Sherborne St John Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2025-26, as a council-run school (CFR return, April to March). Hampshire · Primary · Voluntary controlled school
In deficit
In deficit by £60k £530 per pupil, 7% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 5 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 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2019-20 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2020-21 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2021-22 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2022-23 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2023-24 Heading for deficit spending more than it received, reserve running down
- 2024-25 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2025-26 In deficit same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2025-26, government funding was £793k £7,014 per pupil and spending £857k £7,585 per pupil. Spending was £65k £571 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 | 113.0 | £804k £7,119 per pupil | £857k £7,585 per pupil | -£53k -£466 per pupil | -£60k -£530 per pupil |
| 2024-25 | 115.0 | £785k £6,823 per pupil | £799k £6,947 per pupil | -£14k -£124 per pupil | -£7k -£63 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 117.0 | £715k £6,108 per pupil | £770k £6,578 per pupil | -£55k -£470 per pupil | £7k £60 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 118.0 | £687k £5,818 per pupil | £732k £6,202 per pupil | -£45k -£384 per pupil | £62k £525 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 116.0 | £647k £5,576 per pupil | £655k £5,644 per pupil | -£8k -£68 per pupil | £107k £925 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 114.0 | £642k £5,632 per pupil | £592k £5,189 per pupil | +£50k +£443 per pupil | £115k £1,010 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 116.0 | £616k £5,309 per pupil | £627k £5,403 per pupil | -£11k -£94 per pupil | £65k £557 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 116.0 | £608k £5,238 per pupil | £603k £5,196 per pupil | +£5k +£42 per pupil | £76k £651 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 | £804k £7,119 per pupil | +36% +4% real | £8k | |
| Government funding | £793k £7,014 per pupil | +39% +6% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £33k £294 per pupil | +390% +277% real | £292 | |
| Pupil premium | £32k £284 per pupil | +216% +141% real | £310 | |
| Money the school raised itself | £28k £251 per pupil | +40% +7% real | £445 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £4k £36 per pupil | +200% +125% real | £16 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Facilities and services | £575 £5 per pupil | -62% -71% real | £280 | |
| Catering income | £11k £99 per pupil | +14% -12% real | £16 | |
| Other DfE grants | £29k £256 per pupil | -23% -41% real | £338 |
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 | £857k £7,585 per pupil | +46% +11% real | £8k | |
| Teachers | £390k £3,451 per pupil | +56% +19% real | £4k | |
| Supply staff | £58k £509 per pupil | +119% +67% real | £128 | |
| Support staff | £157k £1,386 per pupil | +64% +25% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £38k £339 per pupil | +36% +4% real | £388 | |
| Premises staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £202 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £33k £296 per pupil | +12% -14% real | £318 | |
| All staff costs | £680k £6,021 per pupil | +57% +20% real | £6k | |
| Premises | £29k £253 per pupil | +20% -8% real | £426 | |
| Energy | £6k £55 per pupil | +31% +2% real | £132 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £66k £586 per pupil | +8% -18% real | £712 | |
| Catering | £39k £346 per pupil | +22% -7% real | £382 | |
| Learning resources | £28k £244 per pupil | +3% -21% real | £352 | |
| Supplies and services | £82k £725 per pupil | +20% -9% real | £797 | |
| Bought-in services | £35k £309 per pupil | -8% -30% real | £338 |
Staff costs were 79% 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 £857k £7,585 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
- 2018-19 116.0
- 2019-20 116.0
- 2020-21 114.0
- 2021-22 116.0
- 2022-23 118.0
- 2023-24 117.0
- 2024-25 115.0
- 2025-26 113.0
Pupil numbers fell from 116.0 to 113.0 (3% 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 | £11k £101 per pupil | £10k £85 per pupil |
| 2024-25 year to August 2024 | £9k £77 per pupil | £5k £43 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2023 | £7k £59 per pupil | £8k £66 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2022 | £8k £64 per pupil | £28k £236 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2021 | £20k £170 per pupil | £2k £16 per pupil |
- SHERBORNE ST JOHN SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (charity 1038635) Latest return: £11k £101 per pupil in the year to August 2025. It reports 20 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
- 16% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 17%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 9 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 10 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 44% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 79% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 9% 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 £447k £3,959 per pupil
- Support staff £157k £1,386 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £29k £253 per pupil
- Energy £6k £55 per pupil
- Learning resources £28k £244 per pupil
- Everything else £191k £1,688 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 Sherborne St John Church of England Primary School back into balance, and how many years will it take? Has the council agreed it?
- How many pupils does Sherborne St John Church of England Primary School 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 many pupils at Sherborne St John Church of England Primary School have an EHCP or need extra support, and how is support above the first £6,000 a year funded? Why ask: Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year per pupil from their core budget. (IFS, p. 46)
- 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?
- Does the council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
- How does Sherborne St John Church of England Primary School'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)
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.
- Carnforth Christ Church, Church of England, Voluntary Aided Primary School
- Nanpean Community Primary School
- Bournebrook CofE Primary School
- All Saints' CofE Primary School
- Bampton Church of England Primary School
Admissions and catchments for Sherborne St John Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Hampshire school finances · Schools in North West Hampshire
- 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)