St Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £274k in reserve, 11% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Oxfordshire · 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 | £1.8m | £2.0m | -£130k | £6k | 410 |
2019-20 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£30k | £36k | 398 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£73k | £109k | 404 |
2021-22 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£24k | £133k | 392 |
2022-23 | £2.2m | £2.0m | +£155k | £288k | 401 |
2023-24 | £2.4m | £2.4m | -£93k | £195k | 397 |
2024-25 | £2.4m | £2.3m | +£85k | £280k | 393 |
2025-26 | £2.6m | £2.6m | -£6k | £274k | 391 |
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 70% of them. It spends £6,557 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,125.
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 | £3,018 | £2,980 | £2,843–£3,207 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £977 | £1,051 | £897–£1,243 |
Supply staff | £63 | £100 | £47–£176 |
Admin and clerical | £389 | £287 | £207–£338 |
Premises | £345 | £276 | £231–£334 |
Energy | £53 | £84 | £72–£96 |
Learning resources & ICT | £595 | £271 | £226–£357 |
Bought-in services | £169 | £154 | £110–£213 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Vernon Primary School In deficit
- Grange Farm Primary School Healthy
- Menston Primary School Large reserves
- Reigate Parish Church Primary School Heading for deficit
- Manor Primary School In deficit
- Knightwood Primary School Large reserves
- Esher Church School Tight
- Kirk Ella St Andrew's Community Primary School Tight
- Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- Caversham Primary School In deficit
- Burford School Large reserves
- Pownall Green Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.2m | £5,653 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £44k | £112 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £35k | £89 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £347k | £887 |
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 learning resources & ict is £595 a pupil, against a typical £271 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £389 a pupil, against a typical £287 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 Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford · All Oxfordshire school finances