ASCL today warns that almost all of the extra £7.1 billion
pledged for schools over the next three years will be eaten up by
government spending commitments and increased costs.
Our calculations show that only £300 million will be left
over to reverse the school cuts which have taken place since
2015. ASCL estimates that this is at least £1.1 billion
short of what is needed.
Divided between some 21,000 state-funded schools in England
the £300 million equates to about £14,000 per school – less than
a third of the cost of a teacher.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of
School and College Leaders, said: “This is nowhere near enough to
restore the courses, extra-curricular activities and pupil
support services cut since 2015, or to reverse rising class
sizes. We are not arguing with the spending commitments made by
the government. Our point is that this pot of money is not enough
to deliver all the promises it has made and also reverse the
education cuts.” 1
ASCL’s calculations are contained in our submission to the
Treasury ahead of the Budget on March 11.
A forecast growth in pupil numbers will cost £1
billion 2, and general inflation a further £2.4
billion. The government’s proposal to increase teacher starting
salaries to £30,000 by 2022/23 will absorb another £2.3 billion.
It has also committed £780 million to high needs provision, and
£300 million to ‘levelling up’ the worst-funded schools.
Taken together these costs amount to £6.78 billion –
leaving only £300 million to reverse the cuts. We are urging the
government to provide funding for its proposed increase to
teacher starting salaries separately and in addition to the £7.1
billion already committed to schools.
In addition, the £7.1 billion is for 5-16 education and
high needs provision only. It does not cover post-16 education –
i.e. school sixth forms, sixth form colleges, and FE
colleges.
The funding rate for 16 and 17-year-old students has been
frozen at £4,000 per student per year since 2013 – causing
massive financial pressures in this important phase of
education 3. The government has announced an
increase to £4,188 per student in 2020/21. While this is welcome
it is a long way short of what is needed. ASCL is calling for the
funding rate to be raised to at least £4,760 per student and then
annually in line with inflation.
Our submission also calls for more money for high needs
provision – which supports young people with special educational
needs and disabilities. The government has committed an extra
£780 million in 2020/21 but this is not enough to address a £1.2
billion projected deficit in 2021.
Ends
1 The percentage of
secondary school pupils in large classes of more than 30 has
risen from 9.6% in 2015 to 13% in 2019. Source: Department for
Education. Schools,
pupil and their characteristics: January 2019. (Table
7a)
2 The total number of pupils
in state-funded schools is forecast to increase from 7.71 million
in 2019 to 7.95 million in 2023 – a rise of 239,000 pupils.
Source: Department for Education. National
pupil projections: July 2018 (2019 update).
3 The Institute for Fiscal
Studies, in its 2019 annual report on
education spending in England, said: “Further
education colleges and sixth forms have faced the largest cuts in
recent years. Between 2010–11 and 2018–19, spending per student
fell by 12% in real terms in 16–18 colleges and by 23% in school
sixth forms.”
