St John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £177k in reserve, 20% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Hertfordshire · 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 | £605k | £600k | +£4k | £86k | 100 |
2019-20 | £604k | £615k | -£10k | £76k | 105 |
2020-21 | £604k | £573k | +£31k | £107k | 104 |
2021-22 | £669k | £649k | +£20k | £127k | 101 |
2022-23 | £698k | £737k | -£38k | £88k | 101 |
2023-24 | £780k | £751k | +£28k | £117k | 103 |
2024-25 | £826k | £798k | +£28k | £144k | 103 |
2025-26 | £870k | £838k | +£33k | £177k | 102 |
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 £8,211 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,621.
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 | £3,799 | £3,777 | £3,325–£3,884 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,755 | £1,299 | £1,100–£1,504 |
Supply staff | £81 | £115 | £36–£222 |
Admin and clerical | £398 | £424 | £375–£527 |
Premises | £235 | £380 | £286–£493 |
Energy | £154 | £129 | £95–£139 |
Learning resources & ICT | £469 | £406 | £297–£491 |
Bought-in services | £357 | £266 | £172–£414 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Eardisley CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Old Sodbury Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Abbots Ripton CofE Primary School Heading for deficit
- Sabden Primary School Healthy
- Elveden Church of England Primary Academy In deficit
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Haughton St Giles CofE Primary Academy Large reserves
- Cranford CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Ullesthorpe Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School and Nursery Heading for deficit
- Aldbury Church of England Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Bunny CofE Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £806k | £7,904 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £91k | £889 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £11k | £104 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £74k | £725 |
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 £1,755 a pupil, against a typical £1,299 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £154 a pupil, against a typical £129 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 John's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lemsford · All Hertfordshire school finances