William Barnes Primary School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 4 years running; at that rate its £20k reserve runs out in about 1 year.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Dorset · 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 | £964k | +£42k | £53k | 191 |
2019-20 | £949k | £938k | +£11k | £64k | 182 |
2020-21 | £931k | £882k | +£49k | £112k | 174 |
2021-22 | £950k | £927k | +£23k | £136k | 166 |
2022-23 | £1.0m | £1.0m | -£10k | £127k | 178 |
2023-24 | £1.1m | £1.1m | -£11k | £116k | 175 |
2024-25 | £1.2m | £1.2m | -£17k | £98k | 166 |
2025-26 | £1.1m | £1.2m | -£78k | £20k | 162 |
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 23% of them. It spends £7,502 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,029.
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 | £3,798 | £3,464 | £3,139–£3,865 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,318 | £1,537 | £1,138–£1,734 |
Supply staff | £56 | £162 | £63–£235 |
Admin and clerical | £342 | £379 | £314–£443 |
Premises | £386 | £366 | £295–£487 |
Energy | £85 | £115 | £92–£148 |
Learning resources & ICT | £365 | £311 | £220–£405 |
Bought-in services | £129 | £163 | £105–£349 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- King Edwin Primary School Large reserves
- New Milton Infant School Large reserves
- Maple Cross Junior Mixed Infant and Nursery School Heading for deficit
- Windmill Hill Academy Tight
- Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary Large reserves
- Coates Lane Primary School Healthy
- Dove Bank Primary School Large reserves
- St Luke's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy. Large reserves
- Dudley Infant Academy Tight
- Dereham Church of England Infant and Nursery Academy Tight
- Edmund de Moundeford VC Primary School, Feltwell Large reserves
- St Stephen's CofE First School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.1m | £6,733 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £58k | £356 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £63k | £392 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £46k | £284 |
Money raised by parents
WILLIAM BARNES COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL PARENT, TEACHER AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION (charity 1003195, Registered) raised £6k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £6k | £4k |
2024-08 | £3k | £1k |
2023-08 | £3k | £4k |
2022-08 | £3k | £2k |
2021-08 | £1k | £2k |
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.
- What is the plan to stop spending more than the school receives each year?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 15% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- 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 William Barnes Primary School · All Dorset school finances