Castleway Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £24k, 2% 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). Wirral · 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 | £840k | £879k | -£39k | £12k | 113 |
2019-20 | £787k | £779k | +£8k | £20k | 108 |
2020-21 | £823k | £762k | +£61k | £80k | 97 |
2021-22 | £825k | £894k | -£69k | £11k | 107 |
2022-23 | £856k | £992k | -£136k | -£126k | 123 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£17k | -£109k | 138 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£68k | -£177k | 164 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.3m | +£153k | -£24k | 177 |
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 10% of them. It spends £7,444 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,545.
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 | £3,710 | £3,874 | £3,610–£4,170 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,630 | £1,739 | £1,433–£2,051 |
Supply staff | £81 | £219 | £131–£398 |
Admin and clerical | £310 | £409 | £269–£533 |
Premises | £246 | £461 | £371–£600 |
Energy | £58 | £177 | £137–£224 |
Learning resources & ICT | £324 | £331 | £255–£399 |
Bought-in services | £174 | £154 | £108–£394 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Holly Hill Methodist CofE Infant School Large reserves
- Burton Fields School Healthy
- Fieldhead Primary Academy Healthy
- Langland Community School Large reserves
- Gorsewood Primary School Large reserves
- Chase View Community Primary School Large reserves
- The Wainfleet Magdalen Church of England/Methodist School Large reserves
- Peel Hall Primary Academy In deficit
- Willow Tree Primary School In deficit
- Ryecroft Primary Academy Large reserves
- Mountfield Primary School Large reserves
- Dinnington Community Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £8,125 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £101k | £570 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £151k | £853 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £38k | £215 |
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?
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 Castleway Primary School · All Wirral school finances