Brinscall St John's CofE and Methodist Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £106k in reserve, 8% 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 | £973k | £977k | -£4k | £82k | 212 |
2019-20 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£12k | £94k | 217 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £992k | +£55k | £149k | 210 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£4k | £145k | 209 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£37k | £109k | 211 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£34k | £143k | 197 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£43k | £99k | 187 |
2025-26 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£7k | £106k | 183 |
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 63% of them. It spends £7,222 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,588.
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 | £2,890 | £3,213 | £2,972–£3,484 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,134 | £1,044 | £859–£1,412 |
Supply staff | £427 | £80 | £41–£163 |
Admin and clerical | £240 | £321 | £265–£433 |
Premises | £448 | £338 | £256–£402 |
Energy | £125 | £98 | £71–£109 |
Learning resources & ICT | £337 | £291 | £238–£353 |
Bought-in services | £443 | £195 | £115–£274 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Heathwood Lower School Large reserves
- Walford Nursery & Primary School Large reserves
- Ketton Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Tylers Green First School Large reserves
- Houghton CofE School Heading for deficit
- Thornton Hough Primary School In deficit
- Bramham Primary School In deficit
- Wisborough Green Primary School Tight
- Brindle Gregson Lane Primary School Healthy
- Little Eaton Primary School In deficit
- Hartsbourne Primary School Healthy
- Escrick Church of England Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.2m | £6,418 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £101k | £551 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £15k | £81 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £155k | £845 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 14% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £427 a pupil, against a typical £80 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £443 a pupil, against a typical £195 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £448 a pupil, against a typical £338 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.
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