A Cheshire primary school is looking at merging year groups as well as the option of shortening the working week as increased costs and reduced income bites across the country.
Andy Canham, chair or governors at Elton Primary School and Nursery, spoke to the BBC during a report on the National Union of Teachers’ (NUT) Easter conference in Cardiff which voted for strike action over funding cuts.
Headteachers in Cheshire have already told The Chronicle about the impact of increased National Insurance and pension costs even before a proposed new national funding formula takes effect.
For Elton Primary, the unions estimate it would mean a loss of £102,901 or £536 less spending per pupil, equivalent to three teachers.
Mr Canham said: “We’re already having to consider over the next three years losing at least two teachers, merging year groups, potentially shortening the school week by one or may be half a day. These are all things that we’re having to consider.”
Greg Foster, a spokesperson for the NUT and ATL unions in West Cheshire, says schools in Cheshire West and Chester will be £24,354,259 worse off by 2019/20 than they were in 2015/16.
He said: “The 2015 Conservative Manifesto said ‘We will continue to protect school funding’ and ‘Under a future Conservative Government, the amount of money following your child in to school will be protected’. Cheshire West is already one of the 40 worst funded education authorities and of the 152 authorities in England, it is the 14th worst hit by these cuts.
“There is already money in the system but it is being spent on the government’s projects to privatise schools: expensive academy conversions, establishing free schools and expanding grammar schools.
“Even more money is being taken out of school budgets as the government claws back higher pension and NI contributions from schools. As well as the possibility of a shorter week for children these cuts will definitely lead to fewer teachers in schools, fewer support staff and fewer subject choices for children – it is simply not fair to make children suffer for the government’s inability to balance the budget!”
Mr Foster, who teaches at Upton-by-Chester High School, added: “Investing in education is investing in the future. I know Michael Gove said, ‘we’ve had enough of experts,’ but do we really want the next generation taught by people with no training, no expertise at all? With no deep understanding of their subject or how children learn? One thing is clear, this Government seems to be entirely free of experts!
“We want a good school for every child, a properly funded school for every child, great teachers and great support staff for every child.”
To find out how these cuts will hit your local school according to the teaching unions, click on this link.
