Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2023-24, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Bolton · Primary · Academy converter
Tight
Holds £27k £116 per pupil in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Status by year
- 2018-19 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2019-20 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2020-21 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2021-22 Healthy same as the year before
- 2022-23 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2023-24 Tight same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2023-24, government funding was £1.5m £6,457 per pupil and spending £1.6m £6,739 per pupil. Spending was £66k £282 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 233.0 | £1.6m £6,710 per pupil | £1.6m £6,739 per pupil | -£7k -£30 per pupil | £27k £116 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 234.5 | £1.4m £6,089 per pupil | £1.4m £6,162 per pupil | -£17k -£74 per pupil | £34k £145 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 228.5 | £1.3m £5,864 per pupil | £1.3m £5,844 per pupil | +£5k +£21 per pupil | £51k £225 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 237.0 | £1.3m £5,281 per pupil | £1.2m £5,186 per pupil | +£23k +£95 per pupil | £47k £196 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 227.5 | £1.2m £5,340 per pupil | £1.2m £5,205 per pupil | +£31k +£136 per pupil | £24k £106 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 226.5 | £1.1m £4,806 per pupil | £1.1m £4,993 per pupil | -£42k -£187 per pupil | -£7k -£30 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2023-24 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £1.6m £6,710 per pupil | +40% +14% real | £6k | |
| Government funding | £1.5m £6,457 per pupil | +38% +13% real | £6k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £42k £182 per pupil | +367% +284% real | £281 | |
| Pupil premium | £104k £448 per pupil | +18% -3% real | £408 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £59k £252 per pupil | +102% +65% real | £290 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £9k £38 per pupil | +375% +273% real | £8 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £22k £95 per pupil | +188% +137% real | £80 | |
| Catering income | £14k £61 per pupil | -27% -40% real | £48 | |
| Other DfE grants | £65k £277 per pupil | +41% +16% real | £264 |
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)
Where it goes
| Line | 2023-24 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £1.6m £6,739 per pupil | +35% +11% real | £6k | |
| Teachers | £696k £2,986 per pupil | +37% +12% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £710 £3 per pupil | -94% -96% real | £92 | |
| Support staff | £408k £1,750 per pupil | +90% +56% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £63k £271 per pupil | +24% +1% real | £309 | |
| Premises staff | £33k £143 per pupil | +32% +9% real | £166 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £20k £87 per pupil | +4% -15% real | £200 | |
| All staff costs | £1.2m £5,125 per pupil | +47% +20% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £84k £359 per pupil | +27% +4% real | £345 | |
| Energy | £36k £154 per pupil | +111% +74% real | £113 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £120k £515 per pupil | +14% -7% real | £567 | |
| Catering | £70k £299 per pupil | +2% -17% real | £293 | |
| Learning resources | £103k £441 per pupil | +7% -12% real | £358 | |
| Supplies and services | £168k £719 per pupil | -5% -22% real | £656 | |
| Bought-in services | £58k £248 per pupil | -23% -37% real | £195 |
Staff costs were 76% of this school's spending in 2023-24. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
In 2025-26 prices, this school spent £1.7m £7,239 per pupil in 2023-24. Across England, primary schools are expected to spend about £7,000 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)
Pupils by year
- 2018-19 226.5
- 2019-20 227.5
- 2020-21 237.0
- 2021-22 228.5
- 2022-23 234.5
- 2023-24 233.0
Income that passed straight through
In 2023-24, this school's income rose by +£136k +£582 per pupil on the year before, and its staff costs by +£122k +£525 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)
Money raised by parents
No registered parents' association found for Bolton Parish Church, 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
- 24% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 26%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 1 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 1 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 25% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 28% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 27% 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 2023-24, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £696k £2,989 per pupil
- Support staff £408k £1,750 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £84k £359 per pupil
- Energy £36k £154 per pupil
- Learning resources £103k £441 per pupil
- Everything else £244k £1,046 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)
- Pupil premium is £1,515 a year per eligible primary pupil and £1,075 per eligible secondary pupil, over 16% lower in real terms than in 2015–16. (IFS, p. 51)
- 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 £27k £116 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 does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
- Which costs does Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School expect to rise most next year?
- How does Bolton Parish Church, 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?
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.
- Kingsway Junior School
- White Laith Primary School
- Forest Glade Primary School
- Pyrcroft Grange Primary School
- Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Admissions and catchments for Bolton Parish Church, Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Bolton school finances · Schools in Bolton North East · ARCHBISHOP TEMPLE 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)