National school funding is an important influence on our school's ability to maintain high standards and meet children's needs. You will no doubt be aware how chaotic the government continues to be, this has influenced our school funding situation.
We are in the depths of a national school funding crisis brought about by external factors, including:
- The whole education system has suffered real-time cuts for over a decade, as a result of below inflation funding awards in the past.
- The current cost of living crisis has meant that all resources in school cost a lot more than they did previously.
- The energy crisis also means that our energy bills have all risen significantly.
- A recent pay award for school staff, though welcome and well deserved is not going to be funded by the government. Pay awards are usually fully funded in school budgets. This presents a significant extra and unexpected burden on our school budget.
- Currently the government is threatening further austerity cuts to the education sector, to compensate for the national budget deficit.
It is realistic to recognise that every school in the country is now facing a difficult budget reality. All schools will continue to be underfunded and be forced to cut away at existing provision, including staffing levels, in order to balance budgets.
Gearies is no different from other schools. We are preparing a stepped response to this emergency, the solution to which seems a long way off. We have been implementing some efficiencies into school spending where possible and will soon be introducing a degree of departmental reorganisation. Some changes will be introduced immediately whilst others will be negotiated next year.
The school will do all it can to protect services but there have to be inevitable cuts in response to the crisis.
Staff unions will soon be considering balloting members for industrial action to attempt to protect and restore pay awards and school funding. Failure by the government to properly fund education may have further significant consequences, including:
- a worsening of staff recruitment and retention
- a reduction in current levels of support for children
- and a reduction in school resources
I will continue to seek the best options to address the crisis. When the re-organisational steps are being introduced I will let you know, with more detail.
Mr Drew
Headteacher
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