St John's Meads Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). East Sussex · Primary · Academy converter
In deficit
In deficit by £428k £2,354 per pupil, 37% of a year's income: it has spent more over the years than it received. It has spent more than it received for 3 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 DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST, 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
- 2020-21 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2021-22 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2022-23 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2023-24 In deficit reserve below zero
- 2024-25 In deficit same as the year before
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £1.1m £6,308 per pupil and spending £1.4m £7,473 per pupil. Spending was £212k £1,165 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. CFR years run April to March and AAR years September to August.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 182.0 | £1.2m £6,418 per pupil | £1.4m £7,473 per pupil | -£192k -£1,055 per pupil | -£430k -£2,363 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 201.0 | £1.2m £6,219 per pupil | £1.4m £6,950 per pupil | -£147k -£731 per pupil | -£181k -£900 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 216.0 | £1.2m £5,611 per pupil | £1.2m £5,625 per pupil | -£3k -£14 per pupil | £15k £69 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 215.0 | £1.1m £5,195 per pupil | £1.1m £5,130 per pupil | +£14k +£65 per pupil | £63k £293 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 217.0 | £1.1m £4,839 per pupil | £1.0m £4,631 per pupil | +£45k +£207 per pupil | £94k £433 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 215.0 | £956k £4,448 per pupil | £930k £4,328 per pupil | +£26k +£121 per pupil | £90k £416 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £1.2m £6,418 per pupil | +44% +12% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £1.1m £6,308 per pupil | +49% +16% real | £6k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £38k £209 per pupil | +260% +180% real | £285 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £50k £275 per pupil | +28% -0% real | £433 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £1k £5 per pupil | -93% -93% real | £35 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £26k £143 per pupil | +38% +7% real | £132 | |
| Catering income | £18k £99 per pupil | £85 | ||
| Other DfE grants | £0 £0 per pupil | £247 | ||
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)
Academy accounts don't report pupil premium as a separate line, so it is shown as not reported rather than as zero.
Where it goes
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £1.4m £7,473 per pupil | +73% +34% real | £6k | |
| Teachers | £747k £4,104 per pupil | +113% +66% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £8k £44 per pupil | -73% -79% real | £95 | |
| Support staff | £256k £1,407 per pupil | +94% +51% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £72k £396 per pupil | +69% +31% real | £258 | |
| Premises staff | £32k £176 per pupil | +50% +17% real | £156 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | £0 | ||
| Other staff costs | £23k £126 per pupil | -28% -44% real | £163 | |
| All staff costs | £1.1m £6,077 per pupil | +87% +45% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £73k £401 per pupil | +107% +60% real | £294 | |
| Energy | £21k £115 per pupil | +135% +84% real | £96 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £126k £692 per pupil | +112% +65% real | £571 | |
| Catering | £75k £412 per pupil | +129% +78% real | £326 | |
| Learning resources | £34k £187 per pupil | -26% -43% real | £312 | |
| Supplies and services | £108k £593 per pupil | +20% -7% real | £631 | |
| Bought-in services | £30k £165 per pupil | -15% -34% real | £133 |
Staff costs were 81% of this school's spending in 2024-25. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
In 2025-26 prices, this school spent £1.4m £7,617 per pupil in 2024-25. Across England, primary schools are expected to spend about £7,000 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)
Academy figures exclude the trust's central spending on its schools, so they can look lower than a council-run school's. See the trust's central spending below.
Pupils by year
- 2018-19 215.0
- 2020-21 217.0
- 2021-22 215.0
- 2022-23 216.0
- 2023-24 201.0
- 2024-25 182.0
Pupil numbers fell from 215.0 to 182.0 (15% 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)
Trust central spending
What DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2020-21 £324
- 2021-22 £490
- 2022-23 £455
- 2023-24 £538
- 2024-25 £405
These are cash figures. The IFS average below is in 2025-26 prices.
On average, academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24, money that is not counted in their individual schools' own spending. (IFS, p. 56)
Money raised by parents
| School year | Raised | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 year to August 2026 | £12k | £12k |
| 2024-25 year to August 2025 | £5k £30 per pupil | £7k £37 per pupil |
| 2023-24 year to August 2024 | £11k £56 per pupil | £9k £47 per pupil |
| 2022-23 year to August 2023 | £11k £51 per pupil | £10k £45 per pupil |
| 2021-22 year to August 2022 | £11k £49 per pupil | £9k £40 per pupil |
- FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN'S MEADS CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION (charity 1106227) Latest return: £12k in the year to August 2026. It reports 10 volunteers. Annual return due 30 June 2027.
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
- 14% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 21%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 9 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 7 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 48% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 72% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 1% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 2 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 2024-25, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £755k £4,148 per pupil
- Support staff £256k £1,407 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £73k £401 per pupil
- Energy £21k £115 per pupil
- Learning resources £34k £187 per pupil
- Everything else £221k £1,214 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)
- 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 John's Meads Church of England Primary School back into balance, and how many years will it take? Has DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST agreed it?
- How many pupils does St John's Meads 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 much of St John's Meads Church of England Primary School's funding does DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST keep centrally each year, and what does the school get for it? Why ask: Academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24 on average. (IFS, p. 56)
- 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 school's reserve figure include its share of the trust's central reserves?
- How does St John's Meads 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.
- Ashbrook School
- St Simon's Catholic Primary School
- Wicklewood Primary School and Nursery
- St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
- William Westley Church of England VC Primary School
Admissions and catchments for St John's Meads Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All East Sussex school finances · Schools in Eastbourne · DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST
- 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)