Most commentators will be focusing on the primary performance data published today. I am sure that is not why the DfE also chose to publish the annual update on maintained school finances for 2016-17 today. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/la-and-school-expenditure-2016-to-2017-financial-year
Although this is time series data, comparisons from year to year are handicapped by the conversion of schools to academy status and their removal from these tables. Nevertheless, at the national level, some pointers do become clear, especially as the funding between academies and maintained schools is now roughly the same for most of their government funded revenue income. They do, of course have different accounting years, and this can affect issues such as spend on salaries and the payment of increments.
If the average percentage of revenue income held as balances by maintained schools is considered, this has now started reducing after a long period when the percentage was on the increase in both the primary and secondary sectors.
| Maintained Schools:
Total revenue balance as a % of total revenue income |
||
| Primary | Secondary | |
| 2009-10 | 5.9% | 3.2% |
| 2010-11 | 6.6% | 3.9% |
| 2011-12 | 7.9% | 5.6% |
| 2012-13 | 7.9% | 6.2% |
| 2013-14 | 7.9% | 6.4% |
| 2014-15 | 8.2% | 5.0% |
| 2015-16 | 8.4% | 4.6% |
| 2016-17 | 7.4% | 3.0% |
This is the first year that the primary sector has recorded a decline in balances as a percentage of revenue income. In the secondary sector, the decline started in 2014-15 and there has now been three years of declining revenue balances overall.
For schools with a deficit, overall the aggregate position is also deteriorating:
| Primary | Secondary | |
| 2009-10 | (3.5)% | (4.0)% |
| 2010-11 | (3.6)% | (4.8)% |
| 2011-12 | (3.7)% | (5.7)% |
| 2012-13 | (3.1)% | (5.2)% |
| 2013-14 | (2.9)% | (5.8)% |
| 2014-15 | (3.3)% | (7.3)% |
| 2015-16 | (3.0)% | (7.7)% |
| 2016-17 | (3.5)% | (8.4)% |
Again, the position is worse in the secondary sector. This may be partly due to the remaining secondary schools that haven’t converted to academy status being more likely to be in deficit. Of the remaining maintained secondary schools included in the data for 2016-17, 26% had a deficit budget compared with just 7% of primary schools. This may also reflect the fact that rolls have been rising across the primary sector but falling until this year across the secondary sector.
The average spend on teaching staff increased in the primary sector by £68 per pupil and in the secondary sector by £58 per pupil over the two years 2015-16 and 2016-17. In the same period, the primary sector reduced running costs by £30 per pupil and secondary sector by £25 per pupil.
Schools overall increased non-government revenue income by £25 per pupil in the primary sector and £13 in the secondary sector in this period. Some of this is just income taken in to cover the costs of trips, meals and other expenses, but it also includes parental contributions and donations.
Overall, the figures show that the squeeze on income is now really beginning to affect schools, especially in the secondary sector. These figures back up the complaints of secondary head teachers about their funding levels. With general inflation now over three per cent and the need to offer recruitment and retention payments to counteract below inflation pay increases, the next few years are going to be challenging times for maintained schools, and almost certainly for academies as well.
Schools can no longer rely on dipping into their saving for a rainy day: that day has now arrived and the cash is being used up.
John Howson 
In addition, the DfE sometimes writes-off academies’ deficits on transfer. Deficit payments are not included in data re academy transfer costs.. See here for example (scroll down) http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2017/09/fears-that-dfe-is-massaging-academy-transfer-costs-raised-by-mismatches-in-data-one-is-for-6m
The DfE has also wiped money owed by academy trusts in liquidation if the money is irrecoverable. See Schools Week report on half-a-million written off when Lilac Sky Schools Academy Trust wound up https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-writes-off-500k-loss-on-defunct-lilac-sky-academy-trust/
Janet,
Agreed. When the data on academies are published I will try and remember to make that point. In this case, the data only refers to remaining maintained schools. looks as if some LAs will only be left with secondary schools in deficit. if the DfE is serious about the new social mobility fund cash coming from internal budget savings, then there ought not to be any more writing off of deficits unless it benefits social mobility.
John
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