St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Darwen: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £274k, 23% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 3 years running.
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 | £711k | £759k | -£48k | £10k | 149 |
2019-20 | £840k | £893k | -£52k | -£42k | 167 |
2020-21 | £943k | £951k | -£8k | -£50k | 171 |
2021-22 | £980k | £1.0m | -£28k | -£78k | 172 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£33k | -£46k | 181 |
2023-24 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£9k | -£55k | 177 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£55k | -£110k | 161 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£165k | -£274k | 165 |
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 0% of them. It spends £8,154 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,352.
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 | £3,880 | £3,451 | £3,153–£3,762 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,257 | £1,262 | £936–£1,489 |
Supply staff | £280 | £99 | £59–£186 |
Admin and clerical | £377 | £363 | £259–£486 |
Premises | £450 | £346 | £268–£410 |
Energy | £174 | £105 | £90–£117 |
Learning resources & ICT | £326 | £293 | £226–£392 |
Bought-in services | £417 | £176 | £138–£330 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Hindhayes Infant School In deficit
- Holt House Infant School In deficit
- St John Roman Catholic Primary School In deficit
- West Down School Healthy
- Woodcote Primary School In deficit
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Cannington Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- Burton Morewood CofE Primary School Healthy
- Bassingham Primary School In deficit
- Fordingbridge Infant School Large reserves
- Two Rivers Church of England Primary Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £6,692 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £106k | £642 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £42k | £257 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £83k | £506 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Spending on supply staff is £280 a pupil, against a typical £99 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £417 a pupil, against a typical £176 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £174 a pupil, against a typical £105 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 Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School, Darwen · All Blackburn with Darwen school finances