St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £164k in reserve, 8% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Walsall · Primary · Voluntary aided 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 | £1.5m | £1.6m | -£81k | £4k | 264 |
2019-20 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£102k | £106k | 278 |
2020-21 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£83k | £189k | 275 |
2021-22 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£91k | £98k | 282 |
2022-23 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£77k | £176k | 282 |
2023-24 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£47k | £222k | 290 |
2024-25 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£29k | £193k | 286 |
2025-26 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£29k | £164k | 290 |
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 60% of them. It spends £6,905 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,888.
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 | £4,066 | £3,297 | £3,025–£3,638 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £357 | £1,289 | £1,058–£1,938 |
Supply staff | £95 | £121 | £70–£276 |
Admin and clerical | £374 | £295 | £252–£342 |
Premises | £348 | £378 | £316–£406 |
Energy | £124 | £101 | £86–£127 |
Learning resources & ICT | £368 | £251 | £178–£292 |
Bought-in services | £496 | £117 | £60–£259 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Rackham Church of England Primary School and Pre-School Healthy
- Hedworth Lane Primary School Heading for deficit
- Waterfoot Primary School Heading for deficit
- Nyewood CofE Junior School Heading for deficit
- Springfield Infant School and Nursery Large reserves
- Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Tewkesbury Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Upton Priory School Healthy
- Imperial Avenue Infant School Large reserves
- St. Marys CofE Primary School Large reserves
- St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Pottery Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.0m | £7,030 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £159k | £551 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £103k | £357 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £4k | £13 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Spending on bought-in services is £496 a pupil, against a typical £117 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £368 a pupil, against a typical £251 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,066 a pupil, against a typical £3,297 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 St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School · All Walsall school finances