The revenue balance report for Wiltshire maintained schools has revealed that 14 are in financial deficit to a value of £1.9 million.

Of the 109 schools maintained by the local authority, 95 were holding surplus balances of £13.1 million as of March 31.

At the most recent Schools Forum meeting, a local headteacher suggested a clawback scheme should be considered to allow the “tremendous amount of money” to be used “where it is actually needed”.

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Of the 14 schools with a deficit, all but one are primary schools.Of the 14 schools with a deficit, all but one are primary schools. (Image: Wiltshire Council) Headteacher of Lyneham Primary School, Mr John Read, said: “There is a serious amount of money there, sitting in bank accounts.”

He added: “This is the third year on the trot where we’ve had this conversation, it would be good at this point now, I think, if we could see some kind of movement in terms of starting to say that if you’re not going to spend this money on provision for children, then we’ll have it.”

Grant Davis, schools strategic financial support manager at Wiltshire Council, explained that many schools are trying to “protect themselves against future deficits” or save up for large projects.

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Table with the gross balances.Table with the gross balances. (Image: Wiltshire Council) He also noted that Wiltshire hasn’t had a clawback scheme in place for 12 years and it could “drive a certain level of behaviour” among the schools with surplus to spend the money “not necessarily in the most appropriate way”.

When asked about what themes had emerged from the schools with deficits, Mr Davis suggested they varied from legacy deficits to headteachers going “rogue” or changes in Ofsted ratings, but that overall, many schools are having to deal with a drop in birth rates affecting pupil numbers.

Primary school governor representative Stella Fowler argued: “Isn’t the point here that schools should be trying to meet the needs of all of their pupils?

“The key factors here are both pupil numbers and need.

“Dare I say, it’s very expensive to be ethical and that is something that, I think, is not consistent across schools in Wiltshire.”

She added that she would urge against a “one size fits all plan” and encouraged looking at schools in a “case by case basis”.

Mr Davis agreed with this statement and committed to having a wider discussion about the potential for a clawback scheme.

Overall, the net surplus balances for the financial year 2023/24 are £11.3 million.

The surplus balance has fallen by 9.1 per cent since 2022/23, whilst the deficit balance has fallen by 16.2 per cent.