WATCH: ‘Now fund schools properly’, Boris Johnson told

Headteacher and school funding campaigner Jules White sets out three priorities for the incoming administration
13th December 2019, 5:03am

Share

WATCH: ‘Now fund schools properly’, Boris Johnson told

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/watch-now-fund-schools-properly-boris-johnson-told
Jules White

Most of the votes have been counted and a new government’s programme should soon begin. 

Education may not have featured as heavily as Brexit and the NHS in the election campaign. But all the main contenders made a succession of promises about the billions they planned to shower on schools.


Analysis: Election school funding pledges unspun

Exclusive: School funds no longer key issue, say Tories

Read: School funding: Heads threaten protest march


Whether or not the amounts are enough to reverse real terms cuts, there are big decisions to be made about how the money should be spent.

Jules White, headteacher at Tanbridge House School, in Horsham, has set out three main priorities to help the new government on its way.

WATCH: My three priorities for the new administration

Mr White, the founder of the WorthLess? school funding campaign, calls for every child’s education to be “funded properly”. He wants to see “a core unit of funding sufficient to meet the needs of a really good education for every pupil regardless of where they go to school.”

Secondly, he calls for “immediate, significant investment into special educational needs and high needs - at least £1.5 billion in the next financial year, with a project to move forward on that”.

Thirdly, he wants the government to develop a long term, 10-year funding plan, as recommended by the House of Commons education select committee.

Headteachers campaigned vigorously for more school funding ahead of the 2017 election campaign, but have been less vocal this time around.

Unlike two years ago, all three main parties were quick to pledge extra billions for schools and school funding has not been as hotly debated during this campaign.

But Mr White has warned that school leaders are ready to march on parliament if the financial pressures they are facing are not addressed by the next  administration.

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared