Mersey Drive Community Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £25k 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). Bury · 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 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£107k | £54k | 216 |
2019-20 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£106k | £160k | 213 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£40k | £200k | 201 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.6m | -£94k | £106k | 190 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£39k | £67k | 188 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£39k | £28k | 190 |
2024-25 | £1.8m | £1.8m | -£12k | £17k | 190 |
2025-26 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£8k | £25k | 196 |
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 7% of them. It spends £9,437 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,885.
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 | £4,103 | £3,538 | £3,261–£3,949 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,763 | £1,644 | £1,459–£1,958 |
Supply staff | £716 | £237 | £96–£385 |
Admin and clerical | £403 | £351 | £295–£411 |
Premises | £531 | £420 | £335–£516 |
Energy | £119 | £141 | £103–£173 |
Learning resources & ICT | £322 | £330 | £271–£375 |
Bought-in services | £462 | £211 | £117–£405 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Summerville Primary School Large reserves
- Brookvale Primary School Heading for deficit
- St Helen Auckland Community Primary School Large reserves
- Moorhouse Academy Large reserves
- Burnley Lowerhouse Junior School Healthy
- Etherley Lane Primary School Large reserves
- Lift Meadstead Large reserves
- Holdbrook Primary School and Nursery Healthy
- Sutton Manor Community Primary School Healthy
- Hetton Primary School Large reserves
- Greyfriars Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.8m | £9,105 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £232k | £1,186 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £130k | £663 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £73k | £374 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 9% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £716 a pupil, against a typical £237 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £462 a pupil, against a typical £211 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 Mersey Drive Community Primary School · All Bury school finances