St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £270k in reserve, 12% of a year's income. It has been drawing on it for 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Southwark · Primary · Voluntary aided 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 | £1.6m | £1.6m | -£46k | £113k | 216 |
2019-20 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£54k | £167k | 224 |
2020-21 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£19k | £186k | 214 |
2021-22 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£52k | £238k | 220 |
2022-23 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£46k | £284k | 228 |
2023-24 | £2.0m | £2.0m | +£60k | £344k | 222 |
2024-25 | £2.1m | £2.1m | -£40k | £304k | 220 |
2025-26 | £2.2m | £2.2m | -£35k | £270k | 221 |
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 70% of them. It spends £9,917 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £10,720.
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 | £3,660 | £4,398 | £4,011–£5,006 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,168 | £2,092 | £1,564–£2,697 |
Supply staff | £83 | £268 | £137–£585 |
Admin and clerical | £608 | £516 | £398–£619 |
Premises | £688 | £594 | £523–£718 |
Energy | £129 | £138 | £114–£211 |
Learning resources & ICT | £675 | £398 | £287–£520 |
Bought-in services | £762 | £475 | £311–£761 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Kentish Town Church of England Primary School Tight
- Christopher Hatton Primary School Healthy
- Riverside Primary School Heading for deficit
- Allenby Primary School Large reserves
- St Eugene de Mazenod Roman Catholic Primary School In deficit
- St Charles Catholic Primary School Healthy
- St Anne's and Guardian Angels Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Nightingale Primary School Large reserves
- St Paul's Cray Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- Deptford Park Primary School In deficit
- St Francis De Sales Catholic Junior School Healthy
- Mowlem Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.1m | £9,454 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £135k | £612 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £133k | £603 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £76k | £343 |
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?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £675 a pupil, against a typical £398 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 St James the Great Roman Catholic Primary School · All Southwark school finances