MP has urged , the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, to allocate greater funding to education in the autumn
budget after new data showed schools are under massive strain to
stay afloat.
£2.8 bn that has been cut from the national Education
budget since 2015 has left schools in a state of crisis, with
over 9,400 schools being in deficit in 2015-2016.
In Carshalton and Wallington, 32 out of 32 schools are
facing real funding cuts, with the average student seeing their
funding cut by £-241. NAHT, the school leadership association,
has reported that 7 out of 10 of schools think their budgets will
be untenable by 2019.
MP said:
“The education system is drowning under the unbearable
weight of government budget cuts. The result of the cuts have
been increases in class sizes, a decrease in extracurricular
activities, and parents and teachers assuming financial burdens
for supplies, which is unacceptable.
“I hope my letter to will sway him to allocate
more funds to education in the autumn budget. The Government has
moved in the right direction, but the additional £1.3 bn does not
make up for the £2.8 bn that schools lost due to cuts.”
END
Notes to Editors
See full letter to the Chancellor below:
The Rt Hon MP – Chancellor of the
Exchequer
HM Treasury, The Correspondence & Enquiry unit
1 Horse Guards
Road
London
SW1A 2HQ
I am writing ahead of the Autumn Budget about school
funding. School funding is still in crisis with budgets at
breaking point, putting standards at risk. £2.8bn has been cut
from school budgets since 2015.
NAHT is the school leadership association which represents
leaders in the majority of schools in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland. A survey of the 29,000 members showed that seven out of
ten expect their budgets to be untenable by 2019. Please see
attached NAHT’s briefing paper.
I am aware of the Government’s final position on the
National Funding Formula (NFF) and funding for schools until
2019-20, however I am concerned that this may not be an accurate
reflection on the ground for schools.
Under the Government’s plans, 32 out of 32 schools and
academies in Carshalton and Wallington are facing a real terms
cut to their funding according to NAHT. The average pupil in
Carshalton and Wallingtonwill see the funding cut by -241.
NAHT say 88% of schools still face real terms cuts even
after any gains from the new funding formula when inflation and
increases in school costs are considered. Therefore it is
not correct to say schools funding is being maintained, in real
terms it is not. According to the IFS, the schools budget
overall will still experience a real terms cut of 4.6 per cent
between 2015 and 2019 despite the recent injection of cash from
within the DfE.
Further, recent figures provided in response to a written
parliamentary question from the Liberal Democrats show that over
9,400 schools (one third of the total) were in deficit in
2015-16. Worryingly, almost 4,000 schools have been in deficit in
each of the last two years, while almost 1,600 have been in
deficit three years in a row.
So the evidence shows the Government is failing to address
historic underfunding in our schools and for 88% of schools any
extra money they receive will not be enough to reverse the real
terms cuts they are facing. Although the Government has
taken a small step in the right direction, the additional £1.3bn
is not new money and is not enough to cover the £2.8bn cuts
already imposed.
The impact of these cuts are: class sizes are increasing;
extra-curricular activities are being cut; parents are being
asked for financial contributions; teachers and support staff are
regularly dipping into their own pockets to provide supplies and
equipment; schools are cutting back on the breadth of curriculum;
and staff are being made redundant or not being replaced if they
leave; children with SEND are bearing the brunt of cuts as their
support is slashed; there is inadequate funding to support high
quality Early Years’ provision, with cuts to Sure Start provision
and early years funding; local Authority funding has also been
severely reduced, meaning cuts to key support and improvement
services for schools; the IFS say16–19 education is the biggest
loser in terms ofeducation spending over the last 25 years and
16-19 education suffered huge real terms cuts since 2010, hitting
sixth form colleges and many secondary schools.
I urge you to make funding fairer by ensuring that funding
is appropriate to meet the needs of schools and providing
sufficient additional funding to support the introduction of the
new funding formula. Please provide the resources our
schools, nurseries and colleges need.
I look forward to your response.
Liberal Democrat MP Carshalton and Wallington
