Holy Souls Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £159k in reserve, 11% 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 | £957k | £938k | +£18k | £99k | 204 |
2019-20 | £982k | £981k | +£699 | £99k | 205 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £987k | +£67k | £167k | 210 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£44k | £123k | 206 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£21k | £144k | 203 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£3k | £147k | 208 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£34k | £181k | 200 |
2025-26 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£22k | £159k | 182 |
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 70% of them. It spends £7,937 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,247.
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 | £2,969 | £3,420 | £3,160–£3,653 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,177 | £1,370 | £1,149–£1,500 |
Supply staff | £1,519 | £128 | £36–£257 |
Admin and clerical | £420 | £354 | £252–£460 |
Premises | £202 | £353 | £311–£478 |
Energy | £116 | £97 | £87–£111 |
Learning resources & ICT | £328 | £322 | £258–£351 |
Bought-in services | £736 | £190 | £88–£305 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Featherstone Purston Infant School In deficit
- Portobello Primary School In deficit
- St Wilfrids Catholic Primary School Tight
- Holy Trinity Catholic School, Chipping Norton Healthy
- St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy In deficit
- St John's CofE Academy In deficit
- St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford Tight
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Nursery Heading for deficit
- Plympton St Maurice Primary School Large reserves
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Tregony Community Primary School Large reserves
- St Nicholas CofE (VA) Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £7,519 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £158k | £865 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £55k | £299 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £55k | £300 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 11% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £1,519 a pupil, against a typical £128 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £736 a pupil, against a typical £190 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 Holy Souls Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn · All Blackburn with Darwen school finances