Ponsbourne St Mary's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £190k in reserve, 22% 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 · Voluntary controlled 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 | £569k | £569k | +£74 | £59k | 90 |
2019-20 | £599k | £563k | +£36k | £95k | 107 |
2020-21 | £613k | £568k | +£45k | £140k | 102 |
2021-22 | £704k | £658k | +£45k | £186k | 102 |
2022-23 | £739k | £725k | +£15k | £200k | 100 |
2023-24 | £802k | £796k | +£6k | £207k | 99 |
2024-25 | £835k | £838k | -£3k | £203k | 110 |
2025-26 | £882k | £896k | -£14k | £190k | 108 |
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 90% of them. It spends £8,255 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,533.
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 | £3,429 | £3,447 | £3,227–£3,617 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,635 | £1,509 | £1,147–£1,726 |
Supply staff | £497 | £91 | £35–£149 |
Admin and clerical | £492 | £315 | £272–£477 |
Premises | £328 | £336 | £268–£430 |
Energy | £95 | £106 | £88–£123 |
Learning resources & ICT | £383 | £396 | £333–£563 |
Bought-in services | £516 | £218 | £37–£352 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Kennett Primary School Large reserves
- Ann Cam Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Pauls' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Healthy
- Ashurst Wood Primary School Healthy
- Tushingham With Grindley CofE Primary School Healthy
- St Oswald's CofE Primary School Healthy
- Sampford Peverell Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Beaford Community Primary & Nursery School Large reserves
- Rufforth Primary School In deficit
- Lavant Primary School Large reserves
- Topcliffe CofE Academy Large reserves
- Wimbotsham and Stow Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £833k | £7,679 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £55k | £510 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £17k | £154 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £49k | £449 |
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 supply staff is £497 a pupil, against a typical £91 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £516 a pupil, against a typical £218 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 Ponsbourne St Mary's Church of England Primary School · All Hertfordshire school finances