Ainsdale St John's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Sefton · Primary · Academy converter
Large reserves
Holds £257k £1,305 per pupil in reserve, 18% 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 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2022-23 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 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 £1.4m £6,934 per pupil and spending £1.3m £6,660 per pupil. Government funding was £54k £274 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 | 197.0 | £1.5m £7,365 per pupil | £1.3m £6,660 per pupil | +£139k +£706 per pupil | £235k £1,193 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 203.0 | £1.3m £6,618 per pupil | £1.3m £6,306 per pupil | +£63k +£312 per pupil | £188k £928 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 205.0 | £1.2m £6,087 per pupil | £1.2m £5,821 per pupil | +£55k +£266 per pupil | £125k £610 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 216.0 | £1.1m £5,160 per pupil | £1.2m £5,387 per pupil | -£49k -£227 per pupil | £71k £327 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 212.0 | £1.1m £5,116 per pupil | £1.1m £4,997 per pupil | +£25k +£119 per pupil | £120k £564 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 209.0 | £1.0m £5,009 per pupil | £1.1m £5,056 per pupil | -£10k -£48 per pupil | £94k £451 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 211.0 | £976k £4,625 per pupil | £1.0m £4,789 per pupil | -£35k -£164 per pupil | £104k £494 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 | £1.5m £7,365 per pupil | +59% +24% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £1.4m £6,934 per pupil | +56% +21% real | £6k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £177k £898 per pupil | +668% +499% real | £258 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £67k £340 per pupil | +87% +45% real | £355 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £14k £71 per pupil | +39% +7% real | £30 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £35k £178 per pupil | +642% +466% real | £169 | |
| Catering income | £18k £91 per pupil | +18% -8% real | £64 | |
| Other DfE grants | £9k £46 per pupil | -73% -79% real | £258 | |
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 £6,660 per pupil | +39% +8% real | £6k | |
| Teachers | £556k £2,822 per pupil | +24% -4% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £19k £96 per pupil | +9500% +4800% real | £62 | |
| Support staff | £303k £1,538 per pupil | +78% +39% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £29k £147 per pupil | -21% -39% real | £345 | |
| Premises staff | £40k £203 per pupil | +33% +3% real | £147 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £63k £320 per pupil | +122% +72% real | £234 | |
| All staff costs | £978k £4,964 per pupil | +41% +10% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £93k £472 per pupil | +71% +33% real | £332 | |
| Energy | £20k £102 per pupil | +40% +7% real | £108 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £136k £690 per pupil | +42% +11% real | £551 | |
| Catering | £101k £513 per pupil | +60% +25% real | £308 | |
| Learning resources | £85k £431 per pupil | +84% +43% real | £301 | |
| Supplies and services | £105k £533 per pupil | +6% -18% real | £573 | |
| Bought-in services | £7k £36 per pupil | -86% -89% real | £191 |
Staff costs were 75% 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 £6,788 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
- 2018-19 211.0
- 2019-20 209.0
- 2020-21 212.0
- 2021-22 216.0
- 2022-23 205.0
- 2023-24 203.0
- 2024-25 197.0
Pupil numbers fell from 211.0 to 197.0 (7% 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 LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2024-25 £424
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 Ainsdale St John'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
- 15% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 22%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 5 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 5 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 33% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 75% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 9% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 3 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 £575k £2,919 per pupil
- Support staff £303k £1,538 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £93k £472 per pupil
- Energy £20k £102 per pupil
- Learning resources £85k £431 per pupil
- Everything else £236k £1,198 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 Ainsdale St John's Church of England Primary School's £257k £1,305 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does Ainsdale St John's 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 many pupils at Ainsdale St John's 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 Ainsdale St John's Church of England Primary School's funding does LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS 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 council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
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.
- Carlton Miniott Primary Academy
- St Anne's Catholic Primary School
- East Markham Primary School
- St Hilary School
- St Giles' Church of England Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Ainsdale St John's Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Sefton school finances · Schools in Sefton Central · LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS 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)