Disappointment: What the Spring Statement means for our schools
While few expected a transformational announcement in this week’s Spring Statement, there was hope that it might signal real intent to address the growing pressures facing schools—especially in regions like ours. That hope, sadly, has not been realised.
Mounting need, minimal response
The Spring Statement was a chance to acknowledge the pressures building in our education system and to begin addressing them meaningfully. But despite some welcome clarity around national finances, the pressing challenges in schools were not matched with the kind of support needed.
After 15 years of real-terms funding pressures, schools are struggling to meet growing and increasingly complex demands—from staffing and SEND support to energy, estate maintenance, and inflationary costs.
This is not abstract. This affects children in real ways: fewer subjects, larger classes, reduced support services, and longer waits for vital interventions.
The North East: A region carrying more than its share
The context in our region adds further weight. We continue to face the highest rates of child poverty and free school meal eligibility in the country, alongside rising issues of attendance, behaviour, and pupil wellbeing. These aren’t short-term blips, they are systemic challenges that require long-term vision and investment.
Our schools are doing everything they can, but the gap between what is needed and what is provided is widening.
Warning signs from early years to the classroom
Recent surveys, such as the School Readiness report, show a worrying picture: many children are arriving in school without the basic developmental milestones needed to thrive. Health visiting services are stretched, and SEND pathways are struggling to cope with demand. Meanwhile, the teacher recruitment and retention crisis deepens, fuelled by rising expectations, unfunded pay rises, and mounting workload.
A missed opportunity on free school meals
One of the clearest, simplest steps to support children in our region—automatic enrolment in free school meals—was once again overlooked. This measure alone could bring an additional £15 million in Pupil Premium funding to our schools annually. It would directly benefit children who need it most. It remains, in our view, a missed opportunity that should be rectified.
Investing in schools means investing in the future
Our Director, Chris Zarraga, said, “Schools are not islands, they cannot shoulder the cumulative impact of funding cuts, broken services, and increasing need alone.” Education cannot be treated in isolation, it is part of a wider ecosystem of care, opportunity, and societal wellbeing.
What’s needed now is a long-term plan for education funding and reform. Investing in schools is not just morally right, it’s economically sound. The earlier we act, the greater the return.
The conversation doesn’t end here but it needs to start moving in a new direction. Our children deserve no less. As the unwavering Voice of North East schools, we will continue to escalate our campaign until we see tangible recognition, decisive action, and real change.
For every child, for every school, and for the future of our region, Schools North East is a proud amplifier of this conversation, influencing positive change for the benefit of all.