I have a question: imagine running a budget, a budget that influences lives, academically and socially, supporting every person regardless of background, in 2022 that is at a level lower than in 2010?
Did you know, according to the Bank of England, £1 in 2010 is now worth £1.34? And with inflation as it is, by 2024 it will be worth over £1.70. But schools’ budgets will be ‘returned’ to 2010 levels by 2024, according to figures published by the House of Commons Library on July 22, 2022. Put simply, school budgets have a minimum of 34 per cent missing from their budgets.
The government will tell you that schools have ‘enough money in their budgets with core school funding rising by £4 billion this year, a seven per cent cash terms per pupil boost, making any increased costs “broadly affordable for schools in 2022-23”, with a three-year, £7.2 billion increase. This includes the rhetoric: ‘…and this will help schools to meet wider cost pressures.’ This simply is not true. Analysis of this is as follows:
· Cost to schools of £1.3 billion per annum, for teacher pay increases; plus support staff increases* will need a minimum of £1 billion per annum, meaning a minimum of 63.9 per cent of this additional funding. Then add to this that ‘schools across England could be paying an estimated £1 billion a year for energy they use as schools are not protected through the price cap from rising costs.’ (EnergyNewsLive, May 2022), meaning there is £0.6 billion maximum left over the next two years. This does not take into account where costs for staffing is even higher where more staff are needed, like in special schools.
· The IFS said energy and food prices also “weigh extremely heavily on school budgets” because they make up around a quarter of non-staff costs, and they state the government will not meet its promise to restore school budgets to 2010 levels.
· Rishi Sunak, while chancellor, pledged to “restore per-pupil funding” to 2010 spending patterns in real terms by 2024-25, but the IFS study found budgets are actually on track to be worth three per cent less after inflation.
· The “very significant squeeze” makes it “that much harder” for schools to fulfil the government’s levelling-up agenda, the IFS warned.
Schools have been working extremely hard to make budgets balance over the last 12 years – but in the last five years, in particular, to make budgets balance, this has meant a reduction in the services for our children – less staff, less resources, less visitors/workshops, less educational visits, less pastoral support. Less.
Another rhetoric is that ‘£4 billion is held in school accounts’ – which sounds a lot! But this is actually only 3.8 per cent of the total national schools’ budget. Good accounting, as per the Department for Education [DfE] and finance audits, is to keep three-to-five per cent for contingency – in case of emergencies, like storm damage or long-term illness of staff (if a teacher goes off ill long term, the cost of supply is £1,200 per week, and a technical assistant £700 per week). Yet now it will be used for staff pay increases, energy bills and inflation causing resources costs to increase by at least 10 per cent - so this contingency will be gone in no time at all.
Simply, schools are going into deficit – now or in the very near future. In the fifth-largest economy, how is this remotely possible – especially as DFE guidance warns trusts that if a deficit arises, they “must be in a position to know at an early point in the financial cycle, have options available that will allow the academy trust to return to balance and have processes to give assurance that recovery plans are on track”…but how? Most school budgets do not allow schools to have enough staff yet their staff costs are too high, according to audits. This is because there is over 34 per cent of budgets missing, from 2010, and with unsupported staffing costs now from this September, this can only mean further reductions in staffing.
Add to this the pressures of recruitment and retention. Over 35,000 trainee teachers started courses in September 2020, yet only 22,380 are now teaching in a state-funded school. In July this year, only half of ITT places were applied for...8.1 per cent of teachers left the profession in 2021, and only 11 per cent of these were retirees, with teacher vacancies up by 42 per cent. Add to this that a survey in April 2022 by the National Education Union [NEU] that showed ‘unmanageable workloads, stress and levels of trust in teachers from public and government’ mean about 44 per cent of teachers are planning to leave within five years.
There are too many social media and national media attacks on schools and staff – just this month, a story ‘leaked’ in two national newspapers that schools were considering three-day week which was then used on social media to say that ‘teachers don’t care’. It is this kind of education ‘bashing’ that is adding to the demoralisation of amazing staff who want the very best for the children in their care – but end up leaving the profession for better pay and, more importantly, better conditions in a completely different sector.
Over accountability, poor pay and conditions (and expectations being raised by the week), continued ill-thought out tweaks to the sector by eight education secretaries in 12 years (six in the last five years) and the poor attitude towards the wellbeing of staff and children means that the sector is no longer one that can recruit and retain successfully in the current system and this is now a huge dilemma which is, quite frankly, scandalous.
I am not someone who is usually political, but we have to ask the question: what’s important to our politicians? Both Conservative prime minister candidates have expressed support for grammar schools. But the evidence shows every argument for bringing them back just doesn't stack up, as per (as an example) the Education Policy Institute (see this article by Sophy Ridge).
Actually, there are two things that need to happen.
Firstly, the government should hold a full, well thought out review of the education system to ensure that it ensures every child can succeed in every area of life in the 21st Century, with increased childhood life satisfaction. A full review that properly analyses the funding of schools to ensure that all educational buildings are appropriate, safe and welcoming? A full review that means the system appeals to, and retains, staff? Estonia did this just over 10 years ago – the country was brave and forward thinking, reviewing education, children’s services and funding…and now? Above the UK in education ratings and, more importantly, in children’s life satisfaction. Finland did this many years ago to huge positive effect (see Finland’s education system).
And secondly, perhaps most importantly in the current climate, schools need families’ support. It is rare that I have met any school staff member, from senior leaders to teachers to TAs to office staff to cleaners, that do not want to do their very best for the children. Please understand how your children’s schools function, the issues surrounding school budgets and how this will affect the opportunities your children may, or may not, be able to access in the future without better funding. And support the staff and the school. Together, we can make a difference for every child.
*Pay: Public sector workers, including teachers, NHS staff, police staff, justice staff, and so on, deserve a real-term pay increase, proven by Office for National Statistics [ONS] data that shows public sector earnings have fallen in real terms by 4.3 per cent since the financial crisis, with some professions experiencing falls of as much as 13 per cent. But this cannot be from existing budgets – it is impossible after more than a decade, in each of these sectors, of cuts.
Photo provided by Bellfield Junior School
