Melcombe Primary School: school finances
Healthy
Holds £130k in reserve, 7% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Hammersmith and Fulham · 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 | £2.8m | £2.8m | +£33k | £247k | 416 |
2019-20 | £2.8m | £2.8m | +£51k | £298k | 360 |
2020-21 | £2.7m | £2.6m | +£63k | £361k | 279 |
2021-22 | £2.3m | £2.5m | -£213k | £144k | 207 |
2022-23 | £1.9m | £2.0m | -£83k | £61k | 172 |
2023-24 | £1.8m | £1.8m | -£80k | -£19k | 160 |
2024-25 | £1.9m | £1.9m | +£9k | £137k | 136 |
2025-26 | £1.8m | £1.8m | -£7k | £130k | 125 |
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 63% of them. It spends £14,529 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £11,446.
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 | £4,907 | £4,643 | £4,354–£5,387 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £3,299 | £1,879 | £1,525–£2,269 |
Supply staff | £41 | £520 | £197–£888 |
Admin and clerical | £1,410 | £680 | £590–£859 |
Premises | £811 | £765 | £666–£946 |
Energy | £675 | £220 | £126–£272 |
Learning resources & ICT | £484 | £402 | £265–£482 |
Bought-in services | £738 | £561 | £234–£1,072 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- St Clement and St James CofE Primary School Heading for deficit
- Delta Primary School In deficit
- Wilberforce Primary Large reserves
- Roehampton Church Forest Primary School Large reserves
- St Peter's Church of England Primary School Large reserves
- St Andrew's Church of England Primary School In deficit
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School In deficit
- Ivybridge Primary School In deficit
- St Josephs Catholic Primary School In deficit
- Pooles Park Primary School In deficit
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.5m | £11,978 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £114k | £909 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £112k | £897 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £312k | £2,498 |
Money raised by parents
MELCOMBE PRIMARY SCHOOL PTA (charity 1211493, Registered) raised £4k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2026-08 | £4k | £3k |
2025-08 | £5k | £3k |
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.
- Pupil numbers have fallen 70% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on energy is £675 a pupil, against a typical £220 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on admin and clerical is £1,410 a pupil, against a typical £680 for similar schools. What's behind that?
- Spending on support staff (e.g. tas) is £3,299 a pupil, against a typical £1,879 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 Melcombe Primary School · All Hammersmith and Fulham school finances