Our Lady's RC Primary School Manchester: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 2 years running; at that rate its £35k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Manchester · 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 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£45k | £165k | 211 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£1k | £164k | 201 |
2020-21 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£8k | £171k | 201 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£24k | £148k | 214 |
2022-23 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£69k | £78k | 215 |
2023-24 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£28k | £106k | 207 |
2024-25 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£46k | £60k | 206 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£26k | £35k | 185 |
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 £9,538 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,078.
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 | £4,148 | £3,604 | £3,180–£3,978 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,229 | £1,341 | £1,061–£1,619 |
Supply staff | £0 | £217 | £75–£486 |
Admin and clerical | £163 | £413 | £327–£510 |
Premises | £448 | £442 | £397–£516 |
Energy | £71 | £129 | £104–£171 |
Learning resources & ICT | £659 | £379 | £222–£454 |
Bought-in services | £307 | £277 | £120–£564 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Ford Primary School Large reserves
- Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Broomhill Junior School Large reserves
- All Saints Bedworth CofE Academy Healthy
- Monkton Academy Large reserves
- St Nicholas CE Primary Academy Large reserves
- Four Swannes Primary School Large reserves
- Southwold Primary School and Early Years' Centre Large reserves
- St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, Workington Large reserves
- Woodchurch CofE Primary School In deficit
- Our Lady and St Brendan's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.6m | £8,649 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £123k | £666 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £125k | £677 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £139k | £749 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 12% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £659 a pupil, against a typical £379 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,229 a pupil, against a typical £1,341 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 Our Lady's RC Primary School Manchester · All Manchester school finances