Brindishe Lee School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £234k in reserve, 14% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 3 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Lewisham · 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 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£65k | £187k | 267 |
2019-20 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£52k | £239k | 263 |
2020-21 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£79k | £318k | 228 |
2021-22 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£12k | £306k | 227 |
2022-23 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£5k | £311k | 227 |
2023-24 | £1.6m | £1.7m | -£20k | £291k | 227 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£26k | £265k | 199 |
2025-26 | £1.7m | £1.7m | -£31k | £234k | 196 |
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 80% of them. It spends £8,914 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £8,778.
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 | £4,231 | £3,864 | £3,672–£4,120 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £964 | £1,451 | £1,323–£1,913 |
Supply staff | £185 | £165 | £71–£408 |
Admin and clerical | £637 | £425 | £361–£573 |
Premises | £458 | £515 | £430–£624 |
Energy | £191 | £117 | £92–£157 |
Learning resources & ICT | £275 | £324 | £222–£373 |
Bought-in services | £773 | £514 | £224–£772 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Malorees Primary School In deficit
- Bourne Primary School Tight
- St Andrew's Southgate Primary School (CE) In deficit
- St Mary's Catholic Infant School Large reserves
- Bishop John Robinson Church of England Primary School In deficit
- St Paul's CofE Primary School NW7 Tight
- St Edmund's Catholic School In deficit
- St Margaret's Lee CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Dorothy Barley Infants' School In deficit
- Our Lady of Lourdes RC School In deficit
- Brooklands Primary School Large reserves
- St Vincent's Catholic Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £8,451 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £130k | £663 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £61k | £311 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £78k | £397 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 27% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £191 a pupil, against a typical £117 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £637 a pupil, against a typical £425 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 Brindishe Lee School · All Lewisham school finances