St Michael's Primary School and Nursery, Colchester: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £423k in reserve, 21% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
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 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£9k | £113k | 247 |
2019-20 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£446 | £112k | 269 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£127k | £240k | 253 |
2021-22 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£95k | £335k | 279 |
2022-23 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£76k | £411k | 277 |
2023-24 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£145k | £556k | 247 |
2024-25 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£60k | £496k | 223 |
2025-26 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£73k | £423k | 224 |
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 97% of them. It spends £9,457 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,153.
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 | £3,624 | £3,226 | £2,927–£3,619 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,157 | £1,566 | £1,364–£1,933 |
Supply staff | £188 | £69 | £37–£147 |
Admin and clerical | £536 | £315 | £282–£394 |
Premises | £779 | £390 | £319–£498 |
Energy | £160 | £110 | £94–£129 |
Learning resources & ICT | £267 | £309 | £189–£396 |
Bought-in services | £936 | £156 | £79–£270 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Godstone Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Watling Street Primary School Large reserves
- St Gregory Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Healthy
- Middlethorpe Primary Academy Tight
- St Mary Magdalene CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School Large reserves
- Purford Green Primary School Tight
- Admirals Academy Large reserves
- St Martin's CofE Primary School Healthy
- Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Barnstaple Large reserves
- Wicklea Academy Healthy
- St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Healthy
- All Saints' CofE Junior School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.0m | £8,765 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £321k | £1,434 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £101k | £453 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £83k | £369 |
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 bought-in services is £936 a pupil, against a typical £156 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £188 a pupil, against a typical £69 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £779 a pupil, against a typical £390 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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