Charles Darwin Community Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £39k 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). Cheshire West and Chester · 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 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£62k | -£7k | 352 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£12k | -£19k | 366 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.7m | +£115k | £96k | 340 |
2021-22 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£72k | £23k | 346 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£22k | £2k | 338 |
2023-24 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£48k | -£46k | 348 |
2024-25 | £2.3m | £2.3m | -£14k | -£60k | 355 |
2025-26 | £2.5m | £2.4m | +£98k | £39k | 331 |
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 27% of them. It spends £7,209 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,537.
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 | £3,769 | £3,139 | £2,843–£3,521 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,160 | £1,411 | £1,048–£1,566 |
Supply staff | £161 | £118 | £13–£240 |
Admin and clerical | £215 | £252 | £194–£308 |
Premises | £301 | £273 | £222–£383 |
Energy | £81 | £95 | £65–£113 |
Learning resources & ICT | £299 | £255 | £209–£325 |
Bought-in services | £150 | £95 | £52–£214 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Willows Primary School Healthy
- Bassingbourn Primary School Healthy
- Coleshill Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St George's Catholic Voluntary Academy In deficit
- St John's Church of England Primary School Tight
- Swinton Queen Primary School Large reserves
- Oakhill Primary Academy Healthy
- Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy Healthy
- Peafield Lane Academy In deficit
- Shaftesbury Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Wraysbury Primary School Heading for deficit
- Corpus Christi RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.3m | £7,031 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £139k | £421 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £146k | £442 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £157k | £476 |
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?
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 Charles Darwin Community Primary School · All Cheshire West and Chester school finances