'It's madness': Town halls slam Education Secretary Justine Greening's school funding cuts

Justine Greening: the Education Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street
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Pippa Crerar11 January 2017
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Town hall chiefs today told Education Secretary Justine Greening her school funding plans are “madness” that will hit almost as many schools in outer London as the centre of the capital.

London Councils, representing all the city’s local authorities, said the revised funding proposals would deal “another blow” to cash-strapped schools.

More than two-thirds of schools in the city — about 1,500 — face budget cuts, with initial analysis suggesting inner London boroughs would be hit particularly hard.

However, LC now warns that 724 schools in outer London would lose out — almost as many as the 802 affected in inner London.

Its education spokesman Peter John said: “The national funding formula will deal another blow to schools across London. Even boroughs that stand to gain overall have schools that will experience budget cuts.

"At a time when UK schools are seen as under-performing by international standards and when businesses in London face massive uncertainty about recruiting skilled staff, it seems madness to reduce funding to any school in London or elsewhere.”

The capital is expected to see larger reductions in funding than anywhere else in the UK, with money redistributed to the North and regional market towns instead.

An LC paper said there would be “con- siderable concern” in schools about the impact on standards, as head teachers are already “grappling” with extra costs.

The report said schools face a real-terms cut of £360 million in 2018-19, the first year of the new formula.

All schools in the capital face a cut the following year, capped at three per cent per pupil.

A DfE spokesman said: “For too long school funding has been allocated on an out of date, historic system resulting in a confusing and unclear post code lottery.

“Our fairer funding proposals will see over half of England’s schools receive a cash boost in 2018/19 and will put an end to indefensible disparities.

“London is becoming more affluent but still has the highest proportion of children from a deprived background and the highest labour market costs in the country.

“That is why it will remain the highest funded part of the country under our proposals, with inner London schools being allocated 30 per cent more funding per pupil than the national average.‎”

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