St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 4 years running; at that rate its £138k reserve runs out in about 3 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Essex · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£37k | £313k | 243 |
2019-20 | £1.4m | £1.4m | -£22k | £292k | 241 |
2020-21 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£37k | £329k | 233 |
2021-22 | £1.4m | £1.3m | +£69k | £398k | 212 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.4m | -£107k | £291k | 210 |
2023-24 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£107k | £184k | 210 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£22k | £162k | 210 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£24k | £138k | 210 |
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 80% of them. It spends £7,323 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,422.
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 | £3,556 | £3,145 | £2,959–£3,279 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,175 | £1,168 | £848–£1,301 |
Supply staff | £44 | £114 | £46–£208 |
Admin and clerical | £344 | £269 | £237–£372 |
Premises | £330 | £326 | £265–£370 |
Energy | £61 | £93 | £81–£104 |
Learning resources & ICT | £308 | £303 | £242–£353 |
Bought-in services | £264 | £228 | £118–£344 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bracknell Healthy
- Gawber Primary School Tight
- Walkington Primary School In deficit
- St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Horsforth Tight
- St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, Gosforth Healthy
- Upperthong Junior and Infant School Healthy
- Woodfield Primary School Healthy
- Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Tight
- St Mary's CofE Primary School High Crompton Tight
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Julie's Catholic Primary School Tight
- Colerne CofE Primary School Healthy
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.4m | £6,470 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £62k | £293 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £37k | £178 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £155k | £738 |
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 14% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
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 John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester · All Essex school finances