St Andrew's Church of England Infants School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). East Sussex · Primary · Academy converter
Tight
Holds £24k £97 per pupil in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2019-20 Tight same as the year before
- 2020-21 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2021-22 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2022-23 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2024-25 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £1.7m £6,708 per pupil and spending £1.7m £6,848 per pupil. Spending was £35k £140 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 | 250.0 | £1.7m £6,908 per pupil | £1.7m £6,848 per pupil | +£15k +£60 per pupil | £22k £88 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 264.0 | £1.5m £5,683 per pupil | £1.5m £5,812 per pupil | -£34k -£129 per pupil | £82k £311 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 256.0 | £1.4m £5,478 per pupil | £1.4m £5,650 per pupil | -£44k -£172 per pupil | £116k £454 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 263.0 | £1.5m £5,869 per pupil | £1.4m £5,414 per pupil | +£120k +£455 per pupil | £160k £610 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 297.0 | £1.4m £4,783 per pupil | £1.4m £4,756 per pupil | +£8k +£27 per pupil | £41k £137 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 298.0 | £1.3m £4,506 per pupil | £1.4m £4,554 per pupil | -£14k -£49 per pupil | £33k £110 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 £6,908 per pupil | +53% +19% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £1.7m £6,708 per pupil | +53% +19% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £48k £192 per pupil | +121% +72% real | £362 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £39k £156 per pupil | +42% +10% real | £276 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £12k £48 per pupil | +140% +88% real | £6 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £26k £104 per pupil | +22% -5% real | £108 | |
| Catering income | £1k £4 per pupil | £46 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £34k £136 per pupil | £227 | ||
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 | £1.7m £6,848 per pupil | +50% +17% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £885k £3,540 per pupil | +62% +26% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £85 | |
| Support staff | £327k £1,308 per pupil | +40% +9% real | £2k | |
| Office and admin staff | £122k £488 per pupil | +108% +61% real | £314 | |
| Premises staff | £34k £136 per pupil | +70% +32% real | £146 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £51k £204 per pupil | +33% +3% real | £179 | |
| All staff costs | £1.4m £5,540 per pupil | +52% +19% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £65k £260 per pupil | +70% +32% real | £410 | |
| Energy | £18k £72 per pupil | +76% +35% real | £113 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £186k £744 per pupil | +64% +28% real | £530 | |
| Catering | £116k £464 per pupil | +62% +26% real | £297 | |
| Learning resources | £41k £164 per pupil | +17% -9% real | £301 | |
| Supplies and services | £69k £276 per pupil | -12% -32% real | £556 | |
| Bought-in services | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £152 |
Staff costs were 81% 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 £6,980 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
- 2018-19 298.0
- 2019-20 297.0
- 2020-21 263.0
- 2021-22 256.0
- 2022-23 264.0
- 2024-25 250.0
Pupil numbers fell from 298.0 to 250.0 (16% 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 DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2024-25 £405
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
| School year | Raised | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 year to September 2025 | £15k | £3k |
| 2024-25 year to September 2024 | £14k £57 per pupil | £15k £59 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to September 2023 | £14k | £13k |
| 2022-23 year to September 2022 | £3k £12 per pupil | £9k £35 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to September 2021 | £9k £35 per pupil | £2k £9 per pupil |
- FRIENDS OF ST ANDREWS CE INFANT SCHOOL PTA (charity 1154565) Latest return: £15k in the year to September 2025. Annual return due 1 July 2026.
Each return is placed in the school year that holds the end of the charity's financial year, and per-pupil figures use that year's pupils. A parents' association's money is its own and isn't in the school's accounts above. Money a parents' association gives the school can also appear in the school's own accounts as donations, so the two can overlap. They are shown separately here and never added together.
Across England, the typical registered parents' association raised £50 per pupil in 2025-26.
Intake and area
- 31% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 21%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 3 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 2 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 26% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 59% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 22% 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 £885k £3,540 per pupil
- Support staff £327k £1,308 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £65k £260 per pupil
- Energy £18k £72 per pupil
- Learning resources £41k £164 per pupil
- Everything else £376k £1,504 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 £24k £97 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 does St Andrew's Church of England Infants 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 St Andrew's Church of England Infants School's funding does DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER 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 Andrew's Church of England Infants School expect to rise most next year?
- 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 St Andrew's Church of England Infants 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.
- St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary School
- Lift Hazelwood
- Moss Side Primary School
- Redgate Community Primary School
- St Anthony's Catholic Primary School
Admissions and catchments for St Andrew's Church of England Infants School on Schools in Reach · All East Sussex school finances · Schools in Eastbourne · DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER 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
- Charity Commission register, 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)