Trinity St Mary's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £300k in reserve, 30% 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 | £893k | £890k | +£2k | £69k | 199 |
2019-20 | £922k | £902k | +£20k | £89k | 193 |
2020-21 | £977k | £928k | +£49k | £138k | 186 |
2021-22 | £978k | £968k | +£11k | £149k | 189 |
2022-23 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£27k | £176k | 186 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.0m | +£58k | £234k | 164 |
2024-25 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£29k | £263k | 157 |
2025-26 | £1.0m | £967k | +£37k | £300k | 132 |
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 £7,354 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,000.
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 | £3,173 | £3,589 | £3,280–£3,896 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,657 | £1,565 | £1,155–£1,810 |
Supply staff | £184 | £136 | £54–£253 |
Admin and clerical | £630 | £389 | £300–£472 |
Premises | £352 | £402 | £322–£544 |
Energy | £115 | £122 | £96–£161 |
Learning resources & ICT | £313 | £416 | £288–£487 |
Bought-in services | £296 | £211 | £140–£382 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Toynton All Saints Primary School Tight
- Great Abington Primary School Tight
- Bow Community Primary School Large reserves
- Holywell Green Primary School In deficit
- St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Great Yeldham Healthy
- Ash Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Sheerhatch Primary School In deficit
- Walton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Large reserves
- Hathersage St Michael's CofE (Aided) Primary School Tight
- Ringstead Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- The Weald CofE Primary School In deficit
- Lumley Infant and Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £953k | £7,251 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £40k | £303 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £42k | £320 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £54k | £410 |
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 34% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £630 a pupil, against a typical £389 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 Trinity St Mary's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers · All Essex school finances