The 2015 Conservative Party manifesto said: #schoolcuts The 2015 Conservative Party manifesto said:
But it’s not quite as simple as that: Here “protected” means not increased in line with inflation.
The only way a school can increase its funding is by taking in more students. Which means that: class sizes have to go up, and teachers have to be moved to core subjects so a narrower curriculum and less/no individual support.
6% in primaries and 11% in secondaries School population is set to rise by 8% between 2015 and 2020. 6% in primaries and 11% in secondaries
How bad are the cuts? Figures from the National Audit Office
National Governors Association 60% schools plan to make redundancies this year 77% secondaries plan to make redundancies
This is the largest cut in education funding since the 1970s. It is more than all the cuts made by Margaret Thatcher and John Major.
Behind Sweden and Finland, but also the Ukraine, Ghana and Bolivia (Graph includes spending on FEs & pre-school. Last Parliament the cuts mainly fell on 16-19 year olds , school buildings and EMA. It’s all areas this time.)
Big change in policy compared with the Coalition Government Source: Institute for Fiscal Studies
98.5% of schools are set to have their per-pupil funding cut in real terms £339 average loss per primary pupil £477 average loss per secondary pupil
“The floor” When Justine Greening announced the NFF, she said that no schools would lose more than 3% of their funding. This promise is not all it seems.
Schools that are on the ‘floor’ will stay there until the formula permits a funding increase. These schools will receive flat cash settlements for years to come. Some schools will get no more funding until 2025 or even later. There are 5,333 schools that require additional funds through the funding floor. These schools will receive further cuts through flat cash settlements after 2020.
School A example School A is protected by the funding floor. Without it, the NFF says the school should have a budget cut of 10%. School A will receive flat cash settlements until the formula says it should rise. If per pupil funding increased by 1% per year, School A would not receive an increase until 2027 / 28.
Acre Hall Primary School 206 -15% -£745 £93,512 £454 10% -12% Av num pupils FSM6 Pupils Percent change 2015/16 - 2019/20 Change 2015/16 - 2019/20 Total below floor Total below floor per pupil Percent below floor Total change from NFF Lostock College 49% 313 -14% -£1,327 £832,042 £2,658 32% -34% Broadoak School 62% 333 -13% -£1,041 £463,081 £1,391 19% -21% Acre Hall Primary School 206 -15% -£745 £93,512 £454 10% -12% Stretford High School 50% 801 -£775 £327,302 £409 7% -10%
Organise a parents meeting at your school Haringey parents have started a campaign called Fair Funding For All Schools. There are now groups across the country.