Threat of cuts to staffing and subjects in £3 billion schools funding crisis

Huge cuts: Justine Greening's plans to balance funding could lead to cuts across the capital
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Pippa Crerar16 March 2017

Hundreds of schools across London are being forced to take drastic measures — including laying off teachers — to help make ends meet.

Heads are begging parents to dip into their pockets to boost cash-strapped coffers, reducing the number of subjects offered at A-level, cutting extracurricular activities and even looking at shortening the school day.

London Councils says Education Secretary Justine Greening’s attempt to “rebalance” funding across the country will result in 1,500 schools in the capital — 70 per cent of the total — facing cuts.

Ms Greening is now under pressure to rethink the funding overhaul.

Last night about 20 Tory MPs confronted her at a private meeting, complaining about spending shortfalls.

At least four London MPs were among those who stood up at the meeting of the Conservative backbenchers’ 1922 Committee or approached her afterwards, according to sources.

The Standard found that the capital’s schools face having to make major cuts over the next three years as part of £3 billion in savings nationally.

London’s schools will need to make savings of £360 million in the first year of the new national funding formula (2018/19) to balance their books.

Heads have already sent letters to parents warning of dark days ahead if ministers press on with their plans.

Parents are being urged to lobby MPs, write to ministers and respond to the Department for Education’s consultation, which closes next Wednesday. Mayor Sadiq Khan described the plans as a “kick in the teeth”, while London Councils chairwoman Claire Kober accused ministers of treating children like “figures on a spreadsheet”.

MPs from all parties have challenged ministers, prompting reports the Government could delay or even withdraw its plan. Senior Tories claimed the scale of dissatisfaction was so great that Ms Greening — who is MP for Putney — would be forced to think again.

Today Downing Street left the door open to the funding formula being dropped.

Parents hit back at plans to slash budgets

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Parents urged ministers to boost funding to protect education in London today as they highlighted the dramatic cuts faced by the city’s schools.

Michael Hampshire, a parent governor at St John’s and St Clement’s primary in Southwark, one of the worst-affected boroughs, said the school would lose about £320,000 in the next few years. 

He said: “We’re going to have to get rid of six or seven teachers out of 14 classes — or all the teaching assistants. So then you just have one teacher to 30 kids and no teaching assistants. 

“There is no money spare. The major cost the school has is wages for the staff.”

Madeleine Holt, whose children go to Yerbury primary school in Islington, said: “Every parent I know is incensed about the cuts — and that goes across the political divide.” 

St Mary’s primary in Richmond is among those that have asked parents to give as much as they can to schools’ coffers. 

Parent Julia Neden-Watts said: “It’s obviously completely voluntary, but you don’t expect to pay for a school in the state sector. The Government needs to protect the budget in real terms, not cash terms.” 

Britt Armstrong-Gash’s daughter Zoe goes to Coombe Hill junior in Kingston and has medical and learning needs. She said: “You’ve got schools that can’t even afford the paper to photocopy study resources. At what point is it going to be acceptable for them to spend £6,000 on each special needs kid?”

Last week, more than 150 parents, teachers, governors and councillors packed into the assembly hall at John Donne primary in Peckham to hear how the cuts would affect schools in Southwark. 

Parent Chloe McCulloch said: “Losing £465,000 a year is a huge amount — it’s the equivalent of 10 teachers. 

If these plans go ahead then headteachers and the Government will have some really difficult decisions to make.”

An official told the Standard: “This is a consultation, the whole point is to gather views. We will respond in due course.”

David Burrowes, Tory MP for Enfield Southgate, described the formula as “inadequate” while Twickenham MP Tania Mathias said she was “dismayed” core education spending had not gone up in the Budget.

Labour’s Harriet Harman, MP for Camberwell and Peckham, warned the plans would “turn the clock back” on progress in London schools.

Thousands of parents are attending school hall meetings about the crisis.

Sean Maher, head of Richard Challoner secondary in Kingston, said his teachers were at “breaking point” because of the extra workload. “It’s getting to the point where good teachers are turning round and saying, ‘Actually I can’t carry on like this,’” he said.

Maureen Cobbett, head at Latymer School in Enfield, has written to parents warning the school will have to cut staff and drop Latin, PE, technology and sociology from its A-level curriculum.

Last autumn Latymer asked parents to donate £30 to £50 a month. It is now asking for more to contribute.

Richard Slade, head of Plumcroft primary in Greenwich, which is predicted to lose £400,000 by 2020, told a conference: “There’s a point where I will have no alternative, because I’m not going to implement that level of cut, to resign.”

The Bridge Academy in Hackney could lose almost £1 million by 2019, equivalent to 21 teachers, after seeing their best ever exam results this year.

Mr Khan said: “It is a kick in the teeth for everyone who’s worked so hard to make London an international beacon for education, with a track record in supporting disadvantaged pupils. It is unacceptable that the Government has chosen to hit our children hardest.”

At last night’s 1922 Committee the level of anger outside London took MPs by surprise. “We know London MPs are uncomfortable ... London is the best funded area,” said a witness.

“But there were MPs in areas supposed to be gainers saying their schools were going into the red.” Ms Greening was described as being “in listening mode”.

The Department for Education said: “The system for distributing funding is unfair, opaque and outdated. We are going to end the postcode lottery. Under the proposed national funding formula, more than half of England’s schools will receive a cash boost.”

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