Schools see significant budget cuts

The BBC reported yesterday that more than half the schools in England are facing cuts to their budgets. This news was reported following a survey completed by school heads and deputies.

The survey was completed by 1,177 school and college leaders, and it also suggests that nearly nine out of 10 schools or colleges are seeing reduced support from local authorities.

In response, the government states that school budgets always go up and down. In the last comprehensive spending review it promised to increase spending on schools budgets and in principle it did - however the budget rise was so small that any proposed gains were actually wiped out by an increase in inflation.

The survey also suggests that very few schools have seen any benefits from the extra cash that is targeted at poorer pupils via the pupil premium which is worth £430 per eligible pupil. The respondents to this survey suggest that any gains that may have been seen through the pupil premium have been wiped out by reductions in other areas, such as the loss of the ethnic minority achievement grant.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "We're protecting the schools budget in cash terms per pupil, introducing a pupil premium for disadvantaged pupils, and putting money directly into heads' hands.

"School budgets fluctuate every year as pupil numbers change so it is normal for some schools to get more, and for others to get less.

"In fact this survey shows that around a third of schools have reported an increase in funding."