Seascape Primary School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 2 years running; at that rate its £58k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). County Durham · 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 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£68k | £93k | 259 |
2019-20 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£81k | £174k | 258 |
2020-21 | £1.9m | £1.8m | +£84k | £258k | 244 |
2021-22 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£7k | £251k | 256 |
2022-23 | £2.0m | £2.2m | -£110k | £141k | 248 |
2023-24 | £2.2m | £2.2m | +£3k | £144k | 272 |
2024-25 | £2.4m | £2.5m | -£56k | £88k | 252 |
2025-26 | £2.5m | £2.5m | -£29k | £58k | 246 |
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 20% of them. It spends £10,321 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,898.
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 | £3,951 | £3,807 | £3,341–£4,387 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,053 | £1,857 | £1,516–£2,283 |
Supply staff | £451 | £326 | £113–£572 |
Admin and clerical | £501 | £407 | £336–£502 |
Premises | £581 | £477 | £376–£656 |
Energy | £237 | £152 | £111–£175 |
Learning resources & ICT | £341 | £317 | £180–£493 |
Bought-in services | £1,120 | £276 | £107–£419 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Thorntree Academy Large reserves
- Topcliffe Primary School Large reserves
- Fleetwood Chaucer Community Primary School Healthy
- Trosnant Junior School Large reserves
- Princethorpe Junior School Healthy
- Caedmon Primary School Large reserves
- Grangetown Primary School Large reserves
- E-Act Barton Hill Academy Large reserves
- Lift Caldicotes Large reserves
- Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- Seven Fields Primary School Healthy
- Ladypool Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.5m | £10,075 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £185k | £755 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £296k | £1,207 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £31k | £126 |
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 £1,120 a pupil, against a typical £276 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £237 a pupil, against a typical £152 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 Seascape Primary School · All County Durham school finances