St Katharine's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £66k 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). Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole · 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 | £2.2m | £2.1m | +£35k | £159k | 502 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£14k | £173k | 503 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£120k | £294k | 469 |
2021-22 | £2.4m | £2.4m | -£12k | £283k | 438 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£130k | £153k | 437 |
2023-24 | £2.5m | £2.6m | -£94k | £59k | 437 |
2024-25 | £2.7m | £2.7m | +£19k | £78k | 436 |
2025-26 | £2.9m | £2.9m | -£12k | £66k | 435 |
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 20% of them. It spends £6,718 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,173.
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 | £3,218 | £2,957 | £2,742–£3,060 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,364 | £1,256 | £1,053–£1,327 |
Supply staff | £48 | £91 | £45–£170 |
Admin and clerical | £473 | £283 | £201–£368 |
Premises | £405 | £297 | £256–£342 |
Energy | £67 | £82 | £62–£95 |
Learning resources & ICT | £383 | £255 | £210–£332 |
Bought-in services | £49 | £109 | £62–£180 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Warfield Church of England Primary School Tight
- Round Diamond Primary School Large reserves
- Northgate Primary School Large reserves
- Kingslea Primary School Healthy
- Ninelands Primary School In deficit
- Lady Boswell's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Sevenoaks Heading for deficit
- St Augustine's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Meadow Primary School Tight
- Highover Primary School Large reserves
- Maidstone, St John's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Langton Green Primary School Healthy
- Whittaker Moss Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.6m | £5,992 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £190k | £436 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £63k | £146 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £309k | £710 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF ST KATHARINE'S SCHOOL (charity 1122599, Registered) raised £31k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £31k | £24k |
2024-08 | £41k | £36k |
2023-08 | £27k | £11k |
2022-08 | £18k | £18k |
2021-08 | £8k | £3k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 13% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £473 a pupil, against a typical £283 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £383 a pupil, against a typical £255 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £405 a pupil, against a typical £297 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 St Katharine's Church of England Primary School · All Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole school finances