Water Lane Primary Academy: school finances
Tight
Holds £42k in reserve, under 3% of a year's income: little room for surprises.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Essex · Primary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: REACH2 ACADEMY TRUST can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £933k | £876k | +£57k | £198k | 197 |
2019-20 | £1.0m | £907k | +£123k | £272k | 205 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £949k | +£98k | £286k | 190 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£28k | £256k | 193 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.1m | +£75k | £228k | 194 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.2m | +£103k | £0 | 202 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£91k | £42k | 184 |
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 27% of them. It spends £7,141 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,679.
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 | £3,277 | £3,475 | £3,204–£3,736 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £940 | £1,510 | £1,255–£2,086 |
Supply staff | £864 | £210 | £33–£511 |
Admin and clerical | £402 | £365 | £322–£414 |
Premises | £408 | £448 | £355–£541 |
Energy | £98 | £108 | £91–£148 |
Learning resources & ICT | £163 | £284 | £221–£392 |
Bought-in services | £163 | £236 | £158–£350 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Waterside Primary Academy Large reserves
- St Benedict's Catholic Primary Academy Healthy
- Great Harwood St Bartholomew's Parish Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Healthy
- St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Carlisle Large reserves
- Renishaw Primary School In deficit
- Victoria Road Primary School Healthy
- Harcourt Primary School Large reserves
- Moira Primary School Healthy
- Weston Junior Academy Large reserves
- St Stephen's Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Wroughton Infant Academy Healthy
- St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £7,489 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £45k | £245 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £27k | £147 |
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?
- Spending on supply staff is £864 a pupil, against a typical £210 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 Water Lane Primary Academy · All Essex school finances