The Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Chelmsford: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £284k in reserve, 14% 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 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£1k | £64k | 307 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£17k | £47k | 313 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£20k | £67k | 312 |
2021-22 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£58k | £125k | 316 |
2022-23 | £1.8m | £1.9m | -£35k | £90k | 316 |
2023-24 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£6k | £96k | 318 |
2024-25 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£85k | £180k | 313 |
2025-26 | £2.1m | £2.0m | +£104k | £284k | 314 |
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 73% of them. It spends £6,213 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,365.
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 | £3,068 | £3,157 | £2,965–£3,394 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £866 | £1,152 | £965–£1,353 |
Supply staff | £160 | £119 | £57–£206 |
Admin and clerical | £397 | £309 | £252–£369 |
Premises | £198 | £307 | £248–£379 |
Energy | £68 | £83 | £72–£104 |
Learning resources & ICT | £301 | £255 | £213–£335 |
Bought-in services | £133 | £140 | £73–£209 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Rushcombe First School Large reserves
- Hardy Mill Primary School Heading for deficit
- Burton Joyce Primary School In deficit
- Ralph Butterfield Primary School Healthy
- Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School In deficit
- Chilton County Primary School Healthy
- Westvale Park Primary Academy Large reserves
- Whalley Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Roade Primary School Heading for deficit
- North Wootton Academy Large reserves
- Swavesey Primary School Healthy
- Clearwater Church of England Primary Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.8m | £5,703 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £67k | £214 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £50k | £159 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £264k | £841 |
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?
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 The Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Chelmsford · All Essex school finances