St Cuthbert's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £9k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
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 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£13k | £152k | 222 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£14k | £166k | 226 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£103k | £269k | 220 |
2021-22 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£101k | £168k | 217 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£585 | £169k | 215 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£151k | £17k | 220 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.7m | +£24k | £42k | 195 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£33k | £9k | 184 |
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 10% of them. It spends £8,212 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,102.
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 | £3,636 | £3,427 | £3,078–£3,893 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,810 | £1,324 | £937–£1,586 |
Supply staff | £808 | £156 | £50–£360 |
Admin and clerical | £356 | £356 | £281–£417 |
Premises | £425 | £425 | £347–£519 |
Energy | £82 | £110 | £94–£164 |
Learning resources & ICT | £153 | £249 | £184–£317 |
Bought-in services | £428 | £167 | £110–£349 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Atlas Community Primary School Large reserves
- St Thomas More Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- St. Joseph's CofE Junior School In deficit
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School Tight
- Kiveton Park Meadows Junior School Large reserves
- St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Carlisle Large reserves
- Riddings Infant and Nursery School Heading for deficit
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Meon Infant School Tight
- Brotherton and Byram Community Primary Academy Tight
- St Thomas More RC Primary School Large reserves
- Willows Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £7,914 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £110k | £600 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £104k | £567 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £22k | £119 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 17% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £808 a pupil, against a typical £156 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £428 a pupil, against a typical £167 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,810 a pupil, against a typical £1,324 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 Cuthbert's Church of England Primary School · All Blackburn with Darwen school finances