Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £16k in reserve, 4% of a year's income.
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 | £400k | £398k | +£1k | £54k | 45 |
2019-20 | £367k | £360k | +£7k | £61k | 38 |
2020-21 | £344k | £348k | -£5k | £56k | 39 |
2021-22 | £375k | £391k | -£16k | £40k | 34 |
2022-23 | £384k | £388k | -£4k | £36k | 40 |
2023-24 | £405k | £421k | -£15k | £21k | 35 |
2024-25 | £395k | £409k | -£14k | £7k | 29 |
2025-26 | £393k | £384k | +£10k | £16k | 25 |
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 40% of them. It spends £15,341 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £15,333.
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 | £6,222 | £6,912 | £6,219–£7,894 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,590 | £2,395 | £1,636–£2,742 |
Supply staff | £105 | £438 | £138–£1,198 |
Admin and clerical | £1,581 | £867 | £708–£1,298 |
Premises | £926 | £904 | £723–£1,094 |
Energy | £382 | £303 | £217–£378 |
Learning resources & ICT | £603 | £908 | £649–£1,195 |
Bought-in services | £1,820 | £564 | £157–£906 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Woodland Primary School Large reserves
- Whalton Church of England Aided Primary School Healthy
- Whitfield CofE Primary School Large reserves
- East Ruston Infant School & Nursery In deficit
- St Mawes Primary School Tight
- Edale CofE Primary School Large reserves
- North Crawley CofE School In deficit
- Whitley Chapel Church of England First School In deficit
- Pauntley Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Slaidburn Brennands Endowed Primary School In deficit
- Thorneyholme Roman Catholic Primary School, Dunsop Bridge Large reserves
- Coverack Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £369k | £14,759 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £3k | £121 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £24k | £971 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Pupil numbers have fallen 44% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £1,820 a pupil, against a typical £564 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £1,581 a pupil, against a typical £867 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 Bolton by Bowland Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School · All Lancashire school finances