St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £120k in reserve, 9% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Leeds · 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 | £600k | £609k | -£9k | -£754 | 87 |
2019-20 | £623k | £573k | +£50k | £49k | 85 |
2020-21 | £621k | £584k | +£37k | £86k | 92 |
2021-22 | £701k | £717k | -£16k | £70k | 120 |
2022-23 | £921k | £962k | -£41k | £28k | 126 |
2023-24 | £983k | £962k | +£21k | £49k | 141 |
2024-25 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£80k | £129k | 156 |
2025-26 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£9k | £120k | 162 |
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 73% of them. It spends £7,851 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,145.
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 | £3,627 | £3,382 | £3,106–£3,841 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,588 | £1,365 | £1,127–£1,813 |
Supply staff | £120 | £73 | £45–£206 |
Admin and clerical | £245 | £359 | £288–£441 |
Premises | £385 | £381 | £262–£442 |
Energy | £185 | £111 | £90–£140 |
Learning resources & ICT | £250 | £330 | £258–£434 |
Bought-in services | £368 | £212 | £114–£333 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Bramble Infant School and Nursery Large reserves
- Wigmore Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's CofE Primary School Healthy
- Falconer's Hill Infant School Large reserves
- Chapel Break Infant School Tight
- Carrington Infant School Healthy
- Bowling Green Academy In deficit
- Milborne Port Primary School Healthy
- Easington CofE Primary School In deficit
- Northfield Junior School Healthy
- Woodchurch Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
- St John the Baptist Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £7,087 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £56k | £347 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £58k | £358 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £115k | £709 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Spending on bought-in services is £368 a pupil, against a typical £212 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £185 a pupil, against a typical £111 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 St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School · All Leeds school finances