St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch: school finances
Tight
Holds £31k 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 | £904k | £889k | +£15k | £83k | 210 |
2019-20 | £950k | £955k | -£5k | £77k | 217 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £958k | +£85k | £162k | 211 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£18k | £144k | 216 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£25k | £119k | 215 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£29k | £90k | 215 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£2k | £92k | 197 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.6m | -£61k | £31k | 199 |
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 23% of them. It spends £7,818 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,562.
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 | £3,620 | £3,430 | £3,055–£3,781 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,618 | £1,500 | £1,280–£1,826 |
Supply staff | £234 | £118 | £74–£186 |
Admin and clerical | £446 | £410 | £339–£487 |
Premises | £243 | £402 | £354–£503 |
Energy | £56 | £118 | £95–£164 |
Learning resources & ICT | £482 | £345 | £277–£420 |
Bought-in services | £98 | £201 | £90–£342 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Upshire Primary Foundation School Large reserves
- Buglawton Primary School Heading for deficit
- Green Lane Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St. Edmund's Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Studley St Mary's CofE Academy Healthy
- Greengates Primary Academy Large reserves
- Barleyhurst Park Primary Tight
- St Charles Voluntary Catholic Academy Healthy
- Ongar Place Primary School Large reserves
- Avishayes Community Primary School Large reserves
- Holy Family Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Hightown Primary School Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £7,268 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £109k | £549 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £96k | £481 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £53k | £265 |
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?
- Spending on supply staff is £234 a pupil, against a typical £118 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £482 a pupil, against a typical £345 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 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Christchurch · All Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole school finances