Woodside Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £59k, 4% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Halton · 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 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£55k | £53k | 145 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£1k | £52k | 141 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £973k | +£104k | £156k | 126 |
2021-22 | £1.0m | £1.0m | -£30k | £126k | 119 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£62k | £64k | 111 |
2023-24 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£93k | -£29k | 121 |
2024-25 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£51k | £21k | 111 |
2025-26 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£80k | -£59k | 116 |
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 17% of them. It spends £12,406 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,504.
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 | £5,971 | £4,241 | £3,923–£4,687 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £3,027 | £1,969 | £1,760–£2,311 |
Supply staff | £288 | £282 | £139–£567 |
Admin and clerical | £381 | £486 | £354–£579 |
Premises | £507 | £624 | £525–£750 |
Energy | £228 | £197 | £151–£260 |
Learning resources & ICT | £230 | £479 | £351–£556 |
Bought-in services | £445 | £374 | £218–£478 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Ingoldmells Academy Large reserves
- St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy Large reserves
- Laurel Avenue Community Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Tight
- Choppington Primary School Large reserves
- Manor Primary School Healthy
- St Francis Horndale CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Cottons Farm Primary Academy In deficit
- St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- Murdishaw West Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Somerlea Park Junior School Large reserves
- Kingsway Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.3m | £11,592 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £302k | £2,605 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £97k | £836 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £14k | £122 |
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 20% 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 £3,027 a pupil, against a typical £1,969 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £5,971 a pupil, against a typical £4,241 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 Woodside Primary School · All Halton school finances