REVEALED: Three Peterborough schools which ran a deficit last year

The schools had previously not wished for their identity to be disclosed, but a Peterborough Telegraph Freedom of Information request has shown they were: Barnack C of E Primary (£28,185 deficit), Nenegate in Park Lane - a small special school - (£14,815) and Ken Stimpson Community School in Staniland Way, Werrington (£127,316). Barnack was also in deficit in 2015/16 (£13,010) as were St John’s Church School, Riseholme, Orton Goldhay (£46,007) and Middleton Primary, Bretton (£3,028).

The council said Barnack’s funding has not kept pace with costs and that pupil projections have been higher than the actual numbers. On Nenegate, it said funding has not kept pace with costs and there have been fluctuating pupil numbers.

On Ken Stimpson, the council said it had received large reductions in Sixth Form funding and that funding had not kept pace with costs.

It added that the school had had a temporary dip in pupil numbers five years ago and that due to the school being part of a Private Finance Initiative scheme it has “a reduced ability to making savings in certain areas.”