St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £145k in reserve, 10% 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 | £853k | £836k | +£17k | £162k | 147 |
2019-20 | £869k | £880k | -£12k | £150k | 150 |
2020-21 | £887k | £909k | -£22k | £129k | 166 |
2021-22 | £1.0m | £1.0m | -£6k | £122k | 178 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£4k | £118k | 180 |
2023-24 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£24k | £94k | 192 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£23k | £117k | 198 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£28k | £145k | 201 |
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 53% of them. It spends £7,242 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,473.
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 | £3,637 | £3,207 | £3,110–£3,438 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,367 | £1,098 | £871–£1,280 |
Supply staff | £78 | £83 | £27–£160 |
Admin and clerical | £260 | £341 | £280–£403 |
Premises | £240 | £295 | £245–£380 |
Energy | £67 | £89 | £73–£106 |
Learning resources & ICT | £418 | £300 | £253–£393 |
Bought-in services | £314 | £172 | £111–£280 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St John's Church of England Primary School, Lacey Green Large reserves
- Silkstone Primary School In deficit
- Lostock Hall Primary School Healthy
- St Benedict's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Gotherington Primary School Large reserves
- Powell Corderoy Primary School Healthy
- Fawbert and Barnard Infants' School Large reserves
- All Saints Church School Large reserves
- Walton-on-the-Hill Primary School Large reserves
- Perran-Ar-Worthal Community Primary School Large reserves
- Lamberhurst St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Controlled) Primary School Heading for deficit
- Rickmansworth Park Junior Mixed and Infant School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.3m | £6,585 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £62k | £308 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £38k | £191 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £160k | £797 |
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 bought-in services is £314 a pupil, against a typical £172 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 Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans · All Hertfordshire school finances