St Margaret's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Toppesfield: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £64k in reserve, 10% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Essex · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £466k | £460k | +£5k | £48k | 77 |
2019-20 | £487k | £476k | +£11k | £59k | 74 |
2020-21 | £515k | £475k | +£40k | £99k | 69 |
2021-22 | £490k | £517k | -£27k | £72k | 74 |
2022-23 | £564k | £575k | -£11k | £61k | 65 |
2023-24 | £534k | £559k | -£25k | £36k | 71 |
2024-25 | £610k | £614k | -£5k | £32k | 66 |
2025-26 | £648k | £617k | +£32k | £64k | 63 |
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 47% of them. It spends £9,786 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,474.
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 | £3,941 | £4,551 | £4,322–£5,211 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,369 | £1,406 | £1,097–£1,898 |
Supply staff | £382 | £189 | £96–£382 |
Admin and clerical | £666 | £512 | £401–£633 |
Premises | £379 | £432 | £347–£526 |
Energy | £364 | £146 | £114–£198 |
Learning resources & ICT | £397 | £445 | £379–£614 |
Bought-in services | £362 | £309 | £167–£404 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Polesden Lacey Infant Academy Heading for deficit
- Newton-on-Trent CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Bellingham Primary School Healthy
- Wray with Botton Endowed Primary School Large reserves
- Orchard Grove Primary School Large reserves
- Milton Abbot Primary School Healthy
- Woburn Lower School In deficit
- Norbury Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Birstwith Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Masham CofE Primary School In deficit
- Peppard Church of England Primary School In deficit
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Langley Moor In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £611k | £9,695 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £50k | £794 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £15k | £233 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £38k | £599 |
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 18% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £364 a pupil, against a typical £146 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,369 a pupil, against a typical £1,406 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 St Margaret's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Toppesfield · All Essex school finances