Sonning Common Primary School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £161k in reserve, 7% of a year's income. It has spent more than it received for 2 years, so watch the trend.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Oxfordshire · Primary · Community 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 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£79k | £93k | 379 |
2019-20 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£32k | £126k | 353 |
2020-21 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£94k | £220k | 375 |
2021-22 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£14k | £206k | 380 |
2022-23 | £2.3m | £2.3m | -£24k | £181k | 373 |
2023-24 | £2.4m | £2.4m | +£36k | £217k | 357 |
2024-25 | £2.5m | £2.5m | -£22k | £195k | 330 |
2025-26 | £2.4m | £2.4m | -£34k | £161k | 292 |
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 60% of them. It spends £8,243 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,612.
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 | £3,508 | £3,175 | £2,989–£3,375 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,617 | £1,306 | £985–£1,528 |
Supply staff | £55 | £128 | £73–£230 |
Admin and clerical | £332 | £332 | £258–£364 |
Premises | £442 | £334 | £264–£429 |
Energy | £159 | £93 | £83–£107 |
Learning resources & ICT | £381 | £273 | £211–£334 |
Bought-in services | £126 | £149 | £78–£197 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Peter's Church of England Primary School Tight
- Moorlands CofE Primary Academy Tight
- Coupals Primary Academy Healthy
- Waddington Redwood Primary Academy Large reserves
- Mount Pleasant Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School Large reserves
- Bishop's Waltham Junior School Large reserves
- The Elms Primary School Large reserves
- Greenleas Primary School Large reserves
- The Gates Primary School Healthy
- Wellesley Park Primary School Large reserves
- Albrighton Primary School & Nursery Healthy
- Lakeside Nursery & Primary Academy Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.0m | £6,898 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £144k | £494 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £110k | £376 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £359k | £1,231 |
Money raised by parents
SONNING COMMON COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (charity 309636, Registered) raised £32k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2024-08 | £32k | £29k |
2023-08 | £25k | £19k |
2022-08 | £19k | £47k |
2021-08 | £26k | £9k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Pupil numbers have fallen 23% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £159 a pupil, against a typical £93 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £381 a pupil, against a typical £273 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Sonning Common Primary School · All Oxfordshire school finances