Ridgeway Primary School: school finances
Heading for deficit
Has spent more than it received for 3 years running; at that rate its £196k reserve runs out in about 2 years.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Croydon · 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 | £3.1m | £3.0m | +£2k | £164k | 660 |
2019-20 | £3.3m | £3.3m | +£42k | £207k | 644 |
2020-21 | £3.3m | £3.4m | -£110k | £96k | 656 |
2021-22 | £3.6m | £3.4m | +£188k | £284k | 664 |
2022-23 | £3.8m | £3.6m | +£191k | £476k | 647 |
2023-24 | £4.1m | £4.1m | -£16k | £460k | 649 |
2024-25 | £4.4m | £4.6m | -£166k | £294k | 636 |
2025-26 | £4.5m | £4.6m | -£98k | £196k | 620 |
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 40% of them. It spends £7,429 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,686.
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 | £3,298 | £3,364 | £3,082–£3,699 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,784 | £1,186 | £1,040–£1,423 |
Supply staff | £171 | £93 | £40–£217 |
Admin and clerical | £304 | £309 | £158–£379 |
Premises | £286 | £288 | £253–£370 |
Energy | £59 | £92 | £76–£113 |
Learning resources & ICT | £209 | £263 | £207–£296 |
Bought-in services | £198 | £140 | £100–£265 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Balgowan Primary School Large reserves
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Hayes Primary School Tight
- Avanti Court Primary School Large reserves
- Hacton Primary School In deficit
- Sheen Mount Primary School Healthy
- St John Fisher Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Bursted Wood Primary School Large reserves
- Rhodes Avenue Primary School In deficit
- Grimsdyke School Healthy
- Sinai Jewish Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £3.9m | £6,266 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £147k | £238 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £59k | £96 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £623k | £1,005 |
Money raised by parents
RIDGEWAY PRIMARY SCHOOL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (charity 1016108, Registered) raised £48k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2022-07 | £48k | £30k |
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?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £1,784 a pupil, against a typical £1,186 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 Ridgeway Primary School · All Croydon school finances