More than of half (57 per cent) of headteachers in England taking part in a new survey say that the funding they received to help pupils recover from the Covid pandemic has been insufficient this year.
A survey of 1,371 teachers and senior leaders, conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) on behalf of educational charity the Sutton Trust, found that the situation was worst in primary schools, where 68 per cent of leaders reported funding that was not sufficient.
Half (51 per cent) of primary leaders also reported cutting down on the number of teaching assistants because of funding issues, the findings - published today - show.
And around a third of primary leaders (35 per cent) said they had reduced support staff or IT equipment (32 per cent).
The survey also found that 33 per cent of school headteachers reported dipping into the pupil premium fund for poorer students to plug gaps in their general budget.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust and chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, said the survey results highlighted the huge difficulties facing schools resulting from the Covid crisis.
“Today’s polling shows that schools are facing monumental challenges as a result of the pandemic, with schools having to cut crucial staff and support for pupils,” he said.
He added: “With all these ongoing pressures, dedicated funding for poorer pupils through the pupil premium is more crucial than ever. It’s a disgrace that a third of heads still report using pupil premium funding to plug budget gaps.
“The government must make an enormous investment in education recovery so that all pupils are given a chance to succeed.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our ambitious recovery plan covering primary, secondary and further education continues to roll out across the country, with nearly £5 billion being invested in high-quality tutoring, world-class training for teachers and early years practitioners, additional funding for schools and extending time in colleges by 40 hours a year.
“Core school funding is increasing by £4 billion in 2022-23 compared with 2021-22 - a seven per cent cash-terms-per-pupil boost - which will help schools to meet wider cost pressures. Pupil premium funding is increasing to more than £2.6 billion in 2022-23, the highest cash-terms rate since this funding began.”
Tes has previously reported how schools are being hit by a range of cost pressures this spring, including fuel price hikes and soaring staff cover bills.
The DfE has previously said that, in 2022-23, core schools funding will increase by £4 billion compared with 2021-22, giving a 5 per cent real-terms per-pupil boost.
But the Institute for Fiscal Studies projects that spending per pupil in 2024 will be at about the same level as in 2010, as it fell by 9 per cent in real terms between 2009-10 and 2019-20.
