ASCL response to Sutton Trust report on school cuts

Responding to polling for the Sutton Trust on cuts to teaching assistants, school trips, sport and other provision, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“The evidence could not be clearer that the school funding crisis is severe and worsening. This is the result of insufficient funding from the government to cover the cost of staff pay awards and general inflationary pressures which come on top of a decade of underfunding.

“Schools are in fact fighting on two fronts as they not only have to make difficult decisions about where to cut provision but are also struggling with a teacher recruitment and retention crisis caused by government policies which have eroded the real value of pay and worsened working conditions. The young people who are suffering the most are those in the most disadvantaged communities.

“The government’s insistence that an extra £2 billion for school funding in 2023/24 will fix every funding problem is at odds with reality. Many schools will continue to experience extremely difficult financial circumstances which will necessitate further cuts. Ministers must produce a realistic plan to ensure schools and colleges have the resources they need.”