School leaders in the North East should join forces to lobby for better funding
Schools across the region are being urged to fight for a greater share of education funding as the Government consults on the final shape of the new National Funding Formula (NFF).
Indicative data published by the Department for Education in December showed that while the majority of schools in the region (6 in 10) would see a slight increase in funding under the NFF, the North East remains woefully underfunded in comparison with other parts of England.
SCHOOLS NorthEast has lobbied hard on behalf of the region to secure a formula that is truly fair. This has seen questions asked in the House of Commons on several occasions.
More recently, School Standards Minister Nick Gibb MP was challenged over plans to include an Area Cost Adjustment which will see schools in more affluent areas gifted more money.
Political heavyweight Andrew Neil referenced SCHOOLS NorthEast on the BBC Daily Politics show – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0863xpc/daily-politics-15122016 (22m 06s) – quoting Director Mike Parker’s view that the Government “is doggedly pursing plans to include an Area Cost Adjustment which will divert vital resources from schools in disadvantaged areas to affluent boroughs”.
The SCHOOLS NorthEast reaction to the publication of the potential impact of the NFF in its current form can be found here.
What can you do?
The Government is currently consulting on the latest version of the formula. To have an impact, we need every school in the North East to make their voices heard.
You can do this by:
- Responding directly to the consultation here
- Writing to your local MP
- Writing to the Education Select Committee
If all school leaders make a joint effort in raising concerns of serious underfunding to the Government it will add to the representative work SCHOOLS NorthEast is doing on your behalf.
By way of background information, here is our response to the initial consultation.
Understanding the Area Cost Adjustment (ACA)?
You might wonder what the fuss is regarding the ACA.
The Government says it is important to give schools in more expensive areas additional funding as it is harder to recruit staff in areas of higher cost. The ACA is a multiplier effect on the amount schools receive for each pupil in those areas.
For each of the 12 North East LAs, there is no multiplier effect. Elsewhere in the country, some regions are seeing significant benefits as a result. In the South East, schools are benefiting by 2.06% from the new funding formula. The South West will receive 1.96% more and the East of England 1.29%. The North East will see funding rise by 1% overall, however we currently would need to receive £45m additional funding annually to receive the national average funding and £360m to receive London-level funding.
As such, the National Funding Formula will do little to close the gap and address the long-term underfunding of schools in our region.
Our analysis of government projections based on the proposed funding formula shows that 39.66% schools in the North East would see their budgets decrease, with numbers peaking in LA areas such as Hartlepool (85.71%).
Below are two charts of the biggest winners and losers in the North East, if the National Funding Formula is implemented in its current form:
Largest school budget decreases in the region under the proposed formula:
| School | Decrease | |
| 1. | Trinity Catholic College, Middlesbrough | 3.0% |
| =2. | Acklam Grange School, Middlesbrough | 2.9% |
| =2. | Carmel College, Darlington | 2.9% |
| =2. | Churchill Community College, North Tyneside | 2.9% |
| =2. | George Stephenson High School, North Tyneside | 2.9% |
| =2. | Hummersknott Academy, Darlington | 2.9% |
| =2. | Huntcliff School, Redcar and Cleveland | 2.9% |
| =2. | Hurworth School, Darlington | 2.9% |
| =2. | John Spence Community High School, North Tyneside | 2.9% |
| =2. | Kings Priory School, North Tyneside | 2.9% |
| =2. | Longbenton High School, North Tyneside | 2.9% |
| =2. | Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough | 2.9% |
| =2. | Marden High School, North Tyneside | 2.9% |
| =2. | Seaham High School, County Durham | 2.9% |
| =2. | St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy, Sunderland | 2.9% |
| =2. | St Robert of Newminster Roman Catholic School, Sunderland | 2.9% |
| =2. | St Thomas More Roman Catholic Academy, North Tyneside | 2.9% |
| =2. | The King’s Academy, Middlesbrough | 2.9% |
| =2. | Thornaby Academy, Stockton-on-Tees | 2.9% |
| =2. | Whitley Bay High School, North Tyneside | 2.9% |
Largest school budget increases in the region under the proposed formula:
| School | Increase | |
| 1. | Greenhead Church of England Primary School, Northumberland | 13.7% |
| 2. | Waverley Primary School, Newcastle | 11.8% |
| =3. | Sherburn Primary School, County Durham | 11.4% |
| =3. | St John Vianney RC Primary School, Newcastle | 11.4% |
| 5. | Timothy Hackworth Primary School, County Durham | 10.9% |
| =6. | Branton Community First School, Northumberland | 10.8% |
| =6. | Netherton Northside First School, Northumberland | 10.8% |
| =6. | Stephenson Way Academy and Nursery School, County Durham | 10.8% |
| 9. | Leadgate Primary School, County Durham | 10.7% |
| 10. | Harton Primary School, South Tyneside | 10.5% |
Impact on RI/Inadequate schools?
On the face of it, the new formula will see the more funding going to schools in the Ofsted Requires Improvement and Inadequate grades. On the face of it, this is positive as it may enable struggling schools to have some additional resources to effect change.
However, the chart below shows that this is largely beneficial at primary level where the vast majority of schools are in the Good or Outstanding categories.
Closer inspection of the data shows that, virtually across the board, there is a net reduction in funding to secondary schools – a phase of eduction that both the Government and Ofsted have repeatedly said needs to improve. These figures do not take into account the National Audit Office’s predictions that schools nationally face a £3bn cut in resources over the coming years.
Impact of funding formula changes in the region by Ofsted rating:
