Kirk Merrington Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £12k 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). County Durham · 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 | £695k | £707k | -£11k | £59k | 131 |
2019-20 | £708k | £742k | -£34k | £25k | 138 |
2020-21 | £770k | £758k | +£12k | £38k | 150 |
2021-22 | £830k | £849k | -£19k | £19k | 150 |
2022-23 | £925k | £942k | -£17k | £2k | 157 |
2023-24 | £1.0m | £1.0m | -£13k | -£11k | 165 |
2024-25 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£18k | £6k | 172 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£6k | £12k | 180 |
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 £6,900 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,714.
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 | £3,356 | £3,302 | £3,051–£3,556 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,407 | £1,216 | £972–£1,511 |
Supply staff | £9 | £82 | £43–£135 |
Admin and clerical | £147 | £309 | £245–£422 |
Premises | £358 | £362 | £269–£469 |
Energy | £148 | £111 | £97–£123 |
Learning resources & ICT | £330 | £317 | £249–£380 |
Bought-in services | £241 | £192 | £118–£260 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Sitlington Netherton Junior and Infant School Tight
- St Katharine's Knockholt Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Healthy
- Lymington Church of England Infant School Large reserves
- Shalfleet Church of England Primary School Tight
- Neston Primary School Healthy
- Emmbrook Infant School Tight
- Tickton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Heading for deficit
- Pucklechurch CofE VC Primary School In deficit
- Grange Infants' School Large reserves
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy In deficit
- Moorlands Infant School Large reserves
- Doddinghurst Infant School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £6,648 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £123k | £683 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £39k | £218 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £51k | £283 |
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 energy is £148 a pupil, against a typical £111 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 Kirk Merrington Primary School · All County Durham school finances