Prior Weston Primary School and Children's Centre: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £1.6m, 35% 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). Islington · 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 | £4.1m | £4.0m | +£90k | £315k | 426 |
2019-20 | £4.0m | £4.2m | -£240k | -£137k | 411 |
2020-21 | £3.7m | £3.8m | -£38k | -£38k | 356 |
2021-22 | £3.7m | £4.0m | -£321k | -£359k | 343 |
2022-23 | £4.0m | £4.4m | -£421k | -£780k | 314 |
2023-24 | £4.0m | £4.4m | -£425k | -£1.2m | 286 |
2024-25 | £4.1m | £4.6m | -£464k | -£1.7m | 282 |
2025-26 | £4.6m | £4.5m | +£62k | -£1.6m | 245 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary schools in 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 £18,436 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,580.
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 | £4,790 | £4,378 | £3,833–£4,862 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £5,790 | £1,915 | £1,519–£2,677 |
Supply staff | £539 | £305 | £125–£565 |
Admin and clerical | £897 | £563 | £401–£611 |
Premises | £1,103 | £616 | £538–£717 |
Energy | £492 | £141 | £111–£235 |
Learning resources & ICT | £422 | £349 | £252–£471 |
Bought-in services | £2,021 | £449 | £241–£736 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- William Morris Primary School Tight
- Greenacres Primary School and Language Impairment Unit Large reserves
- St Francis RC Primary School Large reserves
- Smallwood Primary School and Language Unit Heading for deficit
- Garfield Primary School In deficit
- Paxton Academy Sports And Science Large reserves
- Allenby Primary School Large reserves
- Christopher Hatton Primary School Healthy
- Hermitage Primary School Large reserves
- Kentish Town Church of England Primary School Tight
- St Francis De Sales Catholic Junior School Healthy
- St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.0m | £16,176 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £807k | £3,293 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £161k | £658 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £615k | £2,511 |
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 42% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £2,021 a pupil, against a typical £449 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on energy is £492 a pupil, against a typical £141 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £5,790 a pupil, against a typical £1,915 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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