Smithdown Primary School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £197k in reserve, 5% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Liverpool · 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 | £2.3m | £2.3m | -£16k | £52k | 335 |
2019-20 | £2.5m | £2.5m | +£31k | £83k | 388 |
2020-21 | £2.9m | £2.5m | +£402k | £486k | 416 |
2021-22 | £3.2m | £3.4m | -£196k | £289k | 444 |
2022-23 | £3.5m | £3.5m | -£23k | £267k | 448 |
2023-24 | £3.7m | £3.9m | -£163k | £104k | 450 |
2024-25 | £4.0m | £4.0m | -£27k | £77k | 459 |
2025-26 | £4.2m | £4.1m | +£120k | £197k | 454 |
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 17% of them. It spends £9,005 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,291.
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 | £3,680 | £3,342 | £3,104–£3,740 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,807 | £1,636 | £1,335–£1,945 |
Supply staff | £562 | £162 | £56–£331 |
Admin and clerical | £265 | £317 | £260–£403 |
Premises | £724 | £371 | £298–£490 |
Energy | £106 | £97 | £85–£122 |
Learning resources & ICT | £222 | £258 | £213–£362 |
Bought-in services | £721 | £197 | £120–£304 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Rakegate Primary School Large reserves
- Oasis Academy Clarksfield Large reserves
- Lakey Lane Primary School Large reserves
- East Ward Community Primary School Tight
- Ravensbury Community School Tight
- Kingsley Community School Healthy
- St John's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Ark Dickens Primary Academy Large reserves
- Beech Hill Primary School Large reserves
- Summerbank Primary Academy Large reserves
- Heathlands Primary Academy Large reserves
- Twickenham Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.1m | £8,939 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £134k | £294 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £350k | £770 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £150k | £330 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Spending on bought-in services is £721 a pupil, against a typical £197 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on supply staff is £562 a pupil, against a typical £162 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £724 a pupil, against a typical £371 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 Smithdown Primary School · All Liverpool school finances