St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided First School, Frome: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £193k in reserve, 12% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Somerset · 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 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£10k | £41k | 288 |
2019-20 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£29k | £71k | 289 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£74k | £145k | 278 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£36k | £181k | 275 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£16k | £197k | 243 |
2023-24 | £1.5m | £1.6m | -£74k | £123k | 232 |
2024-25 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£15k | £138k | 201 |
2025-26 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£55k | £193k | 185 |
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 83% of them. It spends £8,234 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,478.
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 | £3,438 | £3,242 | £3,003–£3,565 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,475 | £1,529 | £1,235–£1,899 |
Supply staff | £606 | £169 | £44–£511 |
Admin and clerical | £614 | £352 | £251–£473 |
Premises | £519 | £405 | £350–£523 |
Energy | £93 | £117 | £95–£156 |
Learning resources & ICT | £386 | £292 | £224–£435 |
Bought-in services | £370 | £176 | £90–£333 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Moira Primary School Healthy
- Little Stoke Primary School In deficit
- Stuart Road Primary Academy In deficit
- Waterside Primary Academy Large reserves
- St John of Beverley Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy Healthy
- Victoria Road Primary School Healthy
- Oldbrook First School and Nursery Large reserves
- Kirkham and Wesham Primary School Large reserves
- Water Lane Primary Academy Tight
- Manea Community Primary School Healthy
- Manor Drive Primary Academy Large reserves
- Alderman Pounder Infant and Nursery School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £8,368 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £41k | £219 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £99k | £536 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £51k | £274 |
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 36% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £606 a pupil, against a typical £169 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on bought-in services is £370 a pupil, against a typical £176 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £614 a pupil, against a typical £352 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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