Highfields Primary School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £96k in reserve, 4% of a year's income.
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 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£32k | £143k | 328 |
2019-20 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£17k | £126k | 324 |
2020-21 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£58k | £184k | 328 |
2021-22 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£36k | £220k | 319 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.0m | -£23k | £197k | 317 |
2023-24 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£99k | £98k | 320 |
2024-25 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£44k | £54k | 320 |
2025-26 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£41k | £96k | 320 |
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 37% of them. It spends £7,021 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,273.
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 | £2,908 | £3,105 | £2,993–£3,394 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,301 | £1,097 | £901–£1,287 |
Supply staff | £59 | £128 | £68–£196 |
Admin and clerical | £330 | £290 | £229–£375 |
Premises | £290 | £306 | £248–£354 |
Energy | £101 | £78 | £70–£91 |
Learning resources & ICT | £196 | £266 | £224–£338 |
Bought-in services | £842 | £132 | £68–£188 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Markland Hill Primary School In deficit
- St Richard's Catholic Primary School Healthy
- St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Large reserves
- Whalley Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Westvale Park Primary Academy Large reserves
- St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Christ Church Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
- Broughton Jewish Cassel Fox Primary School In deficit
- Uplands Primary School Healthy
- Swavesey Primary School Healthy
- Lift Hockley Large reserves
- Burton Joyce Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.1m | £6,552 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £72k | £226 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £39k | £123 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £191k | £598 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on bought-in services is £842 a pupil, against a typical £132 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £101 a pupil, against a typical £78 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 Highfields Primary School · All Essex school finances