Schools in the North East are being left out of policy decisions and funding allocations, an expert group representing education leaders in the area has warned the education secretary.

Schools North East has written to Bridget Phillipson today to warn that a “severe lack of representation from educational professionals in the North East” in recently announced government reviews “threatens the effectiveness of policymaking”.

The letter details a lack of representation for the region on the Department for Education’s Curriculum and Assessment Review Panel and “only two” members from North East schools among the 94 individuals chosen to take part in the seven external reference groups established by Ofsted to inform current reforms.

‘Gross underrepresentation’ of North East

In the letter, Chris Zarraga, director of Schools North East, says the “gross underrepresentation is particularly concerning given the scale of the challenges in the North East”. He highlights the region’s high rates of long-term disadvantage and free school meal (FSM) eligibility, as well as the above-average proportion of students with special educational needs and disabilities, and a deteriorating school estate.

Mr Zarraga adds that the selection process for both of the groups had been “opaque”.

“It gives the appearance that the same usual contributors are shaping policy, with little room for the input of those who have frontline experience in regions that face distinct challenges,” he says.

The letter also says that the region missed out on extra school improvement funding. It points to figures showing that it had the lowest success rate for bids to the Condition Improvement Fund (for school building improvements), claiming that only 26.8 per cent of bids from schools in the region were approved by the DfE, compared with the national average of 41.4 per cent.

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Mr Zarraga adds: “Ensuring greater transparency in these processes will not only promote equity but will also guarantee that the voices from the North East - and other disadvantaged regions - are heard, and that policies are more reflective of the diversity of our educational landscape.”

He says that the “absence of diverse regional representation on policy-shaping bodies perpetuates a harmful cycle of ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions, which fail to address the pressing needs of schools serving the most vulnerable students”.

Mr Zarraga urges Ms Phillipson, who is an MP in the North East, representing Houghton and Sunderland South, to meet with him to discuss the improvement of representation “at her earliest convenience”.

The DfE has been contacted for comment.