | £1.1m £3,559 per pupil | +76% +38% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £185k £595 per pupil | +96% +54% real | £85 | |
| Support staff | £165k £531 per pupil | +75% +38% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £144k £463 per pupil | +61% +27% real | £290 | |
| Premises staff | £32k £103 per pupil | +186% +123% real | £119 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £0 | |
| Other staff costs | £20k £64 per pupil | -67% -74% real | £162 | |
| All staff costs | £1.6m £5,264 per pupil | +69% +33% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £97k £312 per pupil | +51% +19% real | £292 | |
| Energy | £24k £77 per pupil | +133% +84% real | £89 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £163k £524 per pupil | +21% -5% real | £533 | |
| Catering | £116k £373 per pupil | +15% -10% real | £302 | |
| Learning resources | £114k £367 per pupil | +15% -9% real | £247 | |
| Supplies and services | £183k £588 per pupil | +35% +6% real | £475 | |
| Bought-in services | £46k £148 per pupil | +174% +116% real | £140 |
Staff costs were 79% of this school's spending in 2024-25. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
In 2025-26 prices, this school spent £2.1m £6,817 per pupil in 2024-25. Across England, primary schools are expected to spend about £7,000 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)
Academy figures exclude the trust's central spending on its schools, so they can look lower than a council-run school's. See the trust's central spending below.
Pupils by year
- 2018-19 389.0
- 2019-20 383.0
- 2020-21 352.0
- 2021-22 326.0
- 2022-23 320.0
- 2023-24 312.0
- 2024-25 311.0
Pupil numbers fell from 389.0 to 311.0 (20% 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)
Income that passed straight through
In 2024-25, this school's income rose by +£153k +£492 per pupil on the year before, and its staff costs by +£119k +£383 per pupil. Much of the extra money may have gone straight out again on higher pay, pension and National Insurance costs.
About £2.3 billion of the rise in school funding since 2019–20 was grants to cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, not extra spending power. (IFS, p. 50)
Trust central spending
What CHRIST CHURCH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2018-19 £0
- 2019-20 £0
- 2020-21 £0
- 2021-22 £0
- 2022-23 £0
- 2023-24 £0
- 2024-25 £0
These are cash figures. The IFS average below is in 2025-26 prices.
On average, academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24, money that is not counted in their individual schools' own spending. (IFS, p. 56)
Money raised by parents
| School year | Raised | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 year to August 2025 | £24k £78 per pupil | £8k £26 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2024 | £21k £68 per pupil | £27k £88 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2023 | £19k £60 per pupil | £13k £41 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2022 | £20k £60 per pupil | £5k £17 per pupil |
| 2020-21 year to August 2021 | £4k £10 per pupil | £9k £27 per pupil |
- Christ Church School Clifton PTA (charity 1023160) Latest return: £24k £78 per pupil in the year to August 2025. It reports 35 volunteers. Annual return due 30 June 2026.
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
- 7% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 33%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 8 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 9 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 62% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 39% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 5% 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 2024-25, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £1.3m £4,154 per pupil
- Support staff £165k £531 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £97k £312 per pupil
- Energy £24k £77 per pupil
- Learning resources £114k £367 per pupil
- Everything else £388k £1,248 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)
- 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.
- Christ Church Church of England Primary School has spent more than it received for 5 years. Is that planned, and what does the school expect its reserve to be in three years' time?
- How many pupils does Christ Church 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 of Christ Church Church of England Primary School's funding does CHRIST CHURCH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL keep centrally each year, and what does the school get for it? Why ask: Academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24 on average. (IFS, p. 56)
- 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?
- Does the school's reserve figure include its share of the trust's central reserves?
- How does Christ Church 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)
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.
- Swavesey Primary School
- St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
- Uplands Primary School
- Whalley Church of England Primary School
- Kingsmead Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Christ Church Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Bristol, City of school finances · Schools in Bristol Central · CHRIST CHURCH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL
- 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)