Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Sunderland · Primary · Academy converter
In deficit
In deficit by £84k £280 per pupil, 4% 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 BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION 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
- 2018-19 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2019-20 Healthy same as the year before
- 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 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 £1.9m £6,200 per pupil and spending £1.9m £6,491 per pupil. Spending was £87k £290 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. CFR years run April to March and AAR years September to August.
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 | 299.5 | £2.0m £6,735 per pupil | £1.9m £6,491 per pupil | +£73k +£244 per pupil | -£77k -£257 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 314.0 | £1.8m £5,876 per pupil | £1.9m £5,984 per pupil | -£34k -£108 per pupil | -£69k -£220 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 329.0 | £1.8m £5,432 per pupil | £1.8m £5,459 per pupil | -£9k -£27 per pupil | £37k £112 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 331.5 | £1.7m £5,140 per pupil | £1.7m £5,041 per pupil | +£33k +£100 per pupil | £114k £344 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 327.5 | £1.6m £4,794 per pupil | £1.5m £4,470 per pupil | +£106k +£324 per pupil | £148k £452 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 338.0 | £1.5m £4,429 per pupil | £1.5m £4,337 per pupil | +£31k +£92 per pupil | £104k £308 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 319.0 | £1.3m £4,022 per pupil | £1.3m £3,980 per pupil | +£14k +£43 per pupil | £81k £253 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 £6,735 per pupil | +67% +30% real | £6k | |
| Government funding | £1.9m £6,200 per pupil | +66% +29% real | £6k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £60k £200 per pupil | +2400% +1940% real | £277 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £78k £260 per pupil | -6% -27% real | £333 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £3k £10 per pupil | -17% -38% real | £19 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £19k £63 per pupil | -52% -62% real | £162 | |
| Catering income | £36k £120 per pupil | +11900% +6050% real | £20 | |
| Other DfE grants | £151k £504 per pupil | +769% +576% real | £266 | |
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 | £1.9m £6,491 per pupil | +63% +27% real | £6k | |
| Teachers | £945k £3,155 per pupil | +60% +24% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £131k £437 per pupil | +141% +88% real | £95 | |
| Support staff | £277k £925 per pupil | +73% +35% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £65k £217 per pupil | +51% +18% real | £282 | |
| Premises staff | £39k £130 per pupil | +51% +19% real | £131 | |
| Catering staff | £71k £237 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £45k £150 per pupil | +23% -4% real | £275 | |
| All staff costs | £1.5m £4,932 per pupil | +65% +28% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £117k £391 per pupil | +72% +34% real | £280 | |
| Energy | £33k £110 per pupil | +144% +93% real | £94 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £176k £588 per pupil | +216% +145% real | £517 | |
| Catering | £117k £391 per pupil | +451% +323% real | £304 | |
| Learning resources | £62k £207 per pupil | -31% -46% real | £259 | |
| Supplies and services | £174k £581 per pupil | +3% -20% real | £489 | |
| Bought-in services | £9k £30 per pupil | -88% -91% real | £102 |
Staff costs were 76% 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 £2.0m £6,616 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
- 2018-19 319.0
- 2019-20 338.0
- 2020-21 327.5
- 2021-22 331.5
- 2022-23 329.0
- 2023-24 314.0
- 2024-25 299.5
Pupil numbers fell from 319.0 to 299.5 (6% 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 BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2019-20 £77
- 2020-21 £218
- 2021-22 £287
- 2022-23 £453
- 2023-24 £521
- 2024-25 £586
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 Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw. 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
- 13% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 31%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 5 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 6 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 29% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 75% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 18% 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 £1.1m £3,593 per pupil
- Support staff £277k £925 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £117k £391 per pupil
- Energy £33k £110 per pupil
- Learning resources £62k £207 per pupil
- Everything else £379k £1,265 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 Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw back into balance, and how many years will it take? Has BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC EDUCATION TRUST agreed it?
- How many pupils does Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw 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 Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw's funding does BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC 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?
- 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 Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw'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 John's Catholic Primary School, Trowbridge
- Barrs Court Primary School
- Barnham Primary School
- Hunloke Park Primary School
- St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, Penshaw on Schools in Reach · All Sunderland school finances · Schools in Houghton and Sunderland South · BISHOP WILKINSON CATHOLIC 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)