St Matthew's Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £141k 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). Luton · 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 | £4.8m | £4.8m | +£15k | £212k | 823 |
2019-20 | £4.8m | £5.0m | -£177k | £35k | 817 |
2020-21 | £5.0m | £4.7m | +£254k | £288k | 828 |
2021-22 | £5.2m | £5.3m | -£162k | £127k | 825 |
2022-23 | £5.7m | £5.8m | -£118k | £9k | 805 |
2023-24 | £6.0m | £5.9m | +£98k | £107k | 833 |
2024-25 | £6.2m | £6.1m | +£98k | £205k | 898 |
2025-26 | £6.5m | £6.6m | -£64k | £141k | 884 |
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 £7,422 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,436.
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 | £3,226 | £3,018 | £2,801–£3,313 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,153 | £1,659 | £1,427–£1,948 |
Supply staff | £12 | £90 | £5–£157 |
Admin and clerical | £364 | £281 | £224–£327 |
Premises | £307 | £367 | £280–£443 |
Energy | £67 | £89 | £64–£107 |
Learning resources & ICT | £199 | £237 | £187–£269 |
Bought-in services | £173 | £93 | £52–£146 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Fulbridge Academy Healthy
- Bowlee Park Community Primary School Large reserves
- Lynch Hill School Primary Academy Large reserves
- Thameside Primary School Large reserves
- Kingsleigh Primary School Large reserves
- Northlands Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Beech Hill Community Primary School Tight
- St Anthony's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Heathfield Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Gladstone Road Primary School Large reserves
- Tennyson Road Primary School Large reserves
- Westwood Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £6.0m | £6,840 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £292k | £331 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £453k | £513 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £451k | £510 |
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?
- Spending on bought-in services is £173 a pupil, against a typical £93 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,153 a pupil, against a typical £1,659 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £364 a pupil, against a typical £281 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 Matthew's Primary School · All Luton school finances