St Austin's Catholic Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £14k, 1% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). St. Helens · 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 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£603 | £295 | 226 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£21k | -£21k | 208 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£22k | -£43k | 210 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£45k | £2k | 205 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£13k | -£11k | 209 |
2023-24 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£32k | -£44k | 220 |
2024-25 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£2k | -£46k | 208 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£32k | -£14k | 212 |
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 13% of them. It spends £7,035 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,178.
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 | £3,180 | £3,232 | £2,953–£3,705 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,541 | £1,463 | £1,189–£1,740 |
Supply staff | £46 | £161 | £77–£245 |
Admin and clerical | £278 | £327 | £277–£406 |
Premises | £423 | £388 | £322–£505 |
Energy | £125 | £90 | £73–£122 |
Learning resources & ICT | £414 | £270 | £217–£344 |
Bought-in services | £309 | £195 | £132–£330 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St John the Baptist RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Outwood Primary Academy Darfield Large reserves
- Tangmere Primary Academy Healthy
- Stirchley Primary School Large reserves
- St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant School Large reserves
- Parkfield Primary School Healthy
- St Ethelbert's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy In deficit
- Ladywood Primary School Large reserves
- St Maria Goretti Catholic Primary School, Preston Large reserves
- Witton Church Walk CofE Aided Nursery and Primary School In deficit
- Wyberton Primary Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £6,957 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £60k | £282 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £100k | £470 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £49k | £230 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £414 a pupil, against a typical £270 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 Austin's Catholic Primary School · All St. Helens school finances