Howletch Lane Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £455k in reserve, 15% 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 | £2.2m | £2.2m | +£36k | £104k | 392 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£18k | £122k | 400 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.3m | +£15k | £137k | 392 |
2021-22 | £2.3m | £2.4m | -£84k | £53k | 380 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.4m | +£37k | £90k | 359 |
2023-24 | £2.5m | £2.4m | +£91k | £180k | 358 |
2024-25 | £2.8m | £2.6m | +£155k | £335k | 354 |
2025-26 | £3.1m | £3.0m | +£120k | £455k | 358 |
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 80% of them. It spends £8,417 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,179.
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 | £3,011 | £3,439 | £3,171–£3,755 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,029 | £1,486 | £1,276–£2,045 |
Supply staff | £882 | £108 | £46–£211 |
Admin and clerical | £335 | £301 | £275–£395 |
Premises | £499 | £376 | £304–£452 |
Energy | £133 | £104 | £75–£119 |
Learning resources & ICT | £324 | £268 | £197–£363 |
Bought-in services | £181 | £199 | £114–£297 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy Large reserves
- Little London Academy Large reserves
- Gayton Junior School In deficit
- St Michael's Primary School Heading for deficit
- Conisbrough Ivanhoe Primary Academy Healthy
- Riverside Primary School and Nursery In deficit
- St Monica Primary School Large reserves
- Christ Church Church of England Primary School Healthy
- North Borough Junior School Large reserves
- Pennine Way Junior Academy Tight
- Northfield Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Bramley St Peter's Church of England Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.9m | £8,021 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £333k | £932 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £210k | £586 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £262k | £733 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 9% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £882 a pupil, against a typical £108 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £499 a pupil, against a typical £376 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £133 a pupil, against a typical £104 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 Howletch Lane Primary School · All County Durham school finances