Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £26k 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). Tameside · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | +£9k | £148k | 215 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£14k | £134k | 212 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£43k | £91k | 205 |
2021-22 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£50k | £41k | 206 |
2022-23 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£70k | £110k | 196 |
2023-24 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£18k | £93k | 196 |
2024-25 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£4k | £96k | 195 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£71k | £26k | 188 |
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 27% of them. It spends £9,170 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,516.
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 | £3,343 | £3,822 | £3,479–£4,465 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,680 | £1,727 | £1,288–£2,137 |
Supply staff | £1,285 | £168 | £88–£294 |
Admin and clerical | £765 | £383 | £285–£506 |
Premises | £374 | £467 | £349–£695 |
Energy | £111 | £156 | £117–£195 |
Learning resources & ICT | £348 | £390 | £335–£485 |
Bought-in services | £404 | £195 | £56–£389 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Chorley All Saints Church of England Primary School and Nursery Unit Heading for deficit
- Cockton Hill Junior School Large reserves
- Red Hall Primary School In deficit
- Co-op Academy Parkland In deficit
- Greengate Lane Academy Healthy
- Woodlands Primary School In deficit
- Birkenhead Christ Church CofE Primary School Healthy
- Mather Street Primary School Large reserves
- Blessed Dominic Barberi Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Alverton Primary School Large reserves
- Greenfield Primary Academy In deficit
- Oxclose Primary Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.6m | £8,667 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £107k | £567 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £179k | £953 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £29k | £155 |
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 13% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £1,285 a pupil, against a typical £168 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £765 a pupil, against a typical £383 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 Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School · All Tameside school finances