Thornhill Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £441k in reserve, 25% of a year's income.
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 | -£20k | £130k | 211 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£25k | £104k | 207 |
2020-21 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£93k | £197k | 207 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£69k | £266k | 207 |
2022-23 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£90k | £356k | 206 |
2023-24 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£112k | £467k | 207 |
2024-25 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£67k | £400k | 207 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£41k | £441k | 205 |
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 100% of them. It spends £8,270 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,322.
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 | £4,181 | £3,312 | £3,009–£3,590 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,180 | £1,520 | £1,190–£1,856 |
Supply staff | £65 | £173 | £64–£271 |
Admin and clerical | £316 | £369 | £272–£440 |
Premises | £466 | £387 | £329–£461 |
Energy | £93 | £114 | £85–£151 |
Learning resources & ICT | £462 | £268 | £198–£384 |
Bought-in services | £528 | £256 | £155–£325 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Camms CofE (Aided) Primary School Healthy
- Pilsley Primary School In deficit
- Kingfisher Community Primary School Healthy
- Chantry Community Primary School Large reserves
- Ashleigh CofE Primary School Healthy
- Great Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England Academy Tight
- Lift St Helen's Large reserves
- St Peter's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- St James' Church of England Academy Large reserves
- Penbridge Infant School & Nursery Large reserves
- SS John and Monica Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Fairmeadows Foundation Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £8,122 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £86k | £420 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £110k | £537 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £73k | £356 |
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 bought-in services is £528 a pupil, against a typical £256 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £462 a pupil, against a typical £268 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,181 a pupil, against a typical £3,312 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 Thornhill Primary School · All County Durham school finances