Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough: school finances
Large reserves
Holds £157k in reserve, 9% of a year's income.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). Southwark · 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 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£32k | £91k | 230 |
2019-20 | £1.5m | £1.6m | -£55k | £36k | 224 |
2020-21 | £1.6m | £1.5m | +£95k | £131k | 216 |
2021-22 | £1.6m | £1.6m | +£6k | £137k | 198 |
2022-23 | £1.7m | £1.8m | -£75k | £62k | 195 |
2023-24 | £1.8m | £1.7m | +£144k | £206k | 176 |
2024-25 | £1.8m | £1.8m | +£20k | £226k | 167 |
2025-26 | £1.8m | £1.9m | -£69k | £157k | 176 |
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 67% of them. It spends £10,512 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £11,071.
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 | £4,904 | £4,319 | £3,887–£4,743 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £2,258 | £1,916 | £1,387–£2,332 |
Supply staff | £27 | £399 | £220–£700 |
Admin and clerical | £429 | £598 | £404–£719 |
Premises | £671 | £748 | £572–£884 |
Energy | £126 | £163 | £107–£233 |
Learning resources & ICT | £451 | £407 | £298–£571 |
Bought-in services | £424 | £526 | £217–£929 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- St Paul With St Luke CofE Primary Federation Tight
- Snowsfields Primary School Large reserves
- Sir John Lillie Primary School Heading for deficit
- Parkwood Primary School Healthy
- St Mary's RC Voluntary Aided Primary School Healthy
- St Luke's CofE Primary School In deficit
- Turnham Academy Healthy
- Starks Field Primary School In deficit
- Ark Brunel Primary Academy Large reserves
- Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Healthy
- Saint Mary's Catholic Primary School Tight
- St John's Angell Town Church of England Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.7m | £9,698 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £176k | £1,002 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £111k | £628 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £87k | £496 |
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTA committees.
- What are the reserves set aside for, and when will they be spent on current pupils?
- Could any of the surplus be clawed back under the council's scheme for financing schools?
- Pupil numbers have fallen 23% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
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 Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough · All Southwark school finances