Escomb Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £7k, 1% 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). 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 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£13k | £91k | 203 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£6k | £97k | 206 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £1.0m | +£89k | £186k | 196 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£40k | £146k | 191 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£78k | £68k | 190 |
2023-24 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£14k | £82k | 182 |
2024-25 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£5k | £87k | 165 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£94k | -£7k | 160 |
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 £8,278 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,132.
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 | £4,066 | £3,519 | £3,205–£3,860 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,100 | £1,418 | £933–£1,562 |
Supply staff | £180 | £124 | £46–£245 |
Admin and clerical | £210 | £340 | £266–£442 |
Premises | £466 | £373 | £275–£448 |
Energy | £126 | £101 | £83–£115 |
Learning resources & ICT | £300 | £315 | £211–£396 |
Bought-in services | £697 | £192 | £98–£290 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Platt Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Tight
- Countess Gytha Primary School Large reserves
- Gorse Ride Junior School Large reserves
- St Nicholas CofE Primary School , Wallingford Tight
- Burwash CofE School Healthy
- New Hartley First School Tight
- Alsagers Bank Primary Academy Large reserves
- North Leigh Church of England School In deficit
- Hunsdon Junior Mixed and Infant School Heading for deficit
- Arden Forest Infant School Healthy
- Trinity CofE Primary School Tight
- Hartford Infant and Preschool Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £7,421 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £105k | £658 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £33k | £203 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £45k | £278 |
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 21% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £697 a pupil, against a typical £192 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 Escomb Primary School · All County Durham school finances