How are the school budget cuts affecting your school?

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Either as a parent or teacher (or other member of staff in a school)?

Have the cuts had a tangible impact yet? What do you think will happen over the next few years?

I have a terrible feeling we are walking right into a crisis in education in this country ...

I'm probably not aware of all of the ways, but the ways I'm aware of is that last year a minimum of 9 students had to pick an option for it to run, this year it's 20. Subjects have been cut. The school used to offer German, Latin, Spanish, French. Now just Spanish and French for example
Class sizes are bigger i think

I work in a high school. It's all large mixed ability classes across the board now - average is 33, 35 in some.
There's some kids who I've barely said two words to all year.

Dd's been badgered quite a lot to take a subject she's pretty mediocre at. I sympathise with the teachers though who are probably worried their subject won't run and they might lose staff members. It's a very standard/traditional subject that all schools should offer (Music) not something weird and wacky.

HLTAs are taking PPA cover instead of qualified teachers.

Primary here. Honestly, it's terrifying. It's not about offereing extras, it's about whether or not the school stays open. LA schools aren't allowed to run defecits. We are surviving as we had a cushion of reserves built up; other schools are not going to be so lucky. I can easily see a situation where a school gets an unexpected EHCP plan (of which they have to fund the first £6K) and it means staff redundancies, because they just can't afford to pay it. And that's assuming they have staff left to cut.

Why do schools have to part fund an EHCP plan? Seems unfair that some schools would have to spend more of their budget on this than others

The school I work in has just lost two of our brightest y11 (Oxbridge prospects) for 6th form next year. They want to do a particular A level, have been encouraged to consider it since it was obvious they were talented in Y9. Its not niche in any way but only 3 Y11 have indicated an interest (including those two). We can't afford to run it 🙁

Our cupboards are bare. We are literally scrabbling round for glue sticks and whiteboard pens.

I think money could be saved by having a smaller SMT or by some of them having less time out of the classroom but you can't say.

It's a shame, we have so few TAs, none full time and lots of children not receiving the support they desperately need.

Music a level went years ago. And the buildings/resources/ etc are just deplorable. Honestly, people have no idea what is happening to their children's schools.

Lots and lots of juggling TAs around to cover staff absences where normally they'd be ringing a supply agency - but the school seems to be doing fairly well, the head is bloody brilliant though. I've no doubt it's a lot tougher behind the scenes but the pupils and parents are being shielded from the worst of it so the cuts aren't visibly biting too much yet. Our school does have a very very good PTA and events that are very well attended and make a LOT of money so the shiny quality of life stuff is propped up quite heavily by them (but they are very very strict that they won't cross the line into funding the actual curriculum stuff the school budget should be doing).

The local primary academies that are part of our nearby MAT are really struggling visibly to invest in things (one's demanding £30 a term per pupil top up from parents) - funnily the lead academy is still investing in shiny new stuff.

Of course it's now May and there are no functioning whiteboard pens or glue sticks with much glue left in them to be found throughout the school but that's fairly standard across most primaries from about early April onwards. Actually I semi-tell a lie... I know where my eldest's class teacher hides her glue stick stash - I must have seriously made it as a trusted parent now!

I do wonder how many parents actually realise what is happening. And how much more scary it all gets at secondary school when students' results are at stake.

My child's school has changed hugely since the cuts and it is affecting the mental well-being of the pupils.

There was an article in our local paper facebook page where a retiring head was talking about the cuts and the affect they were having and how it was worse than he ever remembered. A guy posted a reply "People were moaning about the same thing 25 years ago when i was at school." I replied "Makes sense as the tories were in then too." He then changed to "People have always moaned about it whoever's been in power" People joined in with "Suck it up, i had old text books when i was at school." "It's always been the same, whoever's been in power." etc. I was the only person replying who agreed with the Head. A lot of people don't give a shit about school funding cuts unfortunately

Oh and I didn't even mention the 14 TAs we made redundant 2 years ago. And the librarian. And the technician. Plus the "natural wastage" of teaching staff that have gone unreplaced, leading to bigger classes and more stressed teachers.

