ASCL comment on the Budget

Commenting on the Chancellor’s Budget statement today, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“While we welcome any increased investment in schools, the £400m ‘bonus’ announced today hardly scratches the surface of what is needed. The Chancellor’s comment that this money will help schools to ‘buy the little extras they need’ shows a complete misunderstanding of the prevailing funding pressures. Many schools don’t have enough money to provide a full curriculum or individual support to pupils, let alone provide ‘little extras’. What they desperately need is improved core funding. It is a sign of the government’s priorities that it is spending more on fixing potholes than on fixing the school funding crisis.”