St Michael's Church of England Academy: school finances
Tight
Holds £40k 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). Norfolk · Primary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: THE DIOCESE OF NORWICH EDUCATION AND ACADEMIES 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 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£88k | -£68k | 204 |
2019-20 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£53k | -£130k | 202 |
2020-21 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£45k | £0 | 199 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.4m | +£41k | £0 | 199 |
2022-23 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£22k | £0 | 199 |
2023-24 | £1.7m | £1.5m | +£187k | £0 | 196 |
2024-25 | £1.8m | £1.6m | +£149k | £40k | 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 20% of them. It spends £8,761 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,964.
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 | £3,565 | £3,557 | £3,049–£3,928 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,598 | £1,734 | £1,343–£1,911 |
Supply staff | £0 | £179 | £57–£372 |
Admin and clerical | £554 | £382 | £251–£467 |
Premises | £440 | £444 | £323–£526 |
Energy | £234 | £120 | £94–£153 |
Learning resources & ICT | £158 | £330 | £225–£438 |
Bought-in services | £283 | £253 | £95–£411 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- East Crompton St James CofE Primary School Healthy
- St John's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Pool House Community Primary School Large reserves
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Devizes Large reserves
- St Oswald's CofE Academy Healthy
- Crow Lane Primary and Foundation Stage School Healthy
- Flash Ley Primary School Tight
- Wolborough Church of England Nursery and Primary School Healthy
- Summerfield Primary School In deficit
- Shadsworth Infant School Large reserves
- Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Roman Catholic Primary School Blackburn Heading for deficit
- Siddal Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £9,304 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £146k | £793 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £49k | £266 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 10% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £234 a pupil, against a typical £120 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £2,598 a pupil, against a typical £1,734 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £554 a pupil, against a typical £382 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.
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