John Ball Primary School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £1.0m, 19% 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). Lewisham · 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 | £3.4m | £3.4m | +£8k | £99k | 586 |
2019-20 | £3.5m | £3.5m | -£46k | £53k | 605 |
2020-21 | £3.6m | £3.5m | +£185k | £239k | 618 |
2021-22 | £4.1m | £4.3m | -£238k | £372 | 632 |
2022-23 | £4.2m | £4.8m | -£643k | -£643k | 603 |
2023-24 | £4.3m | £4.7m | -£437k | -£1.1m | 626 |
2024-25 | £4.9m | £5.0m | -£156k | -£1.2m | 652 |
2025-26 | £5.4m | £5.2m | +£215k | -£1.0m | 668 |
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 3% of them. It spends £7,738 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £7,291.
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 | £3,500 | £3,413 | £3,221–£3,649 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,614 | £1,270 | £1,084–£1,474 |
Supply staff | £139 | £189 | £73–£304 |
Admin and clerical | £292 | £329 | £235–£426 |
Premises | £343 | £333 | £298–£407 |
Energy | £72 | £91 | £83–£128 |
Learning resources & ICT | £294 | £244 | £208–£290 |
Bought-in services | £356 | £241 | £139–£422 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Aldersbrook Primary School Large reserves
- Birkbeck Primary School Large reserves
- Days Lane Primary School Large reserves
- Eversley Primary School In deficit
- Pinner Wood School Tight
- Coldfall Primary School In deficit
- Hurst Primary School Large reserves
- Alexandra Primary School In deficit
- Gordonbrock Primary School Large reserves
- Chase Bridge Primary School Large reserves
- Towers Junior School In deficit
- John Locke Academy Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £4.6m | £6,912 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £246k | £368 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £136k | £203 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £766k | £1,148 |
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?
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 John Ball Primary School · All Lewisham school finances