Portesham Church of England Primary School: school finances
Tight
Holds £16k 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). Dorset · Primary · Academy sponsor led.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: THE FIRST FEDERATION TRUST can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Earlier years come from this school's return before it became an academy (a different DfE number).
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 | £595k | £610k | -£15k | -£2k | 108 |
2019-20 | £639k | £649k | -£9k | -£11k | 94 |
2020-21 | £584k | £552k | +£32k | £21k | 79 |
2021-22 | £556k | £486k | +£70k | £91k | 57 |
2022-23 | £553k | £524k | +£29k | £0 | 70 |
2023-24 | £529k | £512k | +£17k | £0 | 60 |
2024-25 | £548k | £608k | -£60k | £16k | 57 |
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 37% of them. It spends £10,667 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,306.
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 | £5,526 | £4,638 | £4,241–£5,277 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,123 | £1,683 | £1,328–£2,373 |
Supply staff | £140 | £128 | £31–£495 |
Admin and clerical | £491 | £583 | £445–£726 |
Premises | £702 | £554 | £377–£698 |
Energy | £211 | £149 | £123–£236 |
Learning resources & ICT | £491 | £481 | £350–£567 |
Bought-in services | £684 | £282 | £150–£525 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Stanton Drew Primary School In deficit
- Bromesberrow St Mary's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Wrestlingworth CofE Infant School In deficit
- Tansley Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Chipping Large reserves
- St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Pendock CofE Primary School In deficit
- Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Large reserves
- Surlingham Primary School Healthy
- Cavendish Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Hemington Primary School In deficit
- Netherton Infant School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £535k | £9,386 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £11k | £193 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £13k | £228 |
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 47% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £684 a pupil, against a typical £282 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 Portesham Church of England Primary School · All Dorset school finances