‘Shocking’ cuts will hit community as town's schools face difficult future, says Culcheth High head teacher

Under the Government’s new funding formula, almost a quarter of a million pounds will be wiped off Warrington head teacher’s budgets next April.

The town will remain the tenth lowest funded area in the country for education.

Although primary schools will be hit hardest by the plans, many secondary schools also face rising costs and a smaller pot of money to meet them.

Chris Hunt, head teacher at Culcheth High, said: “It’s certainly not fairer funding. I know there are places that are worse off than Warrington, but the new formula was a shock to all of us.

“We genuinely thought the fair funding formula was going to increase funding to allow us to develop areas within the school for students and staff.

“Over the next few years we face a lot of uncertainty. It costs the same amount to keep Warrington schools running as any other school in any other authority, so why still such huge differences in funding from one authority to another?”

At the same time as the Government announced changes which tighten head teachers’ budgets, schools are facing the same increase in bills as businesses. Mr Hunt said the the school has seen costs increase by around £70,000 thanks to a rise in national insurance, pension payments, a one per cent pay increase for teachers and the apprentice levy, which will be introduced in April.

Culcheth High’s business and finance manager Katie Cunningham said: “It’s going to have a knock-on effect on the town’s economy. Businesses have to understand that it’s going to be a difficult few years for schools, which may have a real effect on orders for resources like books and furniture and securing services like gardening or building work.

“With the apprenticeship levy there is a lack of support in how this money will be used. It feels like money is being taken away and we will never see it again or know how this money is going to be invested back into schools.

“We have already been driving down costs. There’s not much left to cut.”

Mr Hunt added the school has reduced staff by around 10 teachers and three support staff in the past five years through normal staff turnover and reassured people that the school is not planning to cut jobs.

He said: “I just fear what some schools may have to do – there is news in other parts of the country of schools potentially closing early or going down to four days a week.

“The uncertainty doesn’t allow us to plan and develop the school for the future. But we will work hard and do the best we can for our school and our community."

He thanked parents for their support and urged residents to write to their MPs and respond to the government consultation outlined at warrington.gov.uk/info/201358/school_cuts.

In response, the minister for school standards, Nick Gibb MP, said Warrington schools will in fact receive a 0.6 per cent boost in funding under the formula and he is 'determined' to deliver fair plans.

He said: "While some schools in Warrington will see reductions as we bring the funding system up to date, we have built significant protections in to the formula, so that no school will face a reduction of more than more than 1.5 per cent per pupil per year or 3 per cent per pupil overall.

"Overall, schools in Warrington would see a total uplift of funding of 0.6 per cent if the proposed new funding formula was implemented in full.

"As the minister responsible for school funding in England, I am determined to end the historic postcode lottery of the current school funding system which sees children with similar needs receive very different amounts of funding in different parts of the country.

"Funding every child fairly and according to their specific needs sits at the heart of delivering the government’s pledge to build a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

"School funding is at its highest level on record and will be over £40bn in 2016 to 17.

"Schools funding is driven by pupil numbers and where pupil numbers rise, the amount of money schools receive will also increase.

"But the current system for distributing school funding is unfair, opaque and outdated. It is based on inconsistent decisions that have built up over many years and on pupil information that is over a decade old.

"The case for change is clear. That is why we are proposing to introduce a national funding formula that will create a system that funds schools fairly and according to the needs of their current pupils, not just their postcode.‎

"Under the proposed formula, more than half of England’s schools will receive a cash boost. 

"We do recognise that schools are facing cost pressures, so we will continue to provide advice and support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways; for example, by helping schools improve the way they buy goods and services.

"We know that it is important that we get the formulae right so that every pound has the greatest impact.

"Our consultation runs until 22 March 2017, and we are keen to hear from as many schools, governors, local authorities and parents as possible."