Carfield Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £198k, 5% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 4 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Sheffield · 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 | £2.6m | £2.6m | +£37k | £105k | 600 |
2019-20 | £2.8m | £2.6m | +£203k | £308k | 584 |
2020-21 | £2.8m | £2.7m | +£90k | £398k | 566 |
2021-22 | £2.8m | £2.8m | +£116 | £398k | 585 |
2022-23 | £3.1m | £3.3m | -£201k | £197k | 602 |
2023-24 | £3.4m | £3.6m | -£226k | -£29k | 595 |
2024-25 | £3.6m | £3.8m | -£159k | -£188k | 572 |
2025-26 | £3.6m | £3.6m | -£10k | -£198k | 523 |
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 3% of them. It spends £6,915 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,507.
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 | £3,425 | £3,139 | £3,022–£3,444 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,113 | £1,274 | £1,085–£1,662 |
Supply staff | £137 | £119 | £27–£185 |
Admin and clerical | £239 | £272 | £207–£306 |
Premises | £403 | £329 | £285–£396 |
Energy | £127 | £93 | £72–£115 |
Learning resources & ICT | £309 | £274 | £219–£328 |
Bought-in services | £518 | £106 | £51–£198 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Foundry Lane Primary School Healthy
- Foxdell Primary School Large reserves
- Norton Community Primary School Large reserves
- Woodlands Primary School Large reserves
- John Wheeldon Primary Academy Large reserves
- Cotgrave Candleby Lane School In deficit
- William Law CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Upton Junior School Large reserves
- The Mill Primary Academy Healthy
- Furley Park Primary Academy Large reserves
- Sharp Lane Primary School Tight
- Craneswater Junior School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.4m | £6,486 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £124k | £236 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £210k | £401 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £215k | £411 |
Money raised by parents
CARFIELD FRIENDS PTA (charity 1183465, Registered) raised £16k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £16k | £20k |
2024-10 | £15k | £19k |
2023-10 | £15k | £20k |
2022-10 | £13k | £8k |
2021-10 | £3k | £817 |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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?
- 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 bought-in services is £518 a pupil, against a typical £106 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £127 a pupil, against a typical £93 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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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