Longton Lane Community Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £18k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). St. Helens · 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 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£48k | £78k | 225 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£36k | £42k | 235 |
2020-21 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£45k | £87k | 241 |
2021-22 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£2k | £89k | 270 |
2022-23 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£60k | £149k | 261 |
2023-24 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£48k | £101k | 269 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£46k | £147k | 260 |
2025-26 | £1.8m | £1.9m | -£129k | £18k | 284 |
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 23% of them. It spends £6,705 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,914.
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 | £2,146 | £3,268 | £3,021–£3,698 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,607 | £1,388 | £1,166–£1,803 |
Supply staff | £42 | £113 | £43–£250 |
Admin and clerical | £185 | £314 | £233–£363 |
Premises | £310 | £349 | £283–£441 |
Energy | £348 | £93 | £72–£132 |
Learning resources & ICT | £333 | £286 | £210–£347 |
Bought-in services | £372 | £164 | £63–£343 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Fishergate Primary School In deficit
- Chalk Ridge Primary School In deficit
- The Tynings Primary School Tight
- Wintringham Primary Academy Large reserves
- The Pines School Tight
- Ibstock Junior School In deficit
- Hudson Primary School Large reserves
- Knaresborough St John's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Hoyle Court Primary School Tight
- Thornton Cleveleys Royles Brook Primary School Tight
- Holy Trinity Catholic Voluntary Academy Healthy
- Bishop Bronescombe CofE School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £5,854 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £152k | £536 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £61k | £216 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £112k | £396 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on energy is £348 a pupil, against a typical £93 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,607 a pupil, against a typical £1,388 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 Longton Lane Community Primary School · All St. Helens school finances