Cottam Primary School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 4 years running; at that rate its £27k reserve runs out in about 1 year.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Lancashire · 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 | £967k | £970k | -£3k | £23k | 211 |
2019-20 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£7k | £30k | 211 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £985k | +£51k | £81k | 212 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£25k | £107k | 211 |
2022-23 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£16k | £90k | 210 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£23k | £67k | 249 |
2024-25 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£27k | £40k | 280 |
2025-26 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£13k | £27k | 308 |
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 £6,216 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,186.
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 | £2,944 | £3,027 | £2,853–£3,155 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,254 | £1,212 | £1,043–£1,727 |
Supply staff | £74 | £107 | £55–£162 |
Admin and clerical | £121 | £271 | £227–£372 |
Premises | £250 | £295 | £249–£404 |
Energy | £95 | £89 | £72–£107 |
Learning resources & ICT | £344 | £232 | £162–£320 |
Bought-in services | £298 | £114 | £62–£194 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Holly Grove Primary Academy Healthy
- Brookside Primary School Healthy
- St John Rigby Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- St Stephen's Primary School Large reserves
- Five Acres Primary School Heading for deficit
- Towngate Primary Academy Large reserves
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School Heading for deficit
- Caen Community Primary School Large reserves
- Parley First School Tight
- Barnes Infant Academy Large reserves
- Field Court Church of England Infant Academy Large reserves
- St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.8m | £5,854 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £92k | £299 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £66k | £215 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £98k | £319 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Spending on bought-in services is £298 a pupil, against a typical £114 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 Cottam Primary School · All Lancashire school finances