The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster: school finances
Healthy
Holds £97k in reserve, 7% 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 · 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 | £1.0m | £953k | +£50k | £92k | 186 |
2019-20 | £1.0m | £988k | +£14k | £106k | 203 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £998k | +£53k | £159k | 202 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£14k | £145k | 204 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£14k | £131k | 208 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£39k | £170k | 206 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£22k | £148k | 202 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£51k | £97k | 195 |
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 20% of them. It spends £7,743 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,891.
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 | £3,277 | £3,125 | £2,945–£3,566 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,810 | £1,365 | £1,117–£1,828 |
Supply staff | £52 | £177 | £61–£333 |
Admin and clerical | £323 | £316 | £234–£374 |
Premises | £620 | £352 | £305–£407 |
Energy | £128 | £118 | £97–£148 |
Learning resources & ICT | £545 | £294 | £222–£336 |
Bought-in services | £246 | £164 | £74–£285 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Magdalen Gates Primary School Large reserves
- St John Bosco Catholic Primary School, Town End Farm, Sunderland Large reserves
- Loscoe CofE Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- St Philip's Church of England Controlled Primary School Large reserves
- Danesholme Infant Academy Large reserves
- Brompton Community Primary School Large reserves
- Laburnum Primary School Heading for deficit
- The Reginald Mitchell Primary School Large reserves
- Kennet Valley Primary School In deficit
- Roydon Primary Academy Large reserves
- de Vere Primary School Healthy
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Edlington Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £7,148 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £52k | £264 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £95k | £486 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £65k | £333 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £545 a pupil, against a typical £294 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £620 a pupil, against a typical £352 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 The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster · All Lancashire school finances