Downfield Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £685k in reserve, 19% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Hertfordshire · Primary · Community 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 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£57k | £551k | 408 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£38k | £589k | 413 |
2020-21 | £2.3m | £2.2m | +£154k | £743k | 424 |
2021-22 | £2.5m | £2.4m | +£53k | £795k | 434 |
2022-23 | £2.6m | £2.7m | -£69k | £726k | 426 |
2023-24 | £3.0m | £2.9m | +£34k | £760k | 441 |
2024-25 | £3.3m | £3.3m | -£4k | £755k | 432 |
2025-26 | £3.5m | £3.6m | -£71k | £685k | 448 |
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 87% of them. It spends £8,052 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,677.
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 | £3,451 | £2,936 | £2,812–£3,266 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,434 | £1,299 | £1,144–£1,528 |
Supply staff | £128 | £107 | £37–£166 |
Admin and clerical | £296 | £291 | £198–£389 |
Premises | £389 | £341 | £298–£412 |
Energy | £63 | £89 | £72–£120 |
Learning resources & ICT | £330 | £253 | £202–£293 |
Bought-in services | £196 | £146 | £79–£296 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- South Borough Primary School Healthy
- Kingsway Primary School Tight
- Westacre Middle School Large reserves
- St Paul's CofE Primary School, Nuneaton Healthy
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Marshfield Primary Large reserves
- Leagrave Primary School Healthy
- Shortstown Primary School Large reserves
- Woodlands Primary School Large reserves
- Olive Hill Primary Academy Large reserves
- Hadrian Park Primary School Large reserves
- Highworth Combined School and Nursery Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.4m | £7,574 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £330k | £737 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £181k | £405 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £143k | £320 |
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 support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,434 a pupil, against a typical £1,299 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £330 a pupil, against a typical £253 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 Downfield Primary School · All Hertfordshire school finances