Responding to a new survey of teachers by the Sutton Trust, which found that schools are still having to cut back on staff, subjects and SEND support, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:
“Most school leaders will recognise the kind of horrible choices outlined in these findings, including having to make cuts to staffing and resources.
“The last thing they want to have to do is cut provision for pupils, but the simple truth is that despite some welcome additional government investment, school finances remain in a perilous state,
“While the government pledged a cash increase of nearly £5bn for schools by 2028 in last year’s spending review, after funding for free school meals and to help with much-needed teacher pay awards has been factored in, it seems at best they will get tiny real-terms increases in core funding.
“At the same time, the demands being placed on schools are constantly increasing and they face the prospect of possible higher inflation this year due to events in the Middle East.
“Schools have not had the big uplift in funding needed to alleviate severe pressures on budgets and make up for the underfunding we saw under previous governments.
“It is clear that much more investment is still needed to turn this situation around and to ensure schools are fully equipped to deliver on the government’s proposed reforms to the broken special educational needs (SEND) system.”
