ARK John Archer Primary Academy: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £600k, 30% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received.
Latest full year 2024-25, as a academy (accounts return, September–August). Wandsworth · Primary · Academy converter.
Academies in a trust don't hold money on their own: ARK SCHOOLS can move money between its schools. The reserve includes this school's per-pupil share of the trust's central reserve.
Reserve at the end of each year, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income and spending, 2018-19 to 2024-25
Income Spending
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Income | Spending | Balance | Reserve | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018-19 | £2.0m | £2.3m | -£251k | £66k | 265 |
2019-20 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£82k | -£247k | 258 |
2020-21 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£44k | -£368k | 223 |
2021-22 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£22k | -£509k | 210 |
2022-23 | £1.8m | £1.9m | -£149k | -£659k | 200 |
2023-24 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£62k | -£678k | 197 |
2024-25 | £2.0m | £1.9m | +£32k | -£600k | 202 |
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 0% of them. It spends £9,649 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £11,367.
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 | £3,743 | £4,535 | £3,995–£5,076 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,663 | £2,226 | £1,793–£2,653 |
Supply staff | £500 | £641 | £277–£879 |
Admin and clerical | £1,119 | £594 | £477–£752 |
Premises | £817 | £678 | £536–£913 |
Energy | £173 | £186 | £108–£237 |
Learning resources & ICT | £817 | £383 | £288–£575 |
Bought-in services | £0 | £748 | £419–£1,617 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- The Alton School Large reserves
- St John Evangelist Catholic Primary School Healthy
- Falconbrook Primary School Tight
- Normand Croft Community School for Early Years and Primary Education Large reserves
- St Scholastica's Catholic Primary School Heading for deficit
- St Mary and St Pancras Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St George's CofE Primary School Large reserves
- Heathmere Primary School Heading for deficit
- St Mary's Kilburn Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Griffin Primary School Heading for deficit
- St Andrew's (Barnsbury) CofE Primary School In deficit
- Our Lady Roman Catholic Primary School Tight
Where the money comes from, 2024-25
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £2.0m | £9,723 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £140k | £693 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £17k | £84 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- Is there a deficit recovery plan agreed with its trust, 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 24% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on learning resources & ict is £817 a pupil, against a typical £383 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £1,119 a pupil, against a typical £594 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 ARK John Archer Primary Academy · All Wandsworth school finances