School budget cuts- is this normal?

[SummerDuck]

So a letter has come out from DS’s school titled “Plans for the next academic year”. Basically due to teacher pay rises, inflation and government funding freeze, there will need to be changes in how the school operates.

The school are proposing 20 teacher redundancies with the drama and French departments closing. There will be a “reset” of catering provision with reduced staffing and a heat from frozen offer.

School trips are being “paused” while most office staff will go, with teachers picking up some of these tasks. Is this the norm bod for state schools?

@radiatorpipe
What kind of fundraising activity do you think they could do that would raise enough to cover salaries for 20 teachers and a couple of admin staff?
Bear in mind that PTA funds can't be used to cover salaries.

They were required by law, I believe, to keep reserves.

The government has now basically told them to spend those reserves.

But yes the gov needs to give additional funding to pay for the salaries etc.

@NightNightJohnBoy obviously my fundraising point was about school trips...

What does everyone think the strikes are about? Funding is absolutely dire.

I think we are going to see more of divide between schools. Lots of schools will close or merge particularly pertinent in parts of London where primaries are facing big drops in numbers. The popular schools will become more popular.

I can also see "donations" becoming more of a thing. As a parent I could give 5-10k to my dcs school but will struggle to do 2 x 25k for private. Obviously this will just fuel further divide, it's a complete mess.

Thanks for clarifying @radiatorpipe.
It's unlikely that funding for school trips will be an issue. They just won't be being planned at all now, as with that level of staff reduction there won't be enough adults to meet ratios to take pupils off site.

I understand why this could be a solution, but it often just ends up being another thing for teachers to organise. It shouldn't be their job to make up for such inadequate budgets. Many families also aren't donating much now anyway as they're so squeezed themselves.

I guess they will rely on parents to help more? That's what my dcs school has done, they explicitly state that trips can't happen without help.

Obviously some schools have very engaged PTAs & have the community that can support bigger fundraising efforts. Our summer fair alone can raise 20k for example but that's where the divide I talked about is.

To all the pp saying "yes this is normal", are you schools making cuts at this level?

My daughters school has cut German and Latin over the last few years and we've yet to hear about any cutbacks this year but I can't say I've heard of any schools local to me closing 2 departments, making 20 redundancies, firing admin staff and making teachers cover, as well as pretty much closing catering.

This does seem at the extreme end of the spectrum (to me). Where are you all based? What size schools?

This is why teachers are striking. Schools have been cut to the bone never vote Tory

Schools have been cut to the bone never vote Tory

I'm interested to know if the teachers on the thread who educate their own dc privately will be voting Tory! 😆

This.

@radiatorpipe

I suspect they won’t. I know teachers who have put their children into private schools because they’ve known for a very long time how shit schools currently are. If they weren’t so shit they wouldn’t need to go private.

Happening at our school too. Experienced staff leaving, no one replacing them.

Completely normal. No trips this year. Funding even tighter next year. That's my school
My dc school (primary) is reducing trips abd will depend on parents contribution more.
Local secondary employing unqualified teachers now abd looking at reducibgvhours- already finish at 1pm Wednesday for teacher ppa etc.

That's what the strikes are about but it's not been made clear in media that its not teachers wages but school funding.

@Fallenangelofthenorth I can't comment on the scale of it all at once, that's definitely not happening in DDs school. However it has happened slowly since she joined. Since 2019, 15 teachers have left and not been replaced. Only one language on offer now. 10 TAs left and not replaced. Food is definitely not the quality it was. Trips are still happening. This is an 11-16 secondary school with 240 on normal SEN register with a diagnosis, more awaiting one. Additional 80ish with EHCPs. On average 15-17 EHCPs per year group. Year groups of 230 so huge, huge SEN population which gives it a healthy sen budget. They have 12 TAs left from 24 in 2019. Not replacing any that leave. This is a school that's doing very well financially, in comparison to the others in our London borough and it's still in a deficit for the first time ever this year. The deficit is small, but that's mainly because they're a purpose built eco building with little to no energy costs and right next to the tube station which makes lettings very easy.

I cannot comment on the drastic measures schools are taking in the new year, but I strongly suspect it's because they've had 0 information from the government as to how pay rises will be funded and what they can budget for. I can assure you though, it is not fun to be a headteacher or a governor at the moment.

@SparklingMarkling even with the proposed change by labour?!

I think i'm a bit cynical, I know a few nhs consultants who are tories through & through!

I wouldn't be surprised if the government stops that reserves requirement. Not sure what else they can do if all these MATs start collapsing.

BuT ThE LAzy tEAcheRS STrikINg.

Yes, it is.

I cannot comment on the drastic measures schools are taking in the new year, but I strongly suspect it's because they've had 0 information from the government as to how pay rises will be funded and what they can budget for.

This is a huge, massive, ginormous issue. Heads are trying to write their budgets for September and the government are refusing to tell them what their budget will be. Absolutely ridiculous situation, so of course heads are having to play it safe by assuming worst case scenarios.

In addition, there's going to be situations where teachers are not being made redundant, but that positions can't be filled. A school can't run a GCSE if there isn't a teacher for September. Because of the crisis in teacher recruitment, any vacancies now are extremely likely to remain unfilled, so courses will need to be cancelled.

The bills are crippling schools as well.

Last year, to catch up from covid, our local school implemented an extra period at the end of school and covered transport costs home for Yr11's (Big but not a huge school)

They couldn't offer the lessons/transport this year- when asked why, the Head said that the previous year the schools electric bill was £100,000. This year it was on course to be £300,000.

This is a huge issue. DDs secondary comp is an eco school that was part of the building schools for the future programme. She's extremely extremely lucky. They are basically self sufficient and even make money off the grid. The kids are sitting in comfortable classrooms all year round with every class having air filtration and aircon so they didn't even need windows opened during COVID. It's saved them the best part of £500k this year alone. If only the government understood how investing in schools infrastructure does actually pay off long term.

@Foxesandsquirrels that’s amazing. It also shows how a investment like this can help with our climate issue too.