Shirley Community Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £236k, 8% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 2 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cambridgeshire · 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 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£62k | £157k | 390 |
2019-20 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£93k | £64k | 391 |
2020-21 | £2.4m | £2.4m | +£2k | £66k | 362 |
2021-22 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£131k | -£65k | 372 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£87k | -£102k | 377 |
2023-24 | £2.7m | £2.7m | +£40k | -£62k | 348 |
2024-25 | £2.9m | £3.0m | -£119k | -£181k | 344 |
2025-26 | £3.0m | £3.1m | -£55k | -£236k | 303 |
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 £10,079 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,641.
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 | £3,804 | £3,396 | £3,157–£3,852 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,131 | £1,569 | £1,321–£2,039 |
Supply staff | £54 | £248 | £102–£423 |
Admin and clerical | £665 | £329 | £248–£436 |
Premises | £401 | £392 | £329–£471 |
Energy | £205 | £111 | £99–£146 |
Learning resources & ICT | £210 | £309 | £241–£373 |
Bought-in services | £695 | £160 | £84–£396 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Maple Grove Primary School Healthy
- Thornden Wood Primary School Large reserves
- Swarcliffe Primary School Large reserves
- New Hall Primary School Heading for deficit
- Whitleigh Community Primary School Tight
- St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Thornaby Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Belton Lane Community Primary School Large reserves
- Carlton Mills Large reserves
- Wath Victoria Primary School Healthy
- Cinnamon Brow Church of England Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.9m | £9,551 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £200k | £661 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £236k | £779 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £125k | £411 |
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 bought-in services is £695 a pupil, against a typical £160 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £665 a pupil, against a typical £329 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £205 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 Shirley Community Primary School · All Cambridgeshire school finances