These are the schools that are being “supported” by Buckinghamshire Council because they are in deficit.

In contrast to the 36 schools the Bucks Free Press revealed had so money that the council has ordered them to come up with a plan on how to spend it, there are 18 across the county that have the opposite problem – not enough cash.

Jonathan Carter, Buckinghamshire Council’s schools accountant, told the last Schools Forum meeting that the number was an improvement on the year before, when there were 24 schools in deficit.

He said: “Within 2020/21, 10 schools actually cleared that deficit, but of course new schools came into that deficit table in that time.

“We are supporting a number of those schools. The only ones we weren’t supporting at the time were those with newly-identified deficits as at the end of last year.

“Of the 14 remaining schools that were already in deficit as at last year, seven of those reduced their deficit and unfortunately seven did increase their deficits. This is not unusual, there tends to be a pattern where things get worse before they get better.”

The four schools with newly-identified deficits will start receiving support from the council’s schools accountancy support team in 2022/23.

The 18 schools with deficit balances are:

  • Booker Park – Aylesbury
  • St James and St John – Buckingham
  • High Ash CE Combined School – Great Brickhill, Milton Keynes
  • Halton Combined School – Halton
  • Winslow CE Combined School – Winslow
  • Little Chalfont Combined School – Little Chalfont
  • Highworth Combined School and Nursery – High Wycombe
  • Millbrook Combined School – High Wycombe
  • Roundwood – Gawcott
  • East Claydon School – Botolph Claydon, Buckingham
  • Quainton CE Combined School – Quainton, Aylesbury
  • Marsh Gibbon CE School – Marsh Gibbon
  • Hazlemere CE Combined School - Hazlemere
  • John Hampden School – Wendover
  • Chilternwood School – High Wycombe
  • Radnage CE Infant School – Radnage
  • Lee Common CE School – Lee Common, Great Missenden
  • Maids Moreton CE School – Maids Morteon

Budget plans for 2022-23 were submitted by schools in mid-May and those schools submitting a deficit budget for the year will be “contacted to establish the plans for recovery”, the council said.