Thornaby Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Stockton-on-Tees · Primary · Academy converter
Large reserves
Holds £370k £1,229 per pupil in reserve, 17% of a year's income.
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 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2022-23 Tight same as the year before
- 2023-24 Tight same as the year before
- 2024-25 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £2.0m £6,764 per pupil and spending £2.0m £6,621 per pupil. Government funding was £43k £143 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. 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 | 301.0 | £2.1m £7,027 per pupil | £2.0m £6,621 per pupil | +£122k +£405 per pupil | £0 £0 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 310.0 | £2.1m £6,784 per pupil | £2.0m £6,394 per pupil | +£121k +£390 per pupil | £0 £0 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 337.0 | £2.1m £6,315 per pupil | £2.0m £5,810 per pupil | +£170k +£504 per pupil | £0 £0 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 352.5 | £1.9m £5,478 per pupil | £1.7m £4,894 per pupil | +£206k +£584 per pupil | £0 £0 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 359.5 | £1.9m £5,346 per pupil | £1.7m £4,626 per pupil | +£259k +£720 per pupil | £411k £1,143 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 362.5 | £1.8m £5,032 per pupil | £1.7m £4,582 per pupil | +£163k +£450 per pupil | £289k £797 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 368.5 | £1.7m £4,667 per pupil | £1.7m £4,651 per pupil | +£6k +£15 per pupil | £138k £374 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 | £2.1m £7,027 per pupil | +51% +17% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £2.0m £6,764 per pupil | +47% +14% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £54k £179 per pupil | +92% +50% real | £322 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £85k £282 per pupil | +303% +213% real | £246 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £14k £47 per pupil | £6 | ||
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £14k £47 per pupil | +31% -2% real | £87 | |
| Catering income | £9k £30 per pupil | £62 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £108k £359 per pupil | +89% +46% real | £192 | |
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 | £2.0m £6,621 per pupil | +42% +11% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £992k £3,296 per pupil | +50% +17% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £62k £206 per pupil | +93% +50% real | £204 | |
| Support staff | £425k £1,412 per pupil | +34% +4% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £29k £96 per pupil | +32% +3% real | £326 | |
| Premises staff | £64k £213 per pupil | +111% +64% real | £162 | |
| Catering staff | £1k £3 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £77k £256 per pupil | +43% +12% real | £201 | |
| All staff costs | £1.6m £5,266 per pupil | +45% +12% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £97k £322 per pupil | +124% +74% real | £356 | |
| Energy | £35k £116 per pupil | +183% +120% real | £125 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £154k £512 per pupil | +13% -12% real | £617 | |
| Catering | £86k £286 per pupil | +26% -2% real | £321 | |
| Learning resources | £89k £296 per pupil | +87% +46% real | £298 | |
| Supplies and services | £157k £522 per pupil | +26% -2% real | £632 | |
| Bought-in services | £19k £63 per pupil | -73% -79% real | £145 |
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 £2.0m £6,749 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
- 2018-19 368.5
- 2019-20 362.5
- 2020-21 359.5
- 2021-22 352.5
- 2022-23 337.0
- 2023-24 310.0
- 2024-25 301.0
Pupil numbers fell from 368.5 to 301.0 (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 DALES ACADEMIES TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2019-20 £194
- 2020-21 £381
- 2021-22 £384
- 2022-23 £501
- 2023-24 £427
- 2024-25 £346
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 Thornaby Church of England 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
- 41% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 29%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 4 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 4 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 21% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 57% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 16% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 4 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 £3,502 per pupil
- Support staff £425k £1,412 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £97k £322 per pupil
- Energy £35k £116 per pupil
- Learning resources £89k £296 per pupil
- Everything else £293k £973 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.
- What is Thornaby Church of England Primary School's £370k £1,229 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does Thornaby 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 Thornaby Church of England Primary School's funding does DALES ACADEMIES 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 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 Thornaby 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.
- Whitleigh Community Primary School
- St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School
- Cinnamon Brow Church of England Primary School
- Swarcliffe Primary School
- Shirley Community Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Thornaby Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Stockton-on-Tees school finances · Schools in Stockton West · DALES ACADEMIES 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)