Wessington Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £22k, 1% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Sunderland · 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 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£9k | £18k | 267 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£10k | £8k | 243 |
2020-21 | £1.5m | £1.4m | +£49k | £57k | 240 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.6m | -£18k | £39k | 235 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£63k | -£24k | 227 |
2023-24 | £1.8m | £1.8m | -£33k | -£56k | 219 |
2024-25 | £1.9m | £1.9m | -£6k | -£62k | 226 |
2025-26 | £2.1m | £2.1m | +£40k | -£22k | 206 |
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 13% of them. It spends £10,055 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,984.
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 | £4,067 | £3,456 | £3,202–£3,972 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,491 | £1,575 | £1,348–£2,043 |
Supply staff | £165 | £201 | £52–£353 |
Admin and clerical | £397 | £368 | £296–£411 |
Premises | £815 | £426 | £345–£533 |
Energy | £196 | £129 | £108–£155 |
Learning resources & ICT | £390 | £356 | £257–£414 |
Bought-in services | £304 | £258 | £169–£443 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Roman Road Primary School Heading for deficit
- Parkwood Academy In deficit
- St Pius X Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Large reserves
- Dawley Church of England Primary Academy Large reserves
- Bede Community Primary School In deficit
- Radford Primary School Academy Healthy
- Long Knowle Primary School In deficit
- Burnley St Peter's Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Southtown Primary School Tight
- The Forest View Academy Large reserves
- St Stephen's CofE Primary School Tight
- Kingston Park Academy Heading for deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.0m | £9,566 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £165k | £803 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £158k | £771 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £140k | £682 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with the council, and when does the school expect to be back in balance?
- What has been cut or changed to close the gap, and how does that affect classes and support staff?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 23% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on premises is £815 a pupil, against a typical £426 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,491 a pupil, against a typical £1,575 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £196 a pupil, against a typical £129 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 Wessington Primary School · All Sunderland school finances