Conservative MPs must select a new prime minister that sticks to the party’s 2019 election manifesto pledge to return school funding to 2010 levels in real terms to avoid a “crisis” that will have a “devastating impact” on the sector, the education sector has warned.

Leaders of 13 organisations, including the Confederation of School Trusts, the NAHT school leaders’ union, the Association of Schools and Colleges, and the National Governance Association, have today written to all Conservative MPs warning that schools in their constituencies will see an average shortfall of up to £45,000 for primaries and £250,000 for secondaries by 2024.

This will lead to teacher cuts that impact educational outcomes and leave pupils being taught in dangerous buildings if funding is not increased urgently.

“A funding shortfall of this scale cannot be absorbed by schools and colleges without severely impacting the quality of education. Put simply, they will not be able to afford to continue to provide the education that pupils and students deserve”, they warn.

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The letter, published below in full, also states that the level of underfunding is “unprecedented even in the context of a decade of underfunding of education”, and that it will have a “direct impact on the ability of schools and colleges to maintain educational standards. 

“In some cases, they will compromise the wellbeing of children.”

A perfect storm

The letter says how the crisis has been created by a “perfect storm” of factors impacting budgets, including a decade of falling school funding, “spiralling” energy bills and unfunded pay increases for teachers.

It describes how school leaders and governors are now having to make “heart wrenching” choices over cuts in response to lack of funds, including:

• Making teachers and support staff redundant - including teaching assistants providing essential support to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Increasing class sizes.
• Reducing subject choices - including no longer offering music, art or drama.
• Cutting extracurricular provision, including after-school clubs and school trips.
• Cutting catch-up provision for children particularly badly affected by the pandemic, including the National Tutoring Programme.
• Cutting support for vulnerable learners with SEND or debilitating mental health issues.
• Cutting attendance support, even in areas of high deprivation where this is vital.
• Cancelling proposed repairs to dilapidated school and college buildings.

The letter sets out how the shortfall is likely to impact average schools but says parents will soon be able to gauge how individual schools will be impacted via the relaunch of the School Cuts website over the next two weeks.

As such, it urges the MPs to “avert” the crisis by ensuring candidates standing to become the next prime minister only get their vote if they commit to sticking to the 2019 manifesto pledge on funding, increase funding in line with inflation, ensure schools can access the energy relief scheme beyond the six months already announced to March 2023, and provide funding to pay for teacher pay rises.

The letter concludes that they write on “behalf of young people” who made “enormous sacrifices to protect others” during the pandemic, and who would “not forgive us if their life chances are further diminished”.