Recommendation 7

Maintained schools report their finances for the year ending in March. Most maintained schools were in surplus from 2014–15 to 2019–20, with 88% reporting a cumulative surplus in 2019–20. However, the proportion reporting a deficit more than doubled from 5% to 11% over the same period.15 The proportion of maintained secondary schools in deficit peaked at 30% in 2017–18, falling to 27% in 2019–20. In contrast, the proportion of maintained primary schools in deficit was 10% in 2019–20.16 In 2019–20, the proportion of maintained schools in deficit varied considerably between local authorities in England, ranging from 0% to 46%. In 26 local authorities, more than 20% of maintained schools were in deficit.17