Westbourne Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £29k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). West Sussex · 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 | £937k | £917k | +£19k | £73k | 206 |
2019-20 | £948k | £947k | +£1k | £74k | 210 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £979k | +£27k | £101k | 208 |
2021-22 | £1.0m | £993k | +£31k | £132k | 204 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£19k | £113k | 204 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£44k | £69k | 168 |
2024-25 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£6k | £75k | 166 |
2025-26 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£45k | £29k | 144 |
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 37% of them. It spends £8,611 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,231.
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 | £3,934 | £3,712 | £3,211–£4,143 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,848 | £1,667 | £1,155–£1,898 |
Supply staff | £409 | £148 | £69–£356 |
Admin and clerical | £338 | £362 | £276–£429 |
Premises | £537 | £417 | £361–£555 |
Energy | £14 | £128 | £78–£181 |
Learning resources & ICT | £638 | £369 | £246–£477 |
Bought-in services | £131 | £138 | £66–£318 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Lane Green First School Heading for deficit
- Chalfont Valley E-ACT Primary Academy Large reserves
- The Ashbeach Primary School In deficit
- Blackburn Primary School Healthy
- Sutton St James Community Primary School Large reserves
- Brewster Avenue Infant School Tight
- Pen Mill Infant and Nursery Academy Large reserves
- Wickham Market Primary School Large reserves
- Leyland St Andrew's Church of England Infant School Large reserves
- Angel Road Infant School Heading for deficit
- Meadowcroft Community Primary School In deficit
- Iver Village Infant Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £7,761 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £64k | £443 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £48k | £331 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £77k | £536 |
Money raised by parents
WESTBOURNE SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (charity 1004045, Registered) raised £12k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £12k | £25k |
2024-08 | £22k | £15k |
2023-08 | £6k | £7k |
2022-08 | £11k | £7k |
2021-08 | £11k | £5k |
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 would the school do if costs rose unexpectedly, such as energy or a pay award that isn't fully funded?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 30% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £409 a pupil, against a typical £148 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £638 a pupil, against a typical £369 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 Westbourne Primary School · All West Sussex school finances