To wonder why mn aren't bothered by the school budget cuts.

[minifingerz]

Posted on chat asking if parents are concerned about the coming cuts to school budgets, and how much their child's school is losing (or whether it will be one of the few to gain).

My dc's school is losing about 1K per child. Class sizes increasing significantly, school dinners will increase in cost, support staff being sacked right, left and centre. Some schools will have to get rid of almost all their TA's.

The cuts are really radical and coming at a time of big change in regard to GCSE's. I'm really concerned about it and I wonder why other people are not.

BTW I agree that schools outside of big cities have been historically underfunded. Just don't agree with robbing Peter to pay Paul. Surely the answer is to increase the overall budget for schools so that all schools have what they need to provide a good education for children?

It's got to be longer term

Personally I'd pay a bit more tax. Instead of buying resources out of my own funds perhaps? I don't think education can be classed as a "nice to have". It's essential for any civilised country.

I hate it when someone tries to galvanise MN to their pet cause.
This topic has been discussed before, at length, on MN.

fwiw, DC school's are both losing about £200 per pupil. Is that pretty typical? :( the class sizes will increase, but the class sizes were pretty reasonable for so long (22-26) that we can be glad for how lucky we have been. I have noticed a lot of penny-pinching for ages, already. I notice that the schools in wealthy area of city where we used to live are losing ~£500 per pupil.

£200 seems on the lower side compared to my area. An area of high deprivation.

Ah - so you want better public services without having to pay for them DoctorDonna, and you see paying for them as somebody else's 'problem.' It doesn't work like that.

The reality is that if you want public services available to everyone, then everyone has to fund them.

No, the reality is that the government cuts while it finds millions (billions possibly) to throw at totally unnecessary or poorly implemented policies such as forced academisation, grammar schools and a simultaneous overhaul of not only the entire 4-18 curriculum but also the entire exam system. Bonkers.

The government needs to stand up and say 'we are cutting education funding and this will cause standards to drop but we don't give a shit because our kids go private'

I hate it when someone tries to galvanise MN to their pet cause.

Aren't school cuts relevant to MN given that most have kids or will have kids in school?

Nope that's merely what I'd do first! No need to raise taxes while there are people not paying theirs!
No need to raise taxes when the money is being spent on unnecessary things.
I would happily pay more tax for better public services I am a fan of the Scandinavian model.
Don't make assumptions.

"However these days it is more dog eat dog competition."

In a nutshell, this is at the heart of the main thrust of cultural and political change in the UK.

"It's always up to someone else to fund it."

Says who?

We are higher rate tax payers. We would pay more than we currently do to adequately fund schools.

"I hate it when someone tries to galvanise MN to their pet cause."

Yes - state school funding. A pet clause

I think we are confusing two issues here. The consultation on funding allocation is not about reducing our increasing the budget overall, it's about minimising the disparities in funding between the schools in different parts of the country. So naturally there will be winners and losers. The majority of local authorities will gain under the proposals.

The schools budget overall is protected against inflation.

The cuts people are complaining about are because of projected rise in costs above inflation.

How do you find out how much your child's school is losing ?

How can the school be losing £1k p/pupil - what was the amount per pupil to begin with?

It's not about rising costs because of inflation!!!
Do you have ANY idea how expensive the constant change in examinations has been since the coalition took over!

I just found that calculator, thanks to the poster who put the link up. My dcs primary school will lose one TA based on average earnings of 18k, presumably they will lose two or three TAs as they don't earn 18k as far as I know. The complete disinterest in education is appalling.

I've had a little look at the calculator. depressing. An we are in a rural area which was already under funded compared to many and look set to be losers too.

What really boils my piss though is where the money is going instead. For example Free schools. We have had some set up in these parts for secondary by a local private school "trust". They are in an area of SURPLUS secondary places. So not set up because of need but because of the demand for "choice" from a small minority of very vocal parent and a private school looking to branch out and, eventually, make savings/ money themselves. So these free schools have cost ££££ to set up. Often they are only partly filled ( about 30 applicants for 120 places i think for one). Have a google of Seckford trust for details. Meanwhile the private school is making money ( indirectly) for working at scale, and I imagine somewhere along the line rich people are getting richer. Depressing.

Similar happening in NHS with private providers cherry picking work and PFI contracts and the like.

Meanwhile us proles are kept busy blaming immigrants etc etc.

Depressing.

OP asked why people aren't bothered. I guess I am one of those people. Schools in my area seem to be loosing very small amounts, not enough to make much of a difference really. Which makes sense because it's neither deprived or affluent.

When I look at the schooling my kids get it is miles ahead of what I had, in so many ways. I guess this means that school issues just don't get on my radar in the same way as other things. I guess I am broadly satisfied with what I get and don't see it about to change. I am politically interested and see many other things to worry about first!

I find it curious when people say "We would pay more than we currently do to adequately fund schools.". Why don't you just set up a direct debit for the amount extra you want to give and pay it to the school, LEA or department for education, whichever level you feel is appropriate? Genuine question. They won't say no. If everyone who wanted to pay more did that it would have a cumulative impact.

Our school sends a letter each year asking for cash. I send the recommended amount, I know some people don't pay but I bet other people do pay extra.

One dc''s school is losing just under £600 per pupil

One or two people sending £50 quid isn't going to fill the gaps. Staff are being lost now so differences will be noticeable soon enough. I was going out to buy resources this afternoon. Just paper and a couple of text books, staplers etc. Probably about £40. Ive decided not to though. It's not right but is replicated across my colleagues.

£600 is £50 a month- set up a direct debit.

We are higher tax payers not hugely, just done dh's tax return to pay back my child benefit( I am on minimum wage). We couldn't afford to pay more tax. Sorry.

I'm worried about this and in London. We need nationally decently funded schools not a divisive race to the bottom.

There are higher tax payers and higher tax payers.

Rich higher tax payers enjoying schools in expensive areas (which save them shelling out on school fees) who can afford to have less out of their monthly income really shouldn't be telling those less well off what they should and shouldn't give up out of their wage packet.

Great I'm glad some are wealthy enough not to miss extra money going out of their account,others aren't so fortunate.

Champagne socialism really gets my goat at times.

My school is losing about £550k during the next 18 months. That is 14 teachers. This is is an area of deprivation, not London. My childrens' school in a different authority is similar. This is not a gap that donations can fill in our area. Nor should they.

The additional funding received by London schools has led to significantly increased educational outcomes for many London pupils. Ergo, it would make sense to raise funding for all schools, rather than reduce to the lowest common denominator.

But no, instead the government will claim "austerity" and will slash funding. All the while managing to lower the amount of tax higher earners pay and reduce the amount of corporation tax. It should be obvious to all where the government's priorities lie. Most Tory MPs educate their children privately, so why should they give a toss?

It is my personal experience that it is support for SEN pupils which is the most dramatically affected. This fits in with the government's general policy of sticking two fingers up to the most vulnerable in society.

I work in a church school so we recieve extra funding via the diocese but we are being hit hard. Currently our 6th form funding cuts together with the real cut due to increased NI payments etc have had a major impact. We can't afford text books, photocopying, lost TAs, not replaced teaching staff etc and this is before the new formula (which we are taking a hit on despite being a very deprived city) and the poorly publicised issue of the apprentice levy which LA schools (non academies) are not exempt from.

We are losing teachers far quicker than we can recruit, new recruits are quitting at a rapid rate together with the chaos of the new curriculum/specs/exams/grades the current state of education is already at breaking point - the funding formula is another nail in the coffin