St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wrightington: school finances
Tight
Holds £18k 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). 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 | £746k | £750k | -£4k | £20k | 136 |
2019-20 | £760k | £744k | +£16k | £36k | 126 |
2020-21 | £714k | £683k | +£31k | £67k | 112 |
2021-22 | £685k | £707k | -£22k | £45k | 111 |
2022-23 | £718k | £736k | -£18k | £27k | 102 |
2023-24 | £689k | £687k | +£1k | £28k | 88 |
2024-25 | £673k | £675k | -£2k | £26k | 78 |
2025-26 | £701k | £708k | -£8k | £18k | 67 |
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 17% of them. It spends £10,569 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,305.
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 | £5,060 | £4,331 | £3,850–£4,648 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £897 | £1,372 | £1,087–£1,839 |
Supply staff | £268 | £231 | £56–£409 |
Admin and clerical | £497 | £568 | £422–£630 |
Premises | £665 | £499 | £370–£616 |
Energy | £215 | £150 | £111–£205 |
Learning resources & ICT | £419 | £433 | £318–£587 |
Bought-in services | £1,538 | £278 | £137–£505 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Welshampton CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
- Hockliffe Lower School In deficit
- Sires Hill Primary Academy Large reserves
- Turnditch Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Sundon Lower School Large reserves
- Barlow Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Horton St Michael's CofE First School Large reserves
- Rodmarton Primary School In deficit
- Brindle St James' Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Healthy
- Halam Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Long Wittenham (Church of England) Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £644k | £9,606 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £68k | £1,020 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £5k | £72 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £57k | £850 |
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 51% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £1,538 a pupil, against a typical £278 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 Catholic Primary School, Wrightington · All Lancashire school finances