Grace Mary Primary School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £167k in reserve, 8% of a year's income. It has spent more than it received for 2 years, so watch the trend.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Sandwell · Primary · Community school.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2025-26
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£46k | £134k | 266 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£73k | £206k | 232 |
2020-21 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£49k | £255k | 236 |
2021-22 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£14k | £269k | 241 |
2022-23 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£11k | £257k | 243 |
2023-24 | £2.0m | £1.9m | +£55k | £312k | 229 |
2024-25 | £2.1m | £2.2m | -£111k | £201k | 230 |
2025-26 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£34k | £167k | 234 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary schools outside London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 43% of them. It spends £9,505 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,025.
This school Middle half of similar schools Similar schools’ median
Show the comparison as a table
| Spending per pupil | This school | Similar schools (median) | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
Teachers | £4,229 | £3,178 | £2,850–£3,439 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,796 | £1,685 | £1,389–£1,928 |
Supply staff | £0 | £122 | £47–£279 |
Admin and clerical | £356 | £296 | £239–£357 |
Premises | £470 | £355 | £283–£436 |
Energy | £127 | £103 | £85–£121 |
Learning resources & ICT | £262 | £304 | £243–£403 |
Bought-in services | £437 | £187 | £65–£306 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Looe Primary Academy Large reserves
- St Peter's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Victoria Park Junior School Healthy
- Wakefield St Marys Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Large reserves
- Palmers Cross Primary School Healthy
- The Orchards School Large reserves
- South Molton Community Primary School Healthy
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School Healthy
- Falconer's Hill Academy Large reserves
- Ramsey Spinning Infant School Large reserves
- Ings Primary School In deficit
- Lumbertubs Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.2m | £9,247 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £414k | £1,774 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £108k | £461 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £27k | £114 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Pupil numbers have fallen 12% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £437 a pupil, against a typical £187 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,796 a pupil, against a typical £1,685 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,229 a pupil, against a typical £3,178 for similar schools. What's behind that?
Check these figures
Every figure here comes from the school's published return to the DfE. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the status is worked out.
Admissions, Ofsted and results for Grace Mary Primary School · All Sandwell school finances