King's Ford Infant School and Nursery: school finances
Tight
Holds £32k 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). Essex · 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 | £1.0m | £1.1m | -£18k | £101k | 178 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£2k | £98k | 183 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£41k | £57k | 192 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£1k | £56k | 162 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£17k | £39k | 176 |
2023-24 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£5k | £44k | 149 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£35k | £9k | 152 |
2025-26 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£23k | £32k | 142 |
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 27% of them. It spends £8,743 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,494.
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 | £3,644 | £3,626 | £3,209–£3,989 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,884 | £1,278 | £1,037–£1,795 |
Supply staff | £88 | £228 | £74–£415 |
Admin and clerical | £665 | £358 | £293–£421 |
Premises | £423 | £437 | £312–£610 |
Energy | £132 | £134 | £95–£187 |
Learning resources & ICT | £247 | £351 | £248–£462 |
Bought-in services | £295 | £152 | £77–£225 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Kilburn Junior School Tight
- Badsey First School Large reserves
- Pen Mill Infant and Nursery Academy Large reserves
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hadleigh Tight
- Hedon Primary School In deficit
- Leyland St Andrew's Church of England Infant School Large reserves
- Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Ellwood Primary School Large reserves
- Blackburn Primary School Healthy
- Ninfield Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Bentham Community Primary School In deficit
- Our Lady and St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £8,600 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £50k | £356 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £76k | £536 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £43k | £304 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 20% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £295 a pupil, against a typical £152 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £665 a pupil, against a typical £358 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.
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