St James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn: school finances
Healthy
Holds £88k in reserve, 3% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Blackburn with Darwen · 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 | £2.1m | £2.0m | +£57k | £194k | 405 |
2019-20 | £2.0m | £2.1m | -£16k | £178k | 414 |
2020-21 | £2.1m | £2.0m | +£91k | £269k | 417 |
2021-22 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£67k | £203k | 421 |
2022-23 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£145k | £58k | 428 |
2023-24 | £2.5m | £2.5m | -£27k | £31k | 420 |
2024-25 | £2.6m | £2.6m | +£23k | £54k | 420 |
2025-26 | £2.7m | £2.7m | +£34k | £88k | 378 |
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 37% of them. It spends £7,107 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,587.
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 | £4,079 | £3,210 | £3,023–£3,431 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,135 | £1,415 | £1,105–£1,513 |
Supply staff | £9 | £134 | £51–£206 |
Admin and clerical | £457 | £280 | £223–£384 |
Premises | £334 | £297 | £272–£359 |
Energy | £101 | £98 | £77–£124 |
Learning resources & ICT | £161 | £250 | £200–£292 |
Bought-in services | £217 | £202 | £75–£244 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Bushmead Primary School In deficit
- Ascot Road Primary School Large reserves
- St Barnabas CofE Primary School In deficit
- Sir Edmund Hillary Academy Healthy
- St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy In deficit
- Rudheath Primary Academy and Nursery Large reserves
- Callands Primary Academy Healthy
- Central Primary School Large reserves
- Adwick Primary School Healthy
- Raddlebarn Primary School In deficit
- Yearsley Grove Primary School Tight
- Wantage Church of England Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.6m | £6,864 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £78k | £207 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £118k | £312 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £130k | £343 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on admin and clerical is £457 a pupil, against a typical £280 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,079 a pupil, against a typical £3,210 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 James' Church of England Primary School Blackburn · All Blackburn with Darwen school finances