St Helen's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Warrington · Primary · Academy converter
In deficit
In deficit by £44k £429 per pupil, 5% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
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 LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST, 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
- 2019-20 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2020-21 In deficit same as the year before
- 2021-22 In deficit same as the year before
- 2022-23 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2023-24 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2024-25 In deficit same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £753k £7,275 per pupil and spending £840k £8,116 per pupil. Spending was £87k £841 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 | 103.5 | £869k £8,396 per pupil | £840k £8,116 per pupil | +£29k +£280 per pupil | -£56k -£541 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 110.0 | £763k £6,936 per pupil | £749k £6,809 per pupil | +£14k +£127 per pupil | -£24k -£218 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 119.0 | £768k £6,454 per pupil | £692k £5,815 per pupil | +£76k +£639 per pupil | £3k £25 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 121.0 | £831k £6,868 per pupil | £808k £6,678 per pupil | +£23k +£190 per pupil | -£34k -£281 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 128.0 | £841k £6,570 per pupil | £796k £6,219 per pupil | +£45k +£352 per pupil | -£22k -£172 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 131.0 | £706k £5,389 per pupil | £748k £5,710 per pupil | -£42k -£321 per pupil | -£34k -£260 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2019-20 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £869k £8,396 per pupil | +56% +27% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £753k £7,275 per pupil | +39% +13% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £18k £174 per pupil | +228% +164% real | £357 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £39k £377 per pupil | +1539% +1224% real | £443 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £5k £48 per pupil | +500% +390% real | £53 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £34k £329 per pupil | +2093% +1663% real | £159 | |
| Catering income | £0 £0 per pupil | £82 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £28k £271 per pupil | £282 | ||
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 2019-20 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £840k £8,116 per pupil | +42% +16% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £371k £3,585 per pupil | +38% +13% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £7k £68 per pupil | -90% -92% real | £92 | |
| Support staff | £127k £1,227 per pupil | +87% +52% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £51k £493 per pupil | +43% +17% real | £394 | |
| Premises staff | £27k £261 per pupil | +114% +74% real | £66 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £36k £348 per pupil | +470% +367% real | £178 | |
| All staff costs | £596k £5,758 per pupil | +31% +7% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £118k £1,140 per pupil | +327% +248% real | £351 | |
| Energy | £18k £174 per pupil | +63% +32% real | £133 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £49k £473 per pupil | +68% +37% real | £655 | |
| Catering | £19k £184 per pupil | +20% -2% real | £359 | |
| Learning resources | £55k £531 per pupil | +54% +26% real | £367 | |
| Supplies and services | £77k £744 per pupil | +35% +10% real | £692 | |
| Bought-in services | £2k £19 per pupil | -79% -83% real | £207 |
Staff costs were 71% 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 £856k £8,272 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
- 2019-20 131.0
- 2020-21 128.0
- 2021-22 121.0
- 2022-23 119.0
- 2023-24 110.0
- 2024-25 103.5
Pupil numbers fell from 131.0 to 103.5 (21% 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 LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2019-20 £200
- 2020-21 £192
- 2021-22 £236
- 2022-23 £279
- 2023-24 £310
- 2024-25 £424
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 year to March 2022 | £5k £39 per pupil matched with lower confidence | £3k £26 per pupil |
| 2020-21 year to March 2021 | £230 £2 per pupil matched with lower confidence | £4k £28 per pupil |
| 2019-20 year to March 2020 | £4k £28 per pupil matched with lower confidence | £3k £20 per pupil |
| 2018-19 year to March 2019 | £3k matched with lower confidence | £1k |
- FRIENDS OF ST HELEN'S C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL (charity 1114770) Last reported income: £5k £39 per pupil in the year to March 2022. 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
- 20% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 21%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 6 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 8 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 33% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 84% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 7% 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 £378k £3,652 per pupil
- Support staff £127k £1,227 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £118k £1,140 per pupil
- Energy £18k £174 per pupil
- Learning resources £55k £531 per pupil
- Everything else £144k £1,391 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.
- What is the plan to get St Helen's Church of England Primary School back into balance, and how many years will it take? Has LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST agreed it?
- How many pupils does St Helen's 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 St Helen's Church of England Primary School's funding does LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS 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?
- 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?
- Does the school's reserve figure include its share of the trust's central reserves?
- How does St Helen's 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.
- Chawton Church of England Primary School
- Bladon Church of England Primary School
- Hazelbury Bryan Primary School
- Rillington Primary School
- Seagrave Village Primary School
Admissions and catchments for St Helen's Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Warrington school finances · Schools in Warrington North · LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS 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
- 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)