New data released today on the updated School Cuts website shows
that government funding decisions have resulted in major
real-terms cuts for special schools and maintained nursery
schools in England.
582 out of 882 (66%) comparable special schools in England had
lower real terms per pupil funding in 2022-23 than in 2010-11.
Real terms per pupil funding has fallen by £2,841 (9%) between
2010-11 and 2022-23, with the cut to the spending power of
English special schools amounting to £419 million.
Moreover, 229 out of 366 (63%) comparable MNS in England had
lower real terms per pupil funding in 2022-23 than in 2010-11.
Maintained nursery schools have experienced a huge cut to their
real terms funding per pupil of 19% (£2,391) on average. An extra
£61 million would need to be invested to ensure all MNS have the
same spending power as in 2010.
The School Cuts website is run by education
unions National Education
Union, Association of School and College
Leaders and school leaders' union NAHT,
supported by Parentkind and National
Governance Association.
Ahead of the general election, the organisations behind the
School Cuts website are collectively calling for all political
parties to commit to a plan to invest the funding needed in
education to eradicate all school cuts. After fourteen years of
cuts, at least £12.2 billion1 is needed to restore
school spending power to 2010 levels, repair crumbling school
buildings and tackle the crisis in SEND funding.
Click for the Schoolcuts
website.
Pepe Di'Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of
School and College Leaders, said: “Inadequate funding
has left many schools in a perilous financial position and
brought the special educational needs system to its knees. The
next government needs to see education as an investment rather
than a cost and ensure all mainstream and special schools have
the resources to support the needs of all their pupils.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union
NAHT, said: “For too long, education has been sidelined
by government. A failure to invest properly in pupils, school
staff and buildings, causes real harm to children's learning,
social development and both their and the country's future
prospects. It's vital that whoever comes to power next month
restores education as a national priority and ensures schools
have the funding needed to deliver a first-rate education for all
children.”
Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National
Education Union, said:
“School cuts have left education in crisis, with some of our most
vulnerable children paying the price. This willful neglect of
education services has failed an entire generation of children;
the next Government must not fail another. There needs to be
a commitment from all the political parties that whoever wins
this election that education receives the funding it needs to
give every child the education and support they need”.
ENDS
Editor's Note
The School Cuts website was established in 2016. The website
shows the impact of Government funding decisions on schools in
England, including mainstream, special schools and maintained
nursery schools.
1 The £12.2bn accounts for £3.2bn for the core schools
budget to increase school spending power back to 2010/11 levels
in real terms, an extra £4.4bn capital investment to take total
spending per year on school to £7bn as recommended by the Office
for Government Property, plus £4.6bn a year to prevent the
crisis in SEND support from getting any worse (as has been recommended by
the f40 group).
