Schools sector leaders have urged the new team of ministers at the Department for Education to ensure more funding is provided to schools and to prevent any Treasury cuts.
Headteachers and multi-academy trust leaders have highlighted the funding situation in schools as a top priority for prime minister Rishi Sunak’s government, as the latest reshuffle is taking place.
It was announced last night that long-standing minister Nick Gibb was returning to the department alongside Commons Education Select Committee chair Robert Halfon.
Gillian Keegan was announced as the sixth education secretary in a little over a year on Tuesday.
It was reported today in The Times that Mr Sunak is planning education reforms, including the introduction of a British baccalaureate and that he sees investment in education and skills as a “silver bullet in public policy”.
Sector leaders are now urging new DfE ministers to ensure that school funding is increased and not cut when chancellor Jeremy Hunt makes his Autumn Statement next month.
Steve Chalke, the founder of the Oasis Community Learning academy chain, said: “I think the funding is essential. It’s about rebuilding the building, but we’ve got to put the fire out.
“What we can’t face is another round of cuts. So I hope that Gillian Keegan is getting in there talking to Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, to ensure that when this much awaited financial statement finally arrives…it does not contain more educational cuts.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, warned that the current financial pressures on schools could impede any new government reform ambitions.
He said: “It is of critical importance that schools and colleges are funded sufficiently to teach technical, vocational and academic subjects.
“The current situation is that steeply rising costs and inadequate government funding mean many will be left with no alternative but to reduce curriculum options to save money. The government must invest more in education in its Autumn Statement on 17 November.”
Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “School funding and teacher retention is in deep crisis. With the Autumn Statement looming and fresh funding cuts threatened, the new ministerial team needs to urgently make the case to the Treasury that investment in education is an investment in this country’s future. On that, we will always see eye to eye.”
Meanwhile, Pepe Di’Iasio, past president of ASCL and headteacher of Wales High School in Rotherham, warned that, currently, schools could not plan because of the financial uncertainty facing the sector.
He said: “In the short term we’d like some certainty around funding that enables us to plan with some confidence over the next year into the next two and three years because I would guess that just about every headteacher at the moment in the country is worried about year two and getting through year one.
“Most people I speak to are using the vast majority of their reserves to get through this next year. And we’re now worried about how we cope with what would be year two.”
The DfE has already faced several warnings about funding pressures on schools.
ASCL warned today that almost three in five headteachers are considering or are likely to reduce teaching staff and increase class sizes in the next two academic years.
A poll of 630 heads by ASCL found that 58.1 per cent were considering or likely to make reductions to teaching numbers and increase class sizes, either in 2022-23 or 2023-24, or both, if they did not receive any additional funding.
Financial pressure on schools stems from the announcement of a pay rise for experienced teachers of 5 per cent - above the level that had been expected and without any additional funding provided. They also face the prospect of rising costs, including food and energy.
Earlier this month, more than 350 academy trust leaders wrote to then prime minister Liz Truss and education secretary Kit Malthouse warning they had “very grave concerns” about the financial viability of schools after ministers indicated that government-wide spending cuts could be made.
