Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). East Sussex · Primary · Academy converter
Tight
Holds £33k £158 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 Healthy same as the year before
- 2021-22 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2022-23 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2023-24 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2024-25 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £1.0m £4,931 per pupil and spending £1.3m £5,943 per pupil. Spending was £214k £1,012 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 | 211.5 | £1.2m £5,603 per pupil | £1.3m £5,943 per pupil | -£72k -£340 per pupil | £31k £147 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 184.0 | £1.1m £5,967 per pupil | £1.1m £5,788 per pupil | +£33k +£179 per pupil | £135k £734 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 175.0 | £1.0m £5,977 per pupil | £1.0m £5,851 per pupil | +£22k +£126 per pupil | £121k £691 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 181.5 | £967k £5,330 per pupil | £951k £5,242 per pupil | +£16k +£88 per pupil | £82k £452 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 182.0 | £919k £5,047 per pupil | £883k £4,850 per pupil | +£36k +£197 per pupil | £66k £363 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 181.5 | £811k £4,470 per pupil | £815k £4,490 per pupil | -£4k -£20 per pupil | £30k £166 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 163.5 | £759k £4,639 per pupil | £772k £4,723 per pupil | -£14k -£83 per pupil | £34k £206 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 | £1.2m £5,603 per pupil | +21% -6% real | £6k | |
| Government funding | £1.0m £4,931 per pupil | +23% -5% real | £6k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £43k £203 per pupil | +915% +696% real | £222 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £78k £369 per pupil | -40% -54% real | £493 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £33k £156 per pupil | +73% +35% real | £34 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £45k £213 per pupil | +461% +343% real | £223 | |
| Catering income | £0 £0 per pupil | £95 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £83k £392 per pupil | £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 | £1.3m £5,943 per pupil | +26% -2% real | £6k | |
| Teachers | £573k £2,709 per pupil | +28% -1% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £41k £194 per pupil | +155% +98% real | £65 | |
| Support staff | £166k £785 per pupil | +63% +26% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £48k £227 per pupil | -4% -25% real | £286 | |
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £144 | |
| Catering staff | £14k £66 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £97k £459 per pupil | +306% +216% real | £190 | |
| All staff costs | £925k £4,374 per pupil | +43% +11% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £68k £322 per pupil | -1% -23% real | £306 | |
| Energy | £18k £85 per pupil | +67% +30% real | £109 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £127k £600 per pupil | +68% +30% real | £564 | |
| Catering | £61k £288 per pupil | +104% +59% real | £310 | |
| Learning resources | £120k £567 per pupil | +75% +36% real | £290 | |
| Supplies and services | £137k £648 per pupil | +36% +6% real | £571 | |
| Bought-in services | £8k £38 per pupil | -73% -79% real | £194 |
Staff costs were 74% 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 £1.3m £6,058 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
- 2018-19 163.5
- 2019-20 181.5
- 2020-21 182.0
- 2021-22 181.5
- 2022-23 175.0
- 2023-24 184.0
- 2024-25 211.5
Income that passed straight through
In 2024-25, this school's income rose by +£87k +£411 per pupil on the year before, and its staff costs by +£113k +£534 per pupil. Much of the extra money may have gone straight out again on higher pay, pension and National Insurance costs.
About £2.3 billion of the rise in school funding since 2019–20 was grants to cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, not extra spending power. (IFS, p. 50)
Trust central spending
What HURST EDUCATION TRUST LIMITED spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2022-23 £338
- 2023-24 £265
- 2024-25 £269
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 Ditchling St Margaret's 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
- 6% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 21%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 9 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 47% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 83% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 6% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 1 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 £614k £2,903 per pupil
- Support staff £166k £785 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £68k £322 per pupil
- Energy £18k £85 per pupil
- Learning resources £120k £567 per pupil
- Everything else £271k £1,281 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 £33k £158 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 much of Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's funding does HURST EDUCATION TRUST LIMITED 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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School expect to rise most next year?
- Does the school's reserve figure include its share of the trust's central reserves?
- How does Ditchling St Margaret'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)
- Is the budget relying on one-off grants or fundraising to balance?
- Can the trust move money between its schools, and has this school given or received any?
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 CofE Primary School High Crompton
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School
- St Julie's Catholic Primary School
- Colerne CofE Primary School
- Gawber Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All East Sussex school finances · Schools in Lewes · HURST EDUCATION TRUST LIMITED
- 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)