Cutenhoe Hill Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £668k, 18% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 3 years running.
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 | £2.9m | £2.7m | +£126k | £165k | 456 |
2019-20 | £2.6m | £2.7m | -£145k | £20k | 418 |
2020-21 | £2.5m | £2.6m | -£69k | -£50k | 396 |
2021-22 | £2.6m | £2.5m | +£124k | £75k | 412 |
2022-23 | £3.0m | £2.8m | +£192k | £267k | 366 |
2023-24 | £3.0m | £3.5m | -£491k | -£225k | 416 |
2024-25 | £3.5m | £3.8m | -£285k | -£510k | 388 |
2025-26 | £3.7m | £3.9m | -£159k | -£668k | 354 |
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 0% of them. It spends £10,948 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,561.
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 | £4,729 | £3,205 | £2,961–£3,467 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £3,676 | £1,385 | £959–£1,727 |
Supply staff | £198 | £150 | £76–£233 |
Admin and clerical | £8 | £309 | £254–£380 |
Premises | £514 | £369 | £323–£403 |
Energy | £205 | £99 | £67–£130 |
Learning resources & ICT | £316 | £315 | £241–£412 |
Bought-in services | £154 | £118 | £85–£219 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Queen's Church of England Academy Healthy
- Folville Junior School Large reserves
- Richard de Clare Community Academy Large reserves
- Herringthorpe Junior School Large reserves
- Merrydale Junior School Large reserves
- Rothwell Junior School Large reserves
- Park Spring Primary School Tight
- SS Osmund and Andrew's R.C. Primary School Large reserves
- Gordons Children's Academy, Junior Large reserves
- Bracken Edge Primary School Heading for deficit
- Beechwood Junior School Tight
- St Peter-in-Thanet CofE Junior School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.6m | £10,208 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £686k | £1,937 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £190k | £536 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £103k | £291 |
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 22% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £3,676 a pupil, against a typical £1,385 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £205 a pupil, against a typical £99 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,729 a pupil, against a typical £3,205 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 Cutenhoe Hill Primary School · All Luton school finances