St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham: school finances
Tight
Holds £16k 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 · 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 | £404k | £403k | +£888 | £17k | 60 |
2019-20 | £432k | £415k | +£17k | £34k | 64 |
2020-21 | £543k | £493k | +£50k | £84k | 73 |
2021-22 | £706k | £753k | -£48k | £36k | 79 |
2022-23 | £557k | £546k | +£11k | £47k | 78 |
2023-24 | £619k | £599k | +£20k | £66k | 73 |
2024-25 | £646k | £623k | +£23k | £90k | 53 |
2025-26 | £576k | £649k | -£74k | £16k | 44 |
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 £14,753 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £11,499.
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 | £6,657 | £5,566 | £5,071–£6,252 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,902 | £1,606 | £1,172–£2,405 |
Supply staff | £730 | £226 | £88–£519 |
Admin and clerical | £2,017 | £575 | £396–£747 |
Premises | £471 | £569 | £463–£640 |
Energy | £233 | £212 | £143–£265 |
Learning resources & ICT | £550 | £652 | £450–£790 |
Bought-in services | £176 | £335 | £175–£672 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Broad Town Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Weonard's Academy Large reserves
- Norwell CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Threlkeld CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Humshaugh Church of England First School Healthy
- St Leonard's Church of England First School In deficit
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Claughton-on-Brock In deficit
- Kirkoswald CofE School Large reserves
- Charlton Horethorne Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Adderley CofE Primary School Large reserves
- St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Cartmel CofE Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £522k | £11,856 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £29k | £664 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £14k | £326 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £54k | £1,224 |
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 27% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £2,017 a pupil, against a typical £575 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £730 a pupil, against a typical £226 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,902 a pupil, against a typical £1,606 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 James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham · All West Sussex school finances