Hartlepool schools set to miss out under funding changes

Hartlepool schools will lose out on almost £900,000 of funding under new rules, says an education thinktank.
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has analysed the impact of the new National Funding Formula for schools nationwide.The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has analysed the impact of the new National Funding Formula for schools nationwide.
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has analysed the impact of the new National Funding Formula for schools nationwide.

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has analysed the impact of the new National Funding Formula for schools nationwide.

The figures show Hartlepool would receive £60,229,688, a cut of £873,225 on the current figure and the equivalent of a 1.4% budget cut.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Government consultation on the introduction of the new formula closes on March 22 and the EPI Policy Institute has looked at what the impact will be and who the winners and losers are.

The organisation says there are unlikely to be any schools in England which will avoid a real terms cut in per pupil funding by 2019-20, and up to half of primary schools and around half of secondary schools will be faced with significant real cuts in funding per pupil of between 6 and 11 per cent by 2019-20, the equivalent of losing almost two teachers across all primary schools and six across all secondary schools.

EIP executive director Natalie Perera, who co-authored the report, said: “For too long school funding has been inconsistent across the country, with similar schools receiving different funding levels to teach similar pupils.

“The Government is right to propose a new and more rational funding arrangement for schools despite a challenging economic climate.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“While the NFF is broadly welcome, our research highlights that the wider financial pressures on schools mean that all schools in England are set to experience real terms per pupil cuts in spending over the next three years, even after the new formula is introduced.

“The Government also needs to be clearer about its funding plans beyond 2019-2020, to give schools time to plan for further changes in funding.

“If the DfE fails to secure additional funding beyond 2019-20, then it can only continue to deliver the new funding formula for “under-funded” schools by making further, large, cuts to the budgets of over 5,000 schools.”

A Hartlepool Borough Council spokesman said: “The second stage consultation closes on March 22.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Hartlepool council will be responding to this and once feedback from the consultation has been received we will provide support and advice to schools across the town.

“We will comment further as soon as we have sight of the official figures.”