Kings Meadow Primary School and Early Years Education Centre: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £428k in reserve, 25% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Sefton · 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 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£7k | £214k | 208 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£51k | £163k | 212 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£49k | £213k | 206 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£26k | £239k | 200 |
2022-23 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£23k | £216k | 191 |
2023-24 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£25k | £241k | 199 |
2024-25 | £1.8m | £1.6m | +£173k | £414k | 172 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£14k | £428k | 173 |
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 93% of them. It spends £9,806 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,777.
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 | £4,830 | £3,693 | £3,373–£4,121 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,894 | £1,601 | £1,278–£1,870 |
Supply staff | £154 | £236 | £60–£482 |
Admin and clerical | £272 | £333 | £247–£446 |
Premises | £521 | £459 | £385–£504 |
Energy | £137 | £127 | £104–£145 |
Learning resources & ICT | £311 | £306 | £270–£389 |
Bought-in services | £496 | £211 | £85–£346 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Shirland Primary School Large reserves
- Knowsley Village School In deficit
- Nursery Hill Primary School In deficit
- Keyworth Primary and Nursery School Healthy
- Sacred Heart RC Primary School Large reserves
- Co-op Academy Northwood Large reserves
- Cherry Tree Academy Large reserves
- Althorpe and Keadby Primary School Tight
- Chesterton Primary School Large reserves
- St Francis Catholic and Church of England Primary Academy Healthy
- Newhall Infant School Large reserves
- Larkrise Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £9,563 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £263k | £1,521 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £106k | £611 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £56k | £324 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 17% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £496 a pupil, against a typical £211 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,830 a pupil, against a typical £3,693 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.
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