St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF: school finances
Tight
Holds £15k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
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 | £968k | £952k | +£15k | £24k | 179 |
2019-20 | £967k | £991k | -£24k | £67 | 200 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £981k | +£20k | £20k | 191 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£10k | £10k | 179 |
2022-23 | £1.0m | £1.1m | -£72k | -£61k | 180 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£645 | -£62k | 173 |
2024-25 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£83k | £21k | 170 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£6k | £15k | 180 |
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 20% of them. It spends £6,691 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,744.
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 | £2,951 | £3,282 | £2,955–£3,475 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,116 | £1,153 | £867–£1,522 |
Supply staff | £18 | £83 | £54–£206 |
Admin and clerical | £270 | £351 | £277–£393 |
Premises | £266 | £297 | £245–£388 |
Energy | £123 | £99 | £78–£129 |
Learning resources & ICT | £189 | £271 | £183–£399 |
Bought-in services | £827 | £173 | £115–£282 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Ropley CofE Primary School Healthy
- Endon Hall Primary School Heading for deficit
- Birches First School Large reserves
- Abbots Farm Infant School Tight
- Worlebury St Pauls Church School Healthy
- Smallwood CofE Primary School Healthy
- The Nettleham Infant and Nursery School Tight
- Thorney Island Community Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Otley the Whartons Primary School Heading for deficit
- Gaddesby Primary School Large reserves
- Fetcham Village Infant School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £6,231 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £99k | £551 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £27k | £148 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £77k | £427 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Spending on bought-in services is £827 a pupil, against a typical £173 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 Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF · All Essex school finances