Northern Saints Church of England Academy: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Sunderland · Primary · Academy converter
Large reserves
Holds £1.5m £3,281 per pupil in reserve, 43% 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 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2023-24 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2024-25 Large reserves same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £3.5m £7,564 per pupil and spending £3.2m £6,868 per pupil. Government funding was £321k £696 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 | 461.0 | £3.6m £7,714 per pupil | £3.2m £6,868 per pupil | +£390k +£846 per pupil | £1.5m £3,223 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 482.0 | £3.5m £7,301 per pupil | £3.2m £6,633 per pupil | +£322k +£668 per pupil | £1.2m £2,566 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 544.0 | £3.2m £5,967 per pupil | £3.0m £5,505 per pupil | +£251k +£462 per pupil | £789k £1,451 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 550.0 | £3.2m £5,794 per pupil | £3.3m £6,035 per pupil | -£133k -£241 per pupil | £538k £979 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 559.0 | £3.0m £5,409 per pupil | £2.6m £4,626 per pupil | +£438k +£783 per pupil | £671k £1,200 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 577.0 | £2.8m £4,845 per pupil | £2.8m £4,858 per pupil | -£7k -£13 per pupil | £233k £404 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 | £3.6m £7,714 per pupil | +59% +24% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £3.5m £7,564 per pupil | +60% +24% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £104k £226 per pupil | +248% +167% real | £283 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £87k £189 per pupil | +73% +34% real | £143 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £1k £2 per pupil | £2 | ||
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £8k £17 per pupil | -54% -62% real | £48 | |
| Catering income | £72k £156 per pupil | £37 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £9k £20 per pupil | -44% -57% real | £189 | |
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 | £3.2m £6,868 per pupil | +41% +10% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £1.6m £3,570 per pupil | +69% +31% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £140k £304 per pupil | +238% +163% real | £205 | |
| Support staff | £308k £668 per pupil | -1% -23% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £147k £319 per pupil | +47% +14% real | £276 | |
| Premises staff | £83k £180 per pupil | +55% +21% real | £229 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £87k £189 per pupil | +66% +29% real | £230 | |
| All staff costs | £2.3m £5,050 per pupil | +53% +19% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £256k £555 per pupil | -25% -42% real | £403 | |
| Energy | £66k £143 per pupil | +204% +135% real | £107 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £367k £796 per pupil | +159% +102% real | £668 | |
| Catering | £254k £551 per pupil | +196% +131% real | £373 | |
| Learning resources | £120k £260 per pupil | +0% -22% real | £300 | |
| Supplies and services | £215k £466 per pupil | +1% -22% real | £645 | |
| Bought-in services | £61k £132 per pupil | -26% -43% real | £246 |
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 £3.2m £7,000 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
- 2018-19 577.0
- 2019-20 559.0
- 2020-21 550.0
- 2021-22 544.0
- 2023-24 482.0
- 2024-25 461.0
Pupil numbers fell from 577.0 to 461.0 (20% 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 DURHAM AND NEWCASTLE DIOCESAN LEARNING TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2023-24 £327
- 2024-25 £375
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 Northern Saints Church of England Academy. 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
- 59% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 31%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 3 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 4 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 16% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 67% 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 £1.8m £3,874 per pupil
- Support staff £308k £668 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £256k £555 per pupil
- Energy £66k £143 per pupil
- Learning resources £120k £260 per pupil
- Everything else £630k £1,367 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 Northern Saints Church of England Academy's £1.5m £3,281 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does Northern Saints Church of England Academy 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 Northern Saints Church of England Academy's funding does DURHAM AND NEWCASTLE DIOCESAN LEARNING 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 Northern Saints Church of England Academy'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.
- West Minster Primary School
- Blakesley Hall Primary School
- Shaw Hill Primary School
- Ark Tindal Primary Academy
- Oxford Grove Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Northern Saints Church of England Academy on Schools in Reach · All Sunderland school finances · Schools in Washington and Gateshead South · DURHAM AND NEWCASTLE DIOCESAN LEARNING 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)