Lonesome Primary School: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £278k in reserve, 10% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Merton · 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 | £2.2m | £2.2m | +£11k | £93k | 385 |
2019-20 | £2.3m | £2.4m | -£90k | £2k | 378 |
2020-21 | £2.5m | £2.4m | +£44k | £46k | 368 |
2021-22 | £2.5m | £2.5m | -£51k | -£6k | 345 |
2022-23 | £2.5m | £2.7m | -£146k | -£151k | 342 |
2023-24 | £2.8m | £2.6m | +£175k | £23k | 331 |
2024-25 | £2.9m | £2.8m | +£36k | £59k | 300 |
2025-26 | £2.8m | £2.6m | +£219k | £278k | 264 |
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 £9,852 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £11,149.
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 | £3,827 | £4,534 | £4,009–£5,180 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,325 | £2,059 | £1,684–£2,614 |
Supply staff | £305 | £305 | £124–£572 |
Admin and clerical | £790 | £477 | £364–£606 |
Premises | £503 | £658 | £506–£801 |
Energy | £104 | £167 | £145–£228 |
Learning resources & ICT | £519 | £385 | £287–£535 |
Bought-in services | £251 | £685 | £439–£1,102 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Capel Manor Primary School Healthy
- Grange Primary School Healthy
- Loughborough Primary School In deficit
- De Lucy Primary School In deficit
- Queen's Park Primary School Large reserves
- Edward Wilson Primary School Large reserves
- Harris Primary Academy Peckham Park Large reserves
- Hill Mead Primary School In deficit
- St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Southmead Primary School Large reserves
- Franciscan Primary School Large reserves
- Christ The King Catholic Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.7m | £10,421 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £151k | £573 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £217k | £822 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £69k | £262 |
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 32% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £790 a pupil, against a typical £477 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 Lonesome Primary School · All Merton school finances