Council plans schools 'fair funding' campaign after approving budget increase

Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet has approved the school funding formula for the next financial year, which will see an increased funding per pupil by 2.12 per cent.

The National Minimum Funding Guarantee allows councils to increase schools funding – the national average increase is 1.9 per cent.

Cabinet member Paul Watling said that the increase is ‘clearly modest in the context of recent inflationary pressures for schools’.

At last week’s cabinet meeting councillor Watling added that schools would receive less than the intended increase due to a miscalculation of pupil numbers by the Department for Education (DfE).

He said that the miscalculation resulted in a deduction equivalent to £1.470million of funding for Telford & Wrekin schools.

Councillor Watling added that this equated to £14,000 less for an average primary school and £59,000 less for an average secondary school.

“This news was clearly not welcome by Telford & Wrekin schools given rising cost pressures across their budgets,” added councillor Watling.

“With regard for high needs, like all other local authorities, the cost for meeting children with special educational needs are rising substantially and we’re facing a potential deficit at the end of this year.

“This is due to rising demands and significant cost inflationary pressures. We recognise that the proposed request of Telford & Wrekin Schools to seek and move to 0.5 per cent of the school to a ‘high need’ block will have a further impact on already stretched school budgets.

“We are consulting with schools on the proposal and School Forum will make a vote in January based on the responses received.

“Whilst we seek to approve the funding formula we need clearly recognise that there are serious ongoing pressures and increasing costs way above the increase allocated by government, which means that school budgets will be further squeezed going into the year.

“We will strongly be lobbying and campaigning for fairer funding for our schools and around the increase in high needs.

“This is not just school budgets but proper funding for Telford & Wrekin children, teachers and other school staff.”

Councillor Bill Tomlinson, Liberal Democrats group leader, said that the 2.12 per cent increase per pupil comes at a time when schools have to meet increase heating and salary costs.

“So basically our schools are having cuts,” he added. “That will mean less teachers, less facilities, less books and provision. Basically education is being cut as well.”

He was supported by Conservative councillor Tim Nelson who argued that the 2.12 per cent increase per pupil is ‘not enough’.

“Schools have inflationary costs inevitably,” he added. “Nationally we have a very significant problem with teacher turnover in schools.

“School attendance has fallen off a cliff, which is a disaster in a first world country. As this council’s Enterprise Strategy utterly highlights the foundation of prosperity and skills is founded on education.

“If we’re going to succeed as a nation we’ve got to invest in all education. While the council will be following national framework, the allocated amount of money is not enough."

Council leader Shaun Davies said that they will be campaigning with their school community.