Dorchester St Birinus Church of England School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 2 years running; at that rate its £25k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Oxfordshire · 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 | £539k | £526k | +£13k | £56k | 84 |
2019-20 | £511k | £535k | -£23k | £33k | 72 |
2020-21 | £490k | £486k | +£4k | £37k | 74 |
2021-22 | £522k | £512k | +£10k | £47k | 73 |
2022-23 | £535k | £516k | +£19k | £66k | 68 |
2023-24 | £528k | £526k | +£2k | £68k | 70 |
2024-25 | £548k | £569k | -£21k | £48k | 75 |
2025-26 | £594k | £616k | -£23k | £25k | 76 |
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 33% of them. It spends £8,109 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,425.
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 | £3,950 | £4,044 | £3,608–£4,384 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,369 | £1,340 | £1,045–£1,742 |
Supply staff | £280 | £174 | £35–£326 |
Admin and clerical | £514 | £442 | £332–£556 |
Premises | £438 | £465 | £379–£572 |
Energy | £132 | £134 | £110–£196 |
Learning resources & ICT | £284 | £404 | £296–£541 |
Bought-in services | £282 | £215 | £96–£323 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Burlington CofE School In deficit
- Whitley Village School Large reserves
- Kempsford Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Giggleswick Primary School Large reserves
- Glapthorn Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Godolphin Primary School Heading for deficit
- Hale Primary School Large reserves
- South Ossett Infant Academy Large reserves
- Bramshall Meadows First School Large reserves
- Kirkbride Primary School In deficit
- Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary School Healthy
- Ubley Church of England Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £553k | £7,275 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £15k | £204 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £11k | £144 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £41k | £536 |
Money raised by parents
DORCHESTER ST BIRINUS SCHOOL PTA (charity 1093570, Registered) raised £11k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2026-08 | £11k | £12k |
2025-08 | £7k | £3k |
2024-08 | £6k | £3k |
2023-08 | £5k | £2k |
2022-08 | £10k | £8k |
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.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 10% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- 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 Dorchester St Birinus Church of England School · All Oxfordshire school finances