Impact of new cuts to state school funding

[Novotelchok]

There are a lot of headlines just now about further cuts to state school funding - through inadequate central government funding of pay rises & NI increases, and pupil premium not going up enough. I'm not in England so only know what's in the papers - I'd be very interested to hear how this is impacting schools/ children / families.

I'm not a journalist, just an interested parent & a voter who is pretty worried by what seems to be Austerity 2.0.

I must admit I am surprised sport premium hasn't gone before now. but schools will be hit hard without it, there has been some creative accounting going on with it in the past.

If schools have to cut many more staff there isn't going to be anyone left to run the breakfast clubs Labour are introducing!

https://inews.co.uk/news/education/state-schools-facing-bankruptcy-and-closure-over-existential-funding-threat-2979502#:~:text=“Some%20schools%20–%20particularly%20small%20primary,and%20could%20become%20effectively%20bankrupt.

This was written last year but is arguably now more relevant.

I don’t blame you, do as you want regardless of mn posts.

VAT isn’t even helping improving state schools. They will have lower funding and the gap will widen. What a depressing show that policy is.

I utterly agree. It is also depressing how many people fell for the smokescreen VAT on private policy.

The thing is that schools won't "cut" staff, HTs will continue to force out the expensive and experienced teachers.
Not just damaging your child's education but the mental wellbeing of the teachers that will be sacrificed by the HTs.

A PP asked what happens if schools go bankrupt. Well, I was in a council meeting as a member of the public this week and the council voted to close 6 primary schools in our area. With a further 5 to be 'considered' at the next council meeting.

We have two independent schools in our area that begins from the age of 3. There has already been an attrition in the school my children goes to of approx 2 students per year level I am given to understand. (Granted- that's from the age of 3 right to Year 13). I have just looked at the stats for the primary school closest to me which is the one we sent DS1 at first and it has 300 children in it. It's one of the larger ones scheduled but some of the other schools are very small - 50 odd students. They all have to find other schools. As do the children who were going to go into that school. Add that to the children from the other primary schools. Add that to the children who might have gone to the independents but now won't and the children who are being pulled out.

I'm baffled by the decision-making tbh. In our area there is a total of 40 primary schools and a potential 11 are closing or scheduled to close. Two of those primary schools are special schools (not as yet marked for closure) so 11 are closing out of an effective 38 schools.

And that's just this week.

I will say though- as a private school parent who has been on many a thread about the VAT- I felt under siege and defensive by the 'gleeful' posters who laughed at our situation and told us to suck it up and bend over.

Now that this has happened to the state sector I feel more 'we really ARE all in this together. The Labour party are destroying the very fabric of all society. '. The LP's attack on the most vulnerable has truly deeply shocked me.

Now that this has happened to the state sector I feel more 'we really ARE all in this together

What do you mean 'now that this has happened' like state education hasn't been subject to devastating cuts over the last fifteen years?

You clearly haven't been paying attention.

Exactly
Labour should go after Education, well no not our childrens education obviously, just the education of children whose parents who pay extra for it.
And any ill effects felt by children? Well thats just tough and all for the GREATER GOOD

Cuts to education are not a new thing though?

@HappySheldon falling birth rate is having an impact on schools. Do you know what form entry the school with 300 pupils is? I’m assuming 2 form ie 2 classes per year group, which means it should have approximately 400 pupils in it. I’m surprised that is closing would assume they would have taken the pupils from the smaller schools closing

@mushroomshroom there are only so many cuts schools can take, especially as costs have increased so much

I know Labour are attacking private, unfortunately.

It’s meant to help state. The worst part is it won’t.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/funding-storm-prepares-to-crash-into-schools/

I don't disagree @crumblingschools but the biggest impact on funding is falling rolls.

Always been a bit suspicious of universal free school meals, though apparently pointing out that rich people don't need the government to pay for their kids' dinners makes me some kind of moral monster.

I fear, though, that the latest round of cuts is going to go much further than eliminating genuine excesses.

The problem with any funding as per the article @EasternStandard linked is how it's calculated. Generally it's pupil numbers & pupil characteristics but obviously this is a blanket approach & doesn't allow for the fact that some schools have more UPS teachers which means more money is needed for NI contributions & to cover pay rises.

They have been in private education and didn't give a shit.
They don't really give a shit now either.

I’m a governor at school who is in structural
deficit. The DoE have been through their books and can’t find anything they can cut. The school just isn’t recieving enough funding. LEA doesn’t want to fund the additional ECHP hours and therefore don’t give the amount needed. All ECHP applications in our school in the last 18 months have been appealed and on appeal the number of hours were increased.

Another local school have just increased class sizes to 32 per class because they’re in deficit.

If I did not give a shit why did I make the time to attend a fucking dull council meeting specifically about school closures that do not affect me at all?

The councillors spent more goddamned time talking about how much their expenses could rise than they did about the closures. It was pretty crap.

And you don't know what I care about.

Get lost! Sick of this accusation.
We used state primary and will use state 6th form. Most parents using independent schools mix and match with state.
So bin your prejudice and lazy tropes! You will see I comment in the Education board frequently. I work in Ed sec so it is something I am passionate about, whether home schooling, state or independent.

Bridget Phillipson has suggested cutting school spending by £500 million and ending universal free meals for infants

Has this been confirmed-I heard rumours but has she actually suggested this?

Too simplistic. Funding per student has not increased sufficiently for schools to cope with increasing costs. The school I work in is massively over subscribed and yet we are in a deficit and facing redundancies.

@Schoolfailure have they increased class sizes by mixing classes so can reduce staff headcount

@Bringmeahigherlove I don't disagree that there are other problems with funding?