Schools plan for frugal times ahead

Released 27/01/2012

Data on school balances shows that schools are reducing their spending as education funding cuts start to affect budgets

The document also revealed evidence of funding inequality between schools in different authorities and different places across the country

Schools across the country are planning for more financially stringent times ahead, according to the school balance data document released by the Department for Education (DfE) yesterday.

The figures published by the DfE demonstrated trends indicating that school leaders are preparing for a reduction in their budgets by reducing spending in schools, though also revealed an overall reduction of the number of schools in financial deficit.

The document also revealed evidence of funding inequality between schools in different authorities and different places across the country, adding to calls to alter the current school funding formulae.

General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), Brian Lightman commented on the news: “It is good to see that the number of secondary schools in deficit has fallen,” he said. “However it is a concern that there is significant variation between schools in different LAs and between schools in different phases.”

“This underscores the need to move to a funding formula that delivers a fair level of funding to schools, no matter where they are in the country. It also makes the point that this formula must be activity referenced and clearly modelled so that it does not create a whole new set of inequities,” he added.

“It makes the most sense to start by determining the actual cost of delivering the activities needed to provide high-quality education for all young people. The government’s drive for a simple formula, rather than the best solution will simply re-distribute the inequities instead of delivering fairer funding for all.

“As the statistical release itself points out, the growing number of schools converting to academy status makes year-on- year-comparisons in school expenditure difficult, as academies are not represented in the data.”

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