News

On Wednesday (6 March 2024) The Chancellor released his Spring Budget announcement and it’s painfully clear that the government doesn’t fully understand the crippling challenges our schools are facing. Especially when we consider that the Prime Minister has pledged to make education his main funding priority in every spending review.

Not unexpected, but still disappointing

Schools, especially in highly deprived areas like the North East, are in critical need of an adequately resourced and strategic plan that clearly addresses the educational issues that the region faces.

And yet, the announcement has been and gone and the education sector remains in the exact same spot with arms in the air and a big red question mark on top.

The Spring Budget did reveal that additional funding for schools (announced since 2021) has brought per pupil funding to its highest ever level in real terms in 24/25, which sounds great on paper.

However, let’s not overlook the fact that this follows the significant cuts to education that we’ve seen in the last decade. Plus, it doesn’t take into account that schools are confronting ongoing increasing costs as a result of inflation and rising needs of students.

In fact, school costs are rising faster than inflation. It has been revealed that school spending power is at least five percent lower than 2010, with schools having to make very difficult ongoing decisions, only some of which include:

• Level of pastoral support they can provide
• Amount of curriculum options on offer
• What they can afford in terms of IT equipment, classroom resources, and routine maintenance
• Many of these issues are even worse in post-16 settings, which have been even more poorly funded.

How our colleagues in the North East feel

It would be stating the obvious if we said that schools in our region (and beyond) were relying on a sustained commitment from the government in this budget announcement, but let’s explore this further.

In our recent State of the Region survey, almost all school leaders (96 percent) said they’re seeing rising numbers of students with SEND, and over 80 percent revealed they lack the capacity and resources to sufficiently support these students.

It should come as no surprise to learn that funding is consistently seen as a key priority amongst school leaders in the North East, especially as needs are increasing while financial support is decreasing.

It’s not just schools that are suffering either, but also the services around schools that education leaders and colleagues rely on for support. To put it bluntly, they’re collapsing under the pressure.

The waiting list for autism assessments in parts of our region currently sits at three years; there’s an enormous backlog of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) appointments; and a huge scarcity of education psychologists.

There has also been a rise in levels of disadvantage since the pandemic, with the North East having the highest rates of students eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) at 30.4 percent (compared with 23.8 percent nationally).

And schools are left with no choice but to (try and) cope without the funds and expertise required to keep their head safely above water!

Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: ‘The Prime Minister had previously said he would make education his main funding priority in every spending review, arguing that “it is the best way to spread opportunity and create a more prosperous society.” However, the Spring Budget does not meet the Prime Minister’s own ambitions to level-up education across the country, and especially in areas like the North East’.

The best view comes after the hardest climb…

As the Voice of North East schools, take some comfort in knowing that we’ll always be on your side, lobbying for the change we know our schools both need and deserve.

One positive we can perhaps pull from the announcement is the promise of committing an initial £105 million towards 15 new special free schools, which would create over 2,000 additional places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across England.

Just remember that you’re not alone.  The very act of showing up each day to inspire and motivate young minds is a testament to your strength and resilience, so keep going!

Lean on the community, find strength within yourself, and never forget the incredible, positive difference that you make. Because you really, really do.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the next budget announcement.