St Johns Church of England Primary School, Clifton: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Bristol, City of · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
In deficit
In deficit by £58k £121 per pupil, 2% 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.
Why schools go into deficit. Most of a school's money goes on people: over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. So when pay and other costs rise faster than funding, or a school loses pupils and the money that comes with each one, the budget is squeezed quickly and staffing is the only big thing left to cut. In 2024–25 and 2025–26, mainstream school funding per pupil grew by 2 percentage points less than school costs, partly because rising special needs costs took a large share of the extra money. A deficit usually comes from several of these pressures at once, not one bad decision. (IFS, pp. 62–63)
What helps. Schools in this position usually agree a recovery plan with the council, often over two or three years, and governors check progress against it each term. The questions further down are a good way to start that conversation.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2019-20 Healthy same as the year before
- 2020-21 Healthy same as the year before
- 2021-22 Healthy same as the year before
- 2022-23 Healthy same as the year before
- 2023-24 Healthy same as the year before
- 2024-25 Healthy same as the year before
- 2025-26 In deficit reserve below zero
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £2.9m £5,928 per pupil and spending £3.1m £6,421 per pupil. Spending was £237k £494 per pupil more than government funding; the difference came from other income, such as lettings, catering or donations, or from the school's reserve.
Funding is the money a school receives; spending is what it pays out. The two differ when a school adds to or draws on its savings, and because some money is spent on its pupils by someone else: the council (for example special needs top-ups and transport) or, for academies, the trust's central team. (IFS, pp. 7, 10, 46, 52, 54)
Government funding is the academy accounts line "grant funding from government" in academy (AAR) years and the CFR grant funding total in council-run years. The two are not strictly comparable: CFR line I07 can include some money that is not from government.
Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).
Reserve per pupil by year
Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).
| Year | Pupils | Income | Spending | In-year balance | Reserve at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 481.0 | £2.9m £6,106 per pupil | £3.1m £6,421 per pupil | -£152k -£316 per pupil | -£58k -£121 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 466.0 | £3.0m £6,340 per pupil | £3.0m £6,528 per pupil | -£88k -£189 per pupil | £94k £201 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 471.0 | £2.9m £6,229 per pupil | £2.9m £6,177 per pupil | +£25k +£52 per pupil | £182k £386 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 497.0 | £2.7m £5,462 per pupil | £2.7m £5,372 per pupil | +£45k +£90 per pupil | £157k £316 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 493.0 | £2.5m £5,044 per pupil | £2.5m £5,019 per pupil | +£12k +£25 per pupil | £112k £228 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 489.0 | £2.3m £4,625 per pupil | £2.3m £4,609 per pupil | +£8k +£16 per pupil | £100k £204 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 505.0 | £2.2m £4,272 per pupil | £2.2m £4,287 per pupil | -£8k -£15 per pupil | £92k £182 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 512.0 | £2.0m £3,963 per pupil | £2.0m £3,972 per pupil | -£5k -£9 per pupil | £100k £195 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2025-26 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £2.9m £6,106 per pupil | +54% +18% real | £6k | |
| Government funding | £2.9m £5,928 per pupil | +55% +19% real | £6k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £158k £328 per pupil | +269% +180% real | £296 | |
| Pupil premium | £84k £175 per pupil | +127% +73% real | £162 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £89k £185 per pupil | +23% -6% real | £418 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £4k £8 per pupil | -27% -47% real | £15 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £33k £69 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £195 | |
| Catering income | £894 £2 per pupil | £33 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £113k £235 per pupil | +6% -19% real | £231 |
Other DfE grants is a container line. It includes the grants that cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, which cannot be separated out, so no figure is shown for them on their own. Not every rise in a school's income is extra spending power. When the government raised what schools pay as employers into staff pensions and National Insurance, it gave schools grants to cover the bill. The IFS describes this as extra money to pay for extra outgoings, with no change in real resources. About £2.3 billion of the growth in school funding between 2019–20 and 2025–26 was this kind of grant. So when a school's income jumps, check whether its staff costs jumped by the same amount: the money may simply have passed through. (IFS, p. 50)
Where it goes
| Line | 2025-26 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £3.1m £6,421 per pupil | +62% +23% real | £6k | |
| Teachers | £1.6m £3,411 per pupil | +70% +29% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £6k £12 per pupil | -81% -86% real | £46 | |
| Support staff | £533k £1,108 per pupil | +94% +48% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £157k £327 per pupil | +90% +45% real | £313 | |
| Premises staff | £52k £109 per pupil | +60% +22% real | £117 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £90k £188 per pupil | +23% -6% real | £203 | |
| All staff costs | £2.5m £5,105 per pupil | +72% +31% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £143k £297 per pupil | +43% +10% real | £339 | |
| Energy | £53k £109 per pupil | +27% -3% real | £94 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £289k £601 per pupil | +42% +8% real | £552 | |
| Catering | £121k £251 per pupil | +36% +4% real | £296 | |
| Learning resources | £106k £220 per pupil | -4% -27% real | £301 | |
| Supplies and services | £201k £418 per pupil | +12% -15% real | £616 | |
| Bought-in services | £65k £136 per pupil | +6% -19% real | £188 |
Staff costs were 80% of this school's spending in 2025-26. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
In 2025-26 prices, this school spent £3.1m £6,421 per pupil in 2025-26. Across England, primary schools are expected to spend about £7,000 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)
Pupils by year
- 2018-19 512.0
- 2019-20 505.0
- 2020-21 489.0
- 2021-22 493.0
- 2022-23 497.0
- 2023-24 471.0
- 2024-25 466.0
- 2025-26 481.0
Pupil numbers fell from 512.0 to 481.0 (6% fewer) over the years shown.