I have a class of 26 nursery children with myself (teacher) and a Level 3 practitioner, just last year there was also a TA but when she handed her notice in she wasn't replaced because we can't afford it.
When we need cover it has to be done in phase if possible, if I'm out of the classroom this means the Level 3 practitioner stays and I'm covered by one of the reception TAs. I'm pretty sure this isn't legal and it leaves reception short staffed compared to normal.
In our Year 1 class the teacher was off for a week and was covered by 2 TAs because again supply couldn't be afforded.
The budget for the subject I lead was £500 2 years ago, this year it is £250.
We are not allowed paper towels because of the cost, we have hand driers in the toilets instead which some.of the younger children refuse to use because they don't like the noise.

Not replacing TAs and part time teachers who leave, and considering redundancies (very much hoping it won't come to that). It's tight and getting tighter and we've nothing left to squeeze.

My kids’ school now has a part-time head because they can’t afford a full-time head. Meaning he is rarely available to discuss matter with teachers let alone parents and doesn’t know the school or kids very well. When teachers are off sick for long periods (which seems to be happening a lot and is certainly in part stress-related) cover is sometimes a supply teacher but often just filled in with a TA for days. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I’m shocked at the change of funding and quality of provision across the board since my oldest child started at primary school 6 years ago so we will do everything in our power to send our kids private for secondary (which was not our original plan and will be v hard financially). So many kids are not getting the attention they require and there is no one to complain to because the head is barely there. Other local schools are consulting on reducing to a 4 or 4.5 day week. We’re in the thick of it and as a parent I can see it all unfolding and I fear this is just the start. It’s going to get so much worse before those in power wake up and see the damage that has been done - but that will be too late for my kids’. As an aside, my 6 year old mentioned the other day that his school don’t have any money - I’m careful not to mention the dire financial situation to him so asked what he meant, and he said that his teacher said that the school can’t afford any more whiteboard pens and that she can only use the green one now as that’s all she has left. I was hoping he was mistaken but I see from a PP that this happens! I feel like buying a massive box and delivering them to his teacher. We already make significant parent contributions to the school and raise lots via the PTA so I feel that this situation is on the brink of absolutely unsustainability .

My school has seen cuts in subjects offered at A-level and GCSE, teacher and TA redundancies, tight restrictions on photocopying and printing, class sizes are bigger, teachers are teaching more, we can’t afford textbooks for the new GCSE, no more Y10 work experience, shorter school day.

DD went to a sparkly school that had a cash injection from business and has amazing facilities (state) she came home realising how very tired her school is.

Simple things like
sanitary bin bags
school bursting with students that they can’t all fit in the canteen and have to take really short shifts
Latin only available as Twighlight (paid for) option
Joined an MAT
Parents decorating the school

Saying that the school are inventive in saving money and tap the parents harder for money and time. Some local businesses have also donated equipment or decorating and gardening items. A recent fundraiser for visualisers was definitely a nice to have but was quickly funded but the more you get asked the more you start thinking ‘not this time’ so it isn’t a permanent solution.

P.s the brother school to DD’s school recently discovered £1.5m in unspent parental donations after pleading poverty for years. Sadly it can’t be shared with DD’s school but I feel sorry for the parents who donated and now their sons have left the school.

Our school have taken back the PTA to use the funds it made to prop up the budgets rather than the nice to haves it used to fund. Tbh I don’t think the parents realise this as they have kept very quiet about it. (I used to run the PTA)

How can you have missed £1.5m of donations?! That must have been a glorious day for the school although, as you say, very annoying for parents who donated this and whose sons have now left.

I didn’t miss the funds as DD is at a girls school and this is the boys school nearby olavesunofficialnews.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/school-confirms-voluntary-fund-is-awash-with-cash/ - it is quite amazing

Primary here 🙋🏼‍♀️ money in all the wrong places I feel. Thousands of pounds to spend in Sports Premium and PE but no money to support children in the classroom for more TAs or general resources. Makes no sense!

Sorry to repeat myself but I do think class sizes at secondary are having a huge impact on results. 34 now in a Y8 mixed ability, where the range is massive. I differentiate (as in plan and make 5 different sets of resources for every lesson) but I can't actual teach them effectively all at the same time.
So the most needy and the brightest get my attention as I'm measured on them (indeed, my wages and actual job rest upon it) and the rest are largely a sea of faces to try and catch a word or two with.
It's as rubbish as it sounds.

I think mixed ability and large class sizes is a recipe for disaster. They should set if they want large classes.

How do you fit 35 in a classroom? We don’t have enough space for that many!