Margaretting Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Essex · Primary · Academy converter
Healthy
Holds £41k £596 per pupil in reserve, 6% of a year's income.
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 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2021-22 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2022-23 Healthy same as the year before
- 2023-24 Healthy same as the year before
- 2024-25 Healthy same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £644k £9,333 per pupil and spending £634k £9,188 per pupil. Government funding was £10k £145 per pupil more than spending.
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 | 69.0 | £668k £9,681 per pupil | £634k £9,188 per pupil | +£34k +£493 per pupil | £24k £348 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 74.0 | £650k £8,784 per pupil | £652k £8,811 per pupil | -£2k -£27 per pupil | £45k £608 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 78.0 | £621k £7,962 per pupil | £552k £7,077 per pupil | +£69k +£885 per pupil | £28k £359 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 78.0 | £554k £7,103 per pupil | £488k £6,256 per pupil | +£66k +£846 per pupil | £25k £321 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 75.0 | £528k £7,040 per pupil | £446k £5,947 per pupil | +£82k +£1,093 per pupil | £11k £147 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 81.0 | £575k £7,099 per pupil | £524k £6,469 per pupil | +£51k +£630 per pupil | £37k £457 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 81.0 | £558k £6,889 per pupil | £518k £6,395 per pupil | +£40k +£494 per pupil | £48k £593 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 | £668k £9,681 per pupil | +41% +10% real | £9k | |
| Government funding | £644k £9,333 per pupil | +52% +19% real | £9k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £373 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £6k £87 per pupil | -63% -71% real | £288 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £1k £14 per pupil | £17 | ||
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £108 | |
| Catering income | £5k £72 per pupil | £73 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £38k £551 per pupil | £343 | ||
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 | £634k £9,188 per pupil | +44% +13% real | £9k | |
| Teachers | £343k £4,971 per pupil | -1% -22% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £1k £14 per pupil | £94 | ||
| Support staff | £117k £1,696 per pupil | £2k | ||
| Office and admin staff | £69k £1,000 per pupil | £484 | ||
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £65 | ||
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £23k £333 per pupil | +1232% +962% real | £295 | |
| All staff costs | £553k £8,014 per pupil | +59% +25% real | £7k | |
| Premises | £27k £391 per pupil | -14% -33% real | £482 | |
| Energy | £7k £101 per pupil | +304% +222% real | £179 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £32k £464 per pupil | +97% +56% real | £747 | |
| Catering | £17k £246 per pupil | +33% +5% real | £376 | |
| Learning resources | £20k £290 per pupil | -41% -54% real | £429 | |
| Supplies and services | £22k £319 per pupil | -53% -63% real | £870 | |
| Bought-in services | £20k £290 per pupil | +57% +23% real | £285 |
Staff costs were 87% 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 £646k £9,366 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 81.0
- 2019-20 81.0
- 2020-21 75.0
- 2021-22 78.0
- 2022-23 78.0
- 2023-24 74.0
- 2024-25 69.0
Pupil numbers fell from 81.0 to 69.0 (15% 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 LIFE EDUCATION TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2018-19 £211
- 2019-20 £305
- 2020-21 £206
- 2021-22 £207
- 2022-23 £674
- 2023-24 £780
- 2024-25 £704
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 Margaretting Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School. 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
- 24% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 17%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 5 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 8 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 26% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 66% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 19% 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 2024-25, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £344k £4,986 per pupil
- Support staff £117k £1,696 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £27k £391 per pupil
- Energy £7k £101 per pupil
- Learning resources £20k £290 per pupil
- Everything else £119k £1,725 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)
- 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.
- How many pupils does Margaretting 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 many pupils at Margaretting Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have an EHCP or need extra support, and how is support above the first £6,000 a year funded? Why ask: Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year per pupil from their core budget. (IFS, p. 46)
- How much of Margaretting Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's funding does LIFE EDUCATION TRUST 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 the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- Does the council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
- Does the school's reserve figure include its share of the trust's central reserves?
- How does Margaretting 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)
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.
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Sabden
- Withington Primary School
- Ravensden CofE Primary Academy
- Dennington Church of England Primary School
- All Saints' Catholic Voluntary Academy
Admissions and catchments for Margaretting Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Essex school finances · Schools in Maldon · LIFE EDUCATION TRUST
- 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)