St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, West Tanfield: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £65k in reserve, 13% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). North Yorkshire · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £299k | £291k | +£8k | £9k | 36 |
2019-20 | £296k | £296k | -£429 | £9k | 35 |
2020-21 | £322k | £307k | +£15k | £25k | 34 |
2021-22 | £364k | £369k | -£5k | £20k | 40 |
2022-23 | £472k | £444k | +£28k | £48k | 44 |
2023-24 | £468k | £455k | +£13k | £60k | 49 |
2024-25 | £493k | £493k | +£770 | £61k | 48 |
2025-26 | £507k | £502k | +£4k | £65k | 53 |
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 80% of them. It spends £9,475 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £9,796.
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 | £4,378 | £4,880 | £4,304–£5,419 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,339 | £1,424 | £1,193–£1,842 |
Supply staff | £424 | £161 | £71–£281 |
Admin and clerical | £238 | £539 | £436–£670 |
Premises | £525 | £529 | £362–£725 |
Energy | £211 | £154 | £136–£229 |
Learning resources & ICT | £777 | £528 | £386–£821 |
Bought-in services | £373 | £227 | £102–£461 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Dagnall VA Church of England School Large reserves
- Denby Church of England Voluntary Aided First School Tight
- St Matthew's CofE School Heading for deficit
- Crosscrake CofE Primary School Healthy
- St Michael and All Angels CofE Infant School In deficit
- North Cerney Church of England Primary Academy Healthy
- Sherborne Church of England Primary School Tight
- Gayton Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Austwick Church of England VA Primary School Healthy
- Witchampton Church of England First School Tight
- Linton-on-Ouse Primary School Healthy
- Cold Aston Church of England Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £462k | £8,726 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £5k | £94 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £44k | £833 |
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?
- Spending on supply staff is £424 a pupil, against a typical £161 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 Nicholas Church of England Primary School, West Tanfield · All North Yorkshire school finances