George Carey Church of England Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £615k, 10% 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). Barking and Dagenham · Primary · Voluntary aided 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 | £4.5m | £4.4m | +£118k | £26k | 656 |
2019-20 | £4.5m | £4.5m | -£79k | -£53k | 644 |
2020-21 | £4.5m | £4.6m | -£83k | -£136k | 646 |
2021-22 | £5.3m | £5.0m | +£317k | £181k | 654 |
2022-23 | £5.1m | £5.6m | -£559k | -£378k | 644 |
2023-24 | £5.4m | £5.4m | -£56k | -£434k | 652 |
2024-25 | £5.9m | £5.5m | +£399k | -£16k | 624 |
2025-26 | £5.9m | £6.8m | -£949k | -£615k | 603 |
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 10% of them. It spends £11,334 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 | £4,580 | £3,524 | £3,241–£3,795 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,279 | £1,389 | £1,047–£1,553 |
Supply staff | £766 | £287 | £64–£477 |
Admin and clerical | £685 | £359 | £254–£445 |
Premises | £735 | £400 | £332–£475 |
Energy | £161 | £87 | £72–£115 |
Learning resources & ICT | £460 | £228 | £182–£313 |
Bought-in services | £266 | £225 | £113–£448 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Squirrels Heath Primary School Large reserves
- Grange Park School Heading for deficit
- Poplar Primary School In deficit
- Rosendale Primary School In deficit
- Salusbury Primary School In deficit
- Mossbourne Riverside Academy Large reserves
- Downsview Primary and Nursery School Healthy
- Preston Park Primary School Healthy
- East Sheen Primary School Healthy
- The Orchard Primary School In deficit
- Horsenden Primary School Heading for deficit
- Marian Vian Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £5.6m | £9,259 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £524k | £869 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £193k | £320 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £303k | £502 |
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?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 8% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on supply staff is £766 a pupil, against a typical £287 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £460 a pupil, against a typical £228 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £685 a pupil, against a typical £359 for similar schools. What's behind that?
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 George Carey Church of England Primary School · All Barking and Dagenham school finances