Poplar Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £199k, 4% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 4 years running.
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 | £3.2m | £3.2m | -£43k | £119k | 612 |
2019-20 | £3.4m | £3.4m | -£1k | £118k | 620 |
2020-21 | £3.6m | £3.4m | +£202k | £320k | 635 |
2021-22 | £3.8m | £3.8m | +£9k | £329k | 630 |
2022-23 | £3.9m | £4.2m | -£265k | £64k | 618 |
2023-24 | £4.3m | £4.4m | -£170k | -£106k | 608 |
2024-25 | £4.8m | £4.9m | -£91k | -£198k | 606 |
2025-26 | £5.1m | £5.1m | -£946 | -£199k | 586 |
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 17% of them. It spends £8,642 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,417.
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 | £3,818 | £3,524 | £3,241–£3,795 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,784 | £1,389 | £1,047–£1,553 |
Supply staff | £307 | £287 | £64–£498 |
Admin and clerical | £445 | £359 | £254–£445 |
Premises | £355 | £404 | £332–£502 |
Energy | £80 | £89 | £72–£118 |
Learning resources & ICT | £152 | £238 | £186–£332 |
Bought-in services | £245 | £228 | £113–£448 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Grange Park School Heading for deficit
- George Carey Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Preston Park Primary School Healthy
- Squirrels Heath Primary School Large reserves
- East Sheen Primary School Healthy
- Parsonage Farm Primary School In deficit
- Brindishe Green School Large reserves
- Rosendale Primary School In deficit
- Salusbury Primary School In deficit
- Mossbourne Riverside Academy Large reserves
- South Park Primary School Healthy
- Downsview Primary and Nursery School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.5m | £7,685 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £205k | £349 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £177k | £302 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £561k | £956 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF POPLAR PRIMARY SCHOOL (charity 1103926, Registered) raised £31k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £31k | £26k |
2024-08 | £22k | £23k |
2023-10 | £26k | £29k |
2022-10 | £26k | £25k |
2021-10 | £13k | £8k |
Matched to this school by name and postcode from the Charity Commission register. Parent associations' money isn't in the school's accounts above.
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?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,784 a pupil, against a typical £1,389 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- How does the school decide what the money the parents' association raises is spent on?
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 Poplar Primary School · All Merton school finances