Education Policy Institute study claims £74,000 will be slashed
off primary school budgets while secondaries stand to lose
£291,000
GMB, the union for school support staff, warned today every
school in the UK faces a real-terms per-pupil funding cut thanks
to the Government’s brutal national funding formula.
According to a new report by the Education Policy Institute,
primary schools will face budget cuts of £74,000 on average by
2019/20, and secondary schools will lose £291,000.
This is the equivalent of 4 lost teaching assistants per primary
school, and 16 lost teaching assistants per secondary school. [1]
The report also found that Ministers’ new national funding
formula would shift 'funding away from the most disadvantaged
pupils towards what is considered the “just about managing”
group.’ [2]
Sharon Wilde, GMB National Officer for Schools, said:
“This report highlights the national scandal in education funding
that will leave our schools poorer and staff fearing for their
jobs.
“It isn’t just teachers who are set to lose out – in fact,
support staff are often seen as a ‘soft target’ by schools.
“Across the country teaching assistants and other support staff
have already suffered brutal cuts to their pay and their terms
and conditions, and the situation looks set to get even
worse.
“There can be no justification for taking money away from the
most deprived children or cutting essential support staff.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
[1] Based on the Education Endowment Foundation’s estimate that
it costs schools £18,000 on average to employ a teaching
assistant, including non-salary costs such as pension and
national insurance contributions - https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/resources/teaching-learning-toolkit/teaching-assistants/
