Bishop Cornish CofE VA Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £177k in reserve, 12% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 3 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Cornwall · 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 | £896k | £863k | +£32k | £177k | 210 |
2019-20 | £931k | £945k | -£14k | £163k | 202 |
2020-21 | £973k | £948k | +£25k | £188k | 203 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£22k | £210k | 195 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£9k | £220k | 194 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£17k | £202k | 187 |
2024-25 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£23k | £180k | 192 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£3k | £177k | 196 |
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 87% of them. It spends £7,813 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,627.
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 | £3,360 | £3,196 | £2,914–£3,412 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,120 | £1,184 | £1,037–£1,501 |
Supply staff | £239 | £116 | £61–£226 |
Admin and clerical | £449 | £301 | £220–£415 |
Premises | £282 | £311 | £283–£393 |
Energy | £115 | £98 | £76–£123 |
Learning resources & ICT | £462 | £295 | £209–£372 |
Bought-in services | £188 | £180 | £98–£297 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St. Bernadette's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Saint Clare's Primary School A Catholic Voluntary Academy, Coalville, Leicestershire In deficit
- St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- West Cliff Primary School Healthy
- Lakefield CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Sellindge Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's Primary School Knaresborough, A Voluntary Catholic Academy Large reserves
- St Barnabas CofE Primary School In deficit
- Lound Junior School Heading for deficit
- St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School Healthy
- St John's CofE Primary School Mosley Common Large reserves
- Banks St Stephen's CofE School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £6,296 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £77k | £395 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £68k | £345 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £262k | £1,337 |
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,120 a pupil, against a typical £1,184 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £462 a pupil, against a typical £295 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.
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