South Malling CofE Primary and Nursery School: school finances
In deficit
In deficit by £11k, 1% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 2 years running.
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April–March). East Sussex · Primary · Voluntary controlled 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 | £1.3m | £1.3m | +£21k | £77k | 255 |
2019-20 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£63k | £14k | 253 |
2020-21 | £1.2m | £1.2m | +£10k | £24k | 238 |
2021-22 | £1.2m | £1.3m | -£10k | £15k | 240 |
2022-23 | £1.3m | £1.3m | -£13k | £2k | 262 |
2023-24 | £1.5m | £1.5m | +£54k | £56k | 223 |
2024-25 | £1.4m | £1.5m | -£56k | -£313 | 217 |
2025-26 | £1.5m | £1.5m | -£10k | -£11k | 221 |
Compared with similar schools
Similar schools are the 30 primary schools outside London closest in size and in the share of pupils on free school meals. Its reserve, as a share of income, is higher than 30% of them. It spends £6,665 a pupil in total; similar schools typically spend £6,337.
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 | £3,252 | £3,088 | £2,882–£3,358 |
Support staff (e.g. TAs) | £1,027 | £1,235 | £935–£1,570 |
Supply staff | £206 | £156 | £80–£230 |
Admin and clerical | £349 | £296 | £242–£420 |
Premises | £309 | £309 | £263–£411 |
Energy | £96 | £104 | £75–£138 |
Learning resources & ICT | £164 | £266 | £197–£349 |
Bought-in services | £243 | £109 | £27–£221 |
Compare side by side with the 3 most similar schools
Which schools are these?
- Meppershall Church of England Academy Tight
- Nansloe Academy Healthy
- Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy In deficit
- Dearham Primary School In deficit
- Stoke Mandeville Combined School Healthy
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary, Stanley Large reserves
- Lydiate Primary School Healthy
- St Andrew's Catholic Primary School In deficit
- St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Large reserves
- Morley Meadow Primary School Large reserves
- St James CofE Aided Primary School In deficit
- St Stephen's CofE Primary School Large reserves
Where the money comes from, 2025-26
| Source | Amount | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|
Government grants | £1.3m | £6,080 |
SEN funding (part of grants) | £29k | £129 |
Pupil premium (part of grants) | £62k | £282 |
Self-generated (lettings, catering, donations) | £119k | £538 |
Money raised by parents
FRIENDS OF SOUTH MALLING SCHOOL (charity 1061810, Registered) raised £14k in its latest year.
| Year ending | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
2025-08 | £14k | £13k |
2024-08 | £21k | £21k |
2023-08 | £21k | £15k |
2022-08 | £18k | £27k |
2021-08 | £12k | £6k |
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.
- 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 13% since 2018-19. How is the school planning for fewer pupils, and the funding that goes with them?
- Spending on bought-in services is £243 a pupil, against a typical £109 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.
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