School Funding Reductions

[Rudolph Hucker]

A potentially important point to make: when Mr Barker states "One tip though – please personalise your letter in some way, even if it’s just one extra line that you add." it is not a tip. From my understanding it is essential. If a multitude of identical letter's are received, 10, 1000 or even one suspects 100,000, they are treated as 1 petition. If they differ enough (one extra but unique line is all it takes) they are treated as separate and discrete petitions.

But then again, if you aren't interested enough in the topic to make the letter your own somehow, perhaps your letter shouldn't count

RH.

[Dave]

Mr Barker makes his case eloquently.  It will be interesting to see how our MP deals with this.

[admin]

A couple of interesting blog articles on this from Marple Hall School headmaster Joe Barker here:

http://www.marplehall.stockport