Penns Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £360k, 26% 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). Birmingham · 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 | £1.0m | £1.0m | +£20k | £72k | 211 |
2019-20 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£18k | £90k | 212 |
2020-21 | £1.1m | £1.1m | +£4k | £94k | 211 |
2021-22 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£59k | £35k | 209 |
2022-23 | £1.2m | £1.4m | -£232k | -£197k | 211 |
2023-24 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£173k | -£370k | 210 |
2024-25 | £1.7m | £1.6m | +£147k | -£223k | 211 |
2025-26 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£137k | -£360k | 203 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary schools outside London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 0% of them. It spends £7,393 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,792.
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 | £4,022 | £3,156 | £2,958–£3,292 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,072 | £1,168 | £1,014–£1,458 |
Supply staff | £12 | £119 | £86–£301 |
Admin and clerical | £34 | £343 | £261–£401 |
Premises | £633 | £384 | £336–£482 |
Energy | £139 | £97 | £79–£129 |
Learning resources & ICT | £190 | £292 | £251–£354 |
Bought-in services | £431 | £198 | £126–£289 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Oliver's Battery Primary and Nursery School Large reserves
- St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior and Infant School Healthy
- Swanage Primary School Heading for deficit
- Kingsclere Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Wellington Eagles Primary Academy Healthy
- Mount Pleasant Lane Primary School Large reserves
- Our Lady Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Perranporth Community Primary School Large reserves
- The Duchy School Bradninch Large reserves
- The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury Healthy
- Chorley, the Parish of St Laurence Church of England Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.3m | £6,556 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £89k | £441 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £46k | £225 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £33k | £164 |
Money raised by parents
PENNS PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (charity 1047413, Registered) raised £6k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £6k | £4k |
2024-08 | £10k | £9k |
2023-08 | £7k | £6k |
2022-08 | £9k | £9k |
2021-08 | £980 | £3k |
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 bought-in services is £431 a pupil, against a typical £198 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on premises is £633 a pupil, against a typical £384 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on teachers is £4,022 a pupil, against a typical £3,156 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.
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