St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £323k in reserve, 13% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Essex · Primary · Voluntary aided 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 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£75k | £116k | 418 |
2019-20 | £1.8m | £1.8m | -£48k | £68k | 419 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£95k | £163k | 416 |
2021-22 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£11k | £152k | 410 |
2022-23 | £2.1m | £2.2m | -£137k | £14k | 416 |
2023-24 | £2.3m | £2.5m | -£118k | -£104k | 415 |
2024-25 | £2.7m | £2.4m | +£268k | £164k | 404 |
2025-26 | £2.6m | £2.4m | +£159k | £323k | 387 |
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 £6,227 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,369.
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 | £2,827 | £3,124 | £2,949–£3,291 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,374 | £1,136 | £922–£1,422 |
Supply staff | £36 | £119 | £57–£207 |
Admin and clerical | £221 | £289 | £248–£330 |
Premises | £339 | £301 | £244–£394 |
Energy | £109 | £97 | £75–£109 |
Learning resources & ICT | £198 | £263 | £178–£321 |
Bought-in services | £341 | £127 | £75–£207 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Wincanton Primary School Tight
- Hawkinge Primary School Large reserves
- Glebe Primary School Large reserves
- Finberry Primary School Healthy
- The Meadow Community Primary School Large reserves
- Briercliffe Primary School Tight
- Wilthorpe Primary School Healthy
- Trimley St Mary Primary School Large reserves
- Colmore Infant and Nursery School Tight
- River Primary School Large reserves
- St Georges CofE (Aided) Primary School Large reserves
- Sir Henry Fermor Church of England Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.5m | £6,391 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £177k | £458 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £130k | £336 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £99k | £257 |
Money raised by parents
THE FRIENDS OF ST MICHAEL'S SCHOOL (charity 1092344, Registered) raised £29k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-03 | £29k | £22k |
2024-03 | £14k | £16k |
2023-03 | £16k | £12k |
2022-03 | £8k | £6k |
2021-03 | £4k | £7k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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?
- Spending on bought-in services is £341 a pupil, against a typical £127 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School · All Essex school finances