St Mary's VA CofE Lower School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £272k, 27% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 8 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Central Bedfordshire · Primary · Voluntary aided 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 | £666k | £683k | -£17k | £56k | 120 |
2019-20 | £709k | £742k | -£34k | £23k | 125 |
2020-21 | £726k | £728k | -£2k | £20k | 118 |
2021-22 | £707k | £779k | -£72k | -£52k | 127 |
2022-23 | £778k | £847k | -£68k | -£120k | 126 |
2023-24 | £835k | £872k | -£37k | -£158k | 142 |
2024-25 | £977k | £995k | -£18k | -£176k | 128 |
2025-26 | £990k | £1.1m | -£96k | -£272k | 123 |
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 £8,830 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,403.
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 | £4,276 | £3,372 | £3,115–£3,642 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,784 | £1,290 | £974–£1,572 |
Supply staff | £39 | £147 | £61–£392 |
Admin and clerical | £564 | £364 | £310–£462 |
Premises | £304 | £422 | £338–£483 |
Energy | £86 | £125 | £95–£149 |
Learning resources & ICT | £518 | £350 | £259–£525 |
Bought-in services | £148 | £169 | £115–£359 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Barnabas Church of England School, Market Lavington Large reserves
- Adlington Primary School Healthy
- St Martin's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Barmby Moor Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Highwood Copse Primary School Large reserves
- Skelmanthorpe Academy Tight
- Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Aldborough Primary School Large reserves
- Semley Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Tight
- Catcott Primary School Large reserves
- Tysoe CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £896k | £7,287 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £78k | £634 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £18k | £148 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £95k | £770 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF ST MARYS SCHOOL CLOPHILL (charity 1062795, Registered) raised £17k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2026-08 | £17k | £17k |
2025-08 | £15k | £13k |
2024-08 | £14k | £16k |
2023-08 | £15k | £11k |
2022-08 | £13k | £8k |
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?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £564 a pupil, against a typical £364 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,784 a pupil, against a typical £1,290 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,276 a pupil, against a typical £3,372 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.
Admissions, Ofsted and results for St Mary's VA CofE Lower School · All Central Bedfordshire school finances