Bentley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £129k in reserve, 28% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Suffolk · 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 | £375k | £358k | +£17k | £92k | 58 |
2019-20 | £374k | £369k | +£5k | £97k | 61 |
2020-21 | £407k | £368k | +£39k | £136k | 59 |
2021-22 | £392k | £394k | -£3k | £133k | 62 |
2022-23 | £448k | £467k | -£19k | £115k | 56 |
2023-24 | £488k | £508k | -£20k | £94k | 53 |
2024-25 | £496k | £472k | +£25k | £119k | 44 |
2025-26 | £466k | £456k | +£10k | £129k | 40 |
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 93% of them. It spends £11,400 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £11,797.
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 | £6,116 | £5,571 | £4,916–£6,080 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,316 | £1,612 | £1,368–£2,241 |
Supply staff | £38 | £152 | £56–£375 |
Admin and clerical | £634 | £608 | £491–£860 |
Premises | £431 | £621 | £483–£886 |
Energy | £132 | £237 | £160–£290 |
Learning resources & ICT | £441 | £732 | £526–£1,071 |
Bought-in services | £312 | £364 | £151–£556 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Ireby CofE School Large reserves
- Grindleford Primary School Large reserves
- Church Preen Primary School In deficit
- All Saints CofE (C) First School Large reserves
- Inkpen Primary School Healthy
- Southrop Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Bonsall CofE (A) Primary School Heading for deficit
- Blisland Primary Academy Healthy
- Arlecdon Primary School Heading for deficit
- Bowness-on-Solway Primary School Tight
- Kirk Ireton C of E Primary School Heading for deficit
- Grampound-With-Creed CofE Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £450k | £11,248 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £19k | £473 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £15k | £379 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £16k | £412 |
Money raised by parents
BENTLEY SCHOOL PTA (charity 1196419, Registered) raised £3k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-03 | £3k | £2k |
2024-03 | £5k | £6k |
2023-03 | £2k | £2k |
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 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 31% 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.
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