Schools are mostly funded per pupil, so fewer pupils means less money. Costs do not fall in step: a class with a few fewer pupils still needs a teacher. Primary schools in England have already lost about 100,000 pupils (3%) between 2019–20 and 2024–25, and are expected to lose over 300,000 more (about 8%) by 2030–31. Secondary numbers are expected to start falling from about 2026–27. The IFS points out that money is only saved if schools actually reduce what they spend, such as staff or the number of schools. That is why a well-run school with falling numbers can still find its budget under pressure. (IFS, pp. 19, 64)
Money raised by parents
| School year | Raised | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 year to August 2025 | £32k £67 per pupil | £25k £52 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £34k £72 per pupil | £15k £32 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £33k £71 per pupil | £100k £212 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £36k £73 per pupil | £14k £29 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2021 | £27k £54 per pupil | £12k £24 per pupil |
- ST JOHN'S SCHOOL PTA (CLIFTON) (charity 1066870) Latest return: £32k £67 per pupil in the year to August 2025. It reports 8 volunteers. Annual return due 30 June 2026.
Each return is placed in the school year that holds the end of the charity's financial year, and per-pupil figures use that year's pupils. A parents' association's money is its own and isn't in the school's accounts above. Money a parents' association gives the school can also appear in the school's own accounts as donations, so the two can overlap. They are shown separately here and never added together.
Across England, the typical registered parents' association raised £50 per pupil in 2025-26.
Intake and area
- 9% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 33%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 9 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 67% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 51% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 3% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 1 of 5 nationally, combining free-school-meal eligibility and the deprivation of the school's neighbourhood (1 = least disadvantaged, 5 = most).
Context, not a judgement: schools with different intakes get different funding and face different costs.
How my school's money is split
For pupils: out of every pound the school spent in 2025-26, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £1.6m £3,423 per pupil
- Support staff £533k £1,108 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £143k £297 per pupil
- Energy £53k £109 per pupil
- Learning resources £106k £220 per pupil
- Everything else £608k £1,264 per pupil
National context
- In 2024–25 and 2025–26, mainstream school funding per pupil grew by 2 percentage points less than school costs nationally. (IFS, p. 62)
- Primary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by over 300,000 (about 8%) between 2024–25 and 2030–31. (IFS, p. 19)
- Council-run primary schools spend about £400 (6%) more per pupil than primary academies, and council-run secondaries about £300 (4%) more, partly because trusts spend some money centrally. (IFS, p. 56)
- Pupil premium is £1,515 a year per eligible primary pupil and £1,075 per eligible secondary pupil, over 16% lower in real terms than in 2015–16. (IFS, p. 51)
- Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year of extra support for a pupil with special needs from their own budget. (IFS, p. 46)
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTFA committees.
- What is the plan to get St Johns Church of England Primary School, Clifton back into balance, and how many years will it take? Has the council agreed it?
- How many pupils does St Johns Church of England Primary School, Clifton expect in each year group over the next three years? Why ask: Primary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by over 300,000 (about 8%) by 2030–31. (IFS, p. 19)
- How much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
- What is driving the deficit: falling pupil numbers, staff costs, special needs support, or something else? Why ask: Over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- How does St Johns Church of England Primary School, Clifton's spending per pupil compare with similar schools, and why? Why ask: Nationally, primaries spend about £7,000 and secondaries about £7,800 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)
- Will the recovery plan change class sizes, the subjects on offer or the number of support staff?
- Has the council talked about reducing places, merging or closing schools in this area? Why ask: The IFS notes savings from falling numbers only come if staff or the number of schools are reduced. (IFS, p. 64)
Check at source
Every figure here comes from the school's published return. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the figures are worked out.
Similar schools: the closest in phase, size and share of pupils on free school meals.
- College Town Primary School
- The Mead Community Primary School
- Priors Hall - A Learning Community
- Avonwood Primary School
- Allington Primary School
Admissions and catchments for St Johns Church of England Primary School, Clifton on Schools in Reach · All Bristol, City of school finances · Schools in Bristol Central
- DfE Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool data: CFR returns for council-run schools (April to March) and academy accounts returns (September to August), Open Government Licence v3.0
- Get Information about Schools, Open Government Licence v3.0
- Charity Commission register, Open Government Licence v3.0
- National context: IFS, Annual report on education spending in England: 2025–26 (January 2026); IFS figures are in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, November 2025)
- Real-terms figures on this page: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026)