St James' Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Tameside · Primary · Academy converter
Tight
Holds £20k £88 per pupil in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
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 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2022-23 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2023-24 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2024-25 Tight same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £1.7m £7,514 per pupil and spending £1.6m £7,423 per pupil. Government funding was £20k £90 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 | 222.0 | £1.7m £7,752 per pupil | £1.6m £7,423 per pupil | +£73k +£329 per pupil | £1k £5 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 217.0 | £1.7m £7,912 per pupil | £1.9m £8,650 per pupil | -£160k -£737 per pupil | £3k £14 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 206.0 | £1.6m £7,879 per pupil | £1.6m £7,592 per pupil | +£59k +£286 per pupil | £50k £243 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 210.0 | £1.5m £7,300 per pupil | £1.6m £7,752 per pupil | -£95k -£452 per pupil | £39k £186 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 223.0 | £1.4m £6,363 per pupil | £1.3m £5,924 per pupil | +£98k +£439 per pupil | £187k £839 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 223.0 | £1.3m £5,929 per pupil | £1.3m £5,872 per pupil | +£13k +£57 per pupil | £83k £373 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 224.0 | £1.3m £5,638 per pupil | £1.3m £5,655 per pupil | -£4k -£17 per pupil | £70k £315 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 | £1.7m £7,752 per pupil | +37% +7% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £1.7m £7,514 per pupil | +40% +9% real | £8k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £135k £608 per pupil | £344 | ||
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £26k £117 per pupil | -66% -73% real | £180 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £9k £41 per pupil | £2 | ||
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £4k £18 per pupil | -89% -92% real | £64 | |
| Catering income | £13k £59 per pupil | +64% +28% real | £49 | |
| Other DfE grants | £81k £365 per pupil | +93% +50% real | £236 | |
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 | £1.6m £7,423 per pupil | +31% +2% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £664k £2,991 per pupil | +35% +5% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £87k £392 per pupil | -15% -34% real | £127 | |
| Support staff | £395k £1,779 per pupil | +66% +29% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £38k £171 per pupil | -33% -48% real | £364 | |
| Premises staff | £58k £261 per pupil | +32% +2% real | £202 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £6k £27 per pupil | -81% -85% real | £178 | |
| All staff costs | £1.2m £5,360 per pupil | +28% -0% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £92k £414 per pupil | +31% +2% real | £457 | |
| Energy | £19k £86 per pupil | +91% +47% real | £124 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £173k £779 per pupil | +88% +46% real | £682 | |
| Catering | £106k £477 per pupil | +91% +48% real | £435 | |
| Learning resources | £98k £441 per pupil | +40% +9% real | £336 | |
| Supplies and services | £193k £869 per pupil | +18% -8% real | £749 | |
| Bought-in services | £76k £342 per pupil | +5% -18% real | £250 |
Staff costs were 72% 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 £1.7m £7,567 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
- 2018-19 224.0
- 2019-20 223.0
- 2020-21 223.0
- 2021-22 210.0
- 2022-23 206.0
- 2023-24 217.0
- 2024-25 222.0
Trust central spending
What FORWARD AS ONE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MULTI ACADEMY TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2020-21 £248
- 2021-22 £280
- 2022-23 £360
- 2023-24 £421
- 2024-25 £522
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 James' 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
- 53% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 37%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 1 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 1 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 19% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 39% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 24% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 5 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 £751k £3,383 per pupil
- Support staff £395k £1,779 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £92k £414 per pupil
- Energy £19k £86 per pupil
- Learning resources £98k £441 per pupil
- Everything else £293k £1,320 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.
- With £20k £88 per pupil in reserve, what would happen if costs rose faster than expected next year? Why ask: Pay awards are set each year by the government after independent advice; the IFS says the picture is tight for schools if they follow forecast earnings growth. (IFS, p. 63)
- How many pupils at St James' Church of England 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 St James' Church of England Primary School's funding does FORWARD AS ONE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MULTI ACADEMY 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?
- Which costs does St James' Church of England Primary School expect to rise most next year?
- 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 St James' 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.
- William Booth Primary and Nursery School
- Willowpark Primary Academy
- Brook Acre Community Primary School
- Creswell Junior School
- Our Lady and St Benedict Catholic Academy
Admissions and catchments for St James' Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Tameside school finances · Schools in Ashton-under-Lyne · FORWARD AS ONE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MULTI ACADEMY 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)