Brierley Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £351k in reserve, 20% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cheshire East · 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 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£13k | £176k | 231 |
2019-20 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£43k | £133k | 222 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£81k | £214k | 218 |
2021-22 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£17k | £197k | 229 |
2022-23 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£12k | £184k | 235 |
2023-24 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£67k | £251k | 245 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£31k | £282k | 244 |
2025-26 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£68k | £351k | 223 |
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 90% of them. It spends £7,581 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,338.
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 | £3,388 | £3,178 | £2,915–£3,385 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,191 | £1,617 | £1,398–£1,857 |
Supply staff | £731 | £136 | £56–£272 |
Admin and clerical | £308 | £301 | £229–£356 |
Premises | £531 | £397 | £322–£448 |
Energy | £178 | £117 | £80–£133 |
Learning resources & ICT | £242 | £307 | £271–£399 |
Bought-in services | £172 | £201 | £60–£308 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Park Hill Primary School Healthy
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Banbury Large reserves
- Horton Mill Community Primary School Healthy
- Hurst Hill Primary School Large reserves
- Milwards Primary School and Nursery Healthy
- Oakleaf Primary Large reserves
- Lawrence View Primary and Nursery School Tight
- Castlefort Academy Healthy
- Childwall Valley Primary School Large reserves
- Laindon Park Primary School & Nursery Heading for deficit
- Stoke Park Primary School Large reserves
- St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Hartlepool Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £7,703 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £104k | £464 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £117k | £526 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £41k | £185 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Spending on supply staff is £731 a pupil, against a typical £136 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £178 a pupil, against a typical £117 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £531 a pupil, against a typical £397 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 Brierley Primary School · All Cheshire East school finances