Helmshore Primary School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £104k in reserve, 4% of a year's income. It has spent more than it received for 2 years, so watch the trend.
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 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£66k | £121k | 414 |
2019-20 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£45k | £166k | 411 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£117k | £283k | 410 |
2021-22 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£46k | £329k | 413 |
2022-23 | £2.1m | £2.3m | -£151k | £177k | 408 |
2023-24 | £2.4m | £2.4m | +£6k | £183k | 393 |
2024-25 | £2.4m | £2.4m | -£13k | £171k | 385 |
2025-26 | £2.5m | £2.5m | -£67k | £104k | 397 |
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 43% of them. It spends £6,376 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,079.
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 | £2,896 | £2,991 | £2,892–£3,199 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,267 | £1,144 | £901–£1,241 |
Supply staff | £211 | £60 | £8–£186 |
Admin and clerical | £334 | £268 | £218–£332 |
Premises | £240 | £301 | £268–£333 |
Energy | £71 | £91 | £74–£101 |
Learning resources & ICT | £275 | £262 | £234–£302 |
Bought-in services | £240 | £121 | £65–£182 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Martha's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Tadworth Primary School Large reserves
- Barnfields Primary School Large reserves
- Portishead Primary School Healthy
- Christ Church Church of England Controlled Primary School Large reserves
- Esher Church School Tight
- Ashby Willesley Primary School Large reserves
- Naunton Park Primary School In deficit
- Grappenhall St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Knightwood Primary School Large reserves
- Bollin Primary School Healthy
- Ascot Heath Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.2m | £5,513 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £50k | £125 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £54k | £137 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £276k | £695 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on supply staff is £211 a pupil, against a typical £60 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £240 a pupil, against a typical £121 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 Helmshore Primary School · All Lancashire school finances