Penwortham Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £179k, 15% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Lancashire · 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 | £924k | £940k | -£16k | £82k | 203 |
2019-20 | £936k | £929k | +£6k | £89k | 202 |
2020-21 | £942k | £934k | +£7k | £96k | 204 |
2021-22 | £988k | £1.0m | -£20k | £76k | 208 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£29k | £47k | 208 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£41k | £6k | 201 |
2024-25 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£57k | £64k | 200 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.5m | -£243k | -£179k | 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 3% of them. It spends £7,312 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,359.
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 | £3,055 | £3,127 | £2,952–£3,331 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £845 | £1,125 | £891–£1,310 |
Supply staff | £457 | £112 | £58–£199 |
Admin and clerical | £182 | £297 | £216–£355 |
Premises | £473 | £313 | £252–£368 |
Energy | £123 | £92 | £77–£106 |
Learning resources & ICT | £269 | £308 | £259–£393 |
Bought-in services | £875 | £197 | £108–£296 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Hunsley Primary Large reserves
- Hildenborough Church of England Primary School Healthy
- St John's Church of England Primary School Tight
- Twiss Green Community Primary School In deficit
- Andrews' Endowed Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
- Bramcote CofE Primary School Healthy
- Harbury CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Read St John's CofE Primary School Healthy
- Divine Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Culverstone Green Primary School In deficit
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Blackhill Large reserves
- Daresbury Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £6,093 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £26k | £127 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £28k | £139 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £2k | £10 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Spending on bought-in services is £875 a pupil, against a typical £197 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £457 a pupil, against a typical £112 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £473 a pupil, against a typical £313 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £123 a pupil, against a typical £92 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 Penwortham Primary School · All Lancashire school finances