Fears schools surplus could mean cuts
5:10pm Monday 4th August 2008
Wandsworth schools had more than £4m left over in their accounts at the end of the last financial year.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal scores of schools had bulging coffers - many with hundreds of thousands of pounds, and some with balances running into the millions.
Southfields Community College carried forward the most money - £2,195,595 - followed by Graveney School in Tooting, which had £1,054 990.
Gatton in Tooting, which has an Islamic ethos, had the most cash of all the primary schools, with £475,011 carried forward.
In contrast, some schools had less than £10,000 left over.
Elliott School in Putney, which has had to shell out money on building works, was the only school with a negative balance, owing £9,654.
Tim Harrison, London regional secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUTs), said schools keeping large amounts in reserves could be a matter of public concern.
“Schools which do not have good reason for not spending the money allocated to them are cheating their children out of the educational resources they deserve.
“Some needs to be kept in the balance for contingency but the majority of the school’s budget ought to be being spent on school and educational purposes.”
Councillor Kathy Tracey, executive member for children and young people’s services, said some schools need to build up their reserves so they can put the money towards certain projects.
“We do need to know that the money is going to be spent because it’s there for the children’s benefit. But if its a good project that they need two to three years to build up resources for, that’s acceptable.”
She cited Granard Primary in Putney, which has a balance of £256, 072, as an acceptable example, with its plans to relocate its kitchen and convert its basement into a swimming pool.
The local authority can take away money if a school does not have suitable plans for spending the leftover cash, but Coun Tracey it has not had to resort to this before.
She is waiting for a report from all the schools in the borough detailing how they are going to use their cash but said that half a million pounds seemed “a lot of money for a primary school”.
Coun Tracey said she expects 10 per cent of a school’s budget to be set aside for contingency plans, such as drafting in supply teachers or covering maternity leave.
Jacqueline Valin, of Southfields Community College, said all of her school’s high balance was already earmarked for various projects, such as a new block and revamped gymnasium.
Another factor explaining Southfields College’s large reserves is that all the salaries for its sports partnership are paid into the school’s accounts in advance, as is the money for the school’s specialist status.
Gatton School was also contacted for comment.