St Mary's Church of England High School (VA): school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Hertfordshire · Secondary · Academy converter
Large reserves
Holds £1.3m £1,355 per pupil in reserve, 15% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 4 years.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Large reserves reserve 5% 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 Large reserves same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £8.5m £8,632 per pupil and spending £9.2m £9,414 per pupil. Spending was £768k £782 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 | 982.0 | £8.8m £8,998 per pupil | £9.2m £9,414 per pupil | -£409k -£416 per pupil | £1.3m £1,355 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 1,037.0 | £8.8m £8,483 per pupil | £9.1m £8,764 per pupil | -£291k -£281 per pupil | £1.7m £1,685 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 1,092.0 | £8.5m £7,811 per pupil | £8.8m £8,100 per pupil | -£315k -£288 per pupil | £2.0m £1,842 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 1,167.0 | £8.5m £7,290 per pupil | £9.0m £7,745 per pupil | -£530k -£454 per pupil | £3.1m £2,681 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 1,251.0 | £8.3m £6,601 per pupil | £8.2m £6,577 per pupil | +£30k +£24 per pupil | £3.0m £2,394 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 1,244.0 | £8.0m £6,461 per pupil | £8.1m £6,486 per pupil | -£30k -£24 per pupil | £2.6m £2,108 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 1,203.0 | £8.0m £6,671 per pupil | £7.8m £6,487 per pupil | +£221k +£184 per pupil | £2.3m £1,920 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 | £8.8m £8,998 per pupil | +35% +6% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £8.5m £8,632 per pupil | +44% +13% real | £8k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £140k £143 per pupil | +77% +37% real | £200 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £65k £66 per pupil | -87% -90% real | £267 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £0 £0 per pupil recorded | £2 | ||
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £65 | |
| Catering income | £24k £24 per pupil | -92% -94% real | £55 | |
| Other DfE grants | £11k £11 per pupil | -72% -78% real | £24 | |
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 | £9.2m £9,414 per pupil | +45% +14% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £5.2m £5,298 per pupil | +69% +33% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £222k £226 per pupil | -10% -29% real | £158 | |
| Support staff | £1.0m £1,066 per pupil | +40% +10% real | £835 | |
| Office and admin staff | £645k £657 per pupil | +49% +17% real | £407 | |
| Premises staff | £139k £142 per pupil | -24% -40% real | £152 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £0 | |
| Other staff costs | £237k £241 per pupil | -45% -57% real | £84 | |
| All staff costs | £7.4m £7,489 per pupil | +49% +17% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £403k £410 per pupil | +37% +8% real | £446 | |
| Energy | £290k £295 per pupil | +136% +86% real | £153 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £627k £638 per pupil | +75% +38% real | £513 | |
| Catering | £125k £127 per pupil | -5% -24% real | £179 | |
| Learning resources | £509k £518 per pupil | -4% -24% real | £484 | |
| Supplies and services | £861k £877 per pupil | +9% -14% real | £807 | |
| Bought-in services | £140k £143 per pupil | +59% +25% real | £142 |
Staff costs were 80% 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 £9.4m £9,596 per pupil in 2024-25. Across England, secondary schools are expected to spend about £7,800 per pupil in 2025–26, including sixth forms. (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 1,203.0
- 2019-20 1,244.0
- 2020-21 1,251.0
- 2021-22 1,167.0
- 2022-23 1,092.0
- 2023-24 1,037.0
- 2024-25 982.0
Pupil numbers fell from 1,203.0 to 982.0 (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)
Trust central spending
What ST MARY'S CE ACADEMY, CHESHUNT 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
No registered parents' association found for St Mary's Church of England High School (VA). 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
- 26% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 15%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 6 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 24% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 80% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 11% 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 2024-25, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £5.4m £5,524 per pupil
- Support staff £1.0m £1,066 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £403k £410 per pupil
- Energy £290k £295 per pupil
- Learning resources £509k £518 per pupil
- Everything else £1.6m £1,600 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)
- Secondary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by about 100,000 (4%) by 2030–31, starting from about 2026–27. (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)
- School sixth forms get about £6,400 per student in 2025–26, compared with about £8,000 in further education colleges. (IFS, p. 69)
- Funding per student in school sixth forms is around 20% lower in real terms than in 2010–11. (IFS, p. 11)
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTFA committees.
- What is St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'s £1.3m £1,355 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) 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 St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'s funding does ST MARY'S CE ACADEMY, CHESHUNT 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?
- 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 school's reserve figure include its share of the trust's central reserves?
- How does St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'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.
Admissions and catchments for St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) on Schools in Reach · All Hertfordshire school finances · Schools in Broxbourne · ST MARY'S CE ACADEMY, CHESHUNT
- 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)