JUST over 40 per cent of Bradford’s local authority (LA) maintained schools ran at a financial deficit throughout the last academic year, with a dozen also in the red overall.

Department for Education (DfE) data shows 52 of 125 schools run by Bradford Council reported negative balances for 2018/19 (43 per cent).

But, just under 10 per cent (12 schools) have a “Revenue Reserve” (RR) in the minuses.

This data is based on Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR), which the schools send off to the DfE.

The list of schools in deficit overall includes: Nessfield Primary (-£158,122), Farnham Primary (-£115,834), Stocks Lane Primary (-£65,958), Wycliffe CofE Primary (-£50,456), Fearnville Primary (-£49,186), Miriam Lord Community Primary (-£35,629), Thorpe Primary (-£16,591), Greengates Primary Academy (-£7,975), St Anthony's Catholic Primary (-£5,956), Lower Fields Primary Academy (-£5,503) and Parkland Primary (£1,317).

The biggest deficit by far though, for both last year and overall, is Hanson School.

With an overall debt already in the millions, the school recorded a £608,439 deficit for 2018/19.

The data shows that the school had an income of close to £11 million.

The lion’s share of this comes from the the LA (£8.25 million), as is the case for most Bradford schools.

Hanson also receives funding for its sixth form, and was handed nearly £1.5 million last year for this provision.

A large part of this overall income for last year was swallowed up by teaching staff wages (£5.29 million), but the school was the second biggest spender on learning resources (£577,159), just behind Bradford District RPU (£589,128) and in front of St Bede's and St Joseph's (£232,147).

Crossley Hall Primary School, in Thornton Road, had the second-highest deficit for 2018/19, at minus £182,008.

It ran up costs of nearly £2.9 million in total during last year.

A big chunk of Crossley Hall’s expenditure in 2018/19 - just over 10 per cent - came from building maintenance and improvements (£294,387).

It is still in the green overall though (£11,977) and Bradford Council explains schools will often spend more in a single year after building surpluses in previous years.

Marium Haque, Deputy Director of Education and Learning, said: “Schools sometimes spend more in one year than their allocated budget because they have built up surpluses over previous years with the intention of paying for one-off projects or specific items.

“A more accurate measure of the financial health of our schools comes from analysis of the cumulative balances positions that schools hold at the end of each year

“At March 2019, we had 103 schools holding cumulative surpluses and five schools holding cumulative deficits.

“When schools have a cumulative deficit budget, the Local Authority works with them on a financial recovery plan.

“Schools are allowed to build up surpluses to a particular threshold and when they go over that surplus threshold, they are asked to explain why they need the surplus and to explain what their plans are and when they expect to spend the money and reduce their surplus budget.”

The biggest Catholic school in the country, St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College, is one of those with a large “Revenue Reserve” (£462,368).

It had the highest surplus last year (£553,770).

This helped top-up the coffers, having been £91,401 in the red overall after 2017/18.

Only Hanson spent more than St Bede’s and St Joseph’s last year, with the latter’s expenditure total racking up to nearly £10.3 million.

But, thanks in part to having the third-highest income from its facilities and services (£190,811), St Bede’s and St Joseph’s brought in just over £10.8 million.

A full list of LA maintained schools which ran at a deficit last year:

1) Hanson School (-£608,439)

2) Crossley Hall Primary School (-£182,008)

3) Byron Primary School (-£122,558)

4) Farnham Primary School (-£121,046)

5) Fearnville Primary School (-£118,438)

6) Midland Road Nursery School (-£102,671)

7) Lilycroft Nursery School (-£94,933)

8) Nessfield Primary School (-£91,657)

9) Holycroft Primary School (-£81,754)

10) Wycliffe CofE Primary School (-£65,248)

11) Ley Top Primary School (-£56,867)

12) Lower Fields Primary Academy (-£50,647)

13) Primary Pupil Referral Unit (-£45,693)

14) Wibsey Primary School (-£42,920)

15) Greengates Primary Academy (-£41,994)

16) Education In Hospital 2 (BRI) (-£39,293)

17) Tracks (-£38,417)

18) Princeville Primary School (-£36,249)

19) Education In Hospital 1 (Airedale) (-£36,017)

20) Clayton Village Primary School (-£33,111)

21) Stocks Lane Primary School (-£31,985)

22) Low Ash Primary School (-£29,169)

23) Shipley CofE Primary School (-£28,474)

24) Eastwood Community School (-£27,724)

25) Woodlands Church of England Primary Academy (-£27,560)

26) Canterbury Nursery School and Centre for Children and Families (-£26,959)

27) Glenaire Primary School (-£21,980)

28) Parkland Primary School (-£20,590)

29) Thorpe Primary School (-£18,607)

30) Cullingworth Village Primary School (-£15,978)

31) Addingham Primary School (-£14,223)

32) St Anthony's Catholic Primary School (-£13,243)

33) St Edmund's Nursery School & Children's Centre (-£13,001)

34) Idle CofE Primary School (-£12,379)

35) Low Moor CofE Primary School (-£12,038)

36) Thackley Primary School (-£11,651)

37) Hollingwood Primary School (-£10,883)

38) Menston Primary School (-£10,748)

39) Miriam Lord Community Primary School (-£10,023)

40) Laycock Primary School (-£9,630)

41) Farfield Primary and Nursery School (-£6,924)

42) Russell Hall Primary School (-£5,912)

43) St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (-£5,399)

44) Newby Primary School (-£3,782)

45) Trinity All Saints CofE VA Primary School (-£3,268)

46) Keelham Primary School (-£3,178)

47) Newhall Park Primary School (-£3,131)

48) Home Farm Primary School (-£2,340)

49) Sandy Lane Primary School (-£1,764)

50) St Mary's & St Peter's Catholic Primary School (-£1,007)

51) Marshfield Primary School (-£346)

52) Heaton St Barnabas' CofE Aided Primary School (-£76)

A full list of LA maintained schools which have an overall deficit:

1) Hanson School (-£3,624,279)

2) Nessfield Primary School (-£158,122)

3) Farnham Primary School (-£115,834)

4) Stocks Lane Primary School (-£65,958)

5) Wycliffe CofE Primary School (-£50,456)

6) Fearnville Primary School (-£49,186)

7) Miriam Lord Community Primary School (-£35,629)

8) Thorpe Primary School (-£16,591)

9) Greengates Primary Academy (-£7,975)

10) St Anthony's Catholic Primary School (-£5,956)

11) Lower Fields Primary Academy (-£5,503)

12) Parkland Primary School (-£1,317)