St Thomas Church of England Primary School, Lydiate: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £390k, 21% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Sefton · Primary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: LIVERPOOL DIOCESAN SCHOOLS 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 | £998k | £1.0m | -£22k | -£66k | 212 |
2019-20 | £1.0m | £994k | +£7k | -£98k | 209 |
2020-21 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£9k | -£133k | 211 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£26k | -£156k | 213 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.4m | -£227k | -£439k | 238 |
2023-24 | £1.5m | £1.5m | £0 | -£501k | 235 |
2024-25 | £1.8m | £1.6m | +£176k | -£390k | 238 |
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 3% of them. It spends £6,901 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,580.
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 | £3,086 | £2,991 | £2,773–£3,371 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £889 | £1,337 | £946–£1,469 |
Supply staff | £159 | £85 | £32–£196 |
Admin and clerical | £264 | £300 | £244–£371 |
Premises | £1,023 | £347 | £286–£426 |
Energy | £63 | £97 | £76–£118 |
Learning resources & ICT | £553 | £326 | £278–£388 |
Bought-in services | £59 | £207 | £133–£286 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Gorseybrigg Primary School and Nursery Large reserves
- Mill View Primary School Large reserves
- Cheadle Catholic Infant School In deficit
- Widcombe CofE Junior School Large reserves
- St Michael's CofE (Aided) Primary School Large reserves
- Telford Infant School Large reserves
- Whitehill Junior School Healthy
- Goffs Oak Primary & Nursery School Large reserves
- St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School Tight
- St Mary's CofE Primary School Healthy
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hitchin Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £6,180 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £75k | £314 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £193k | £809 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with its trust, 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?
- Spending on premises is £1,023 a pupil, against a typical £347 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £553 a pupil, against a typical £326 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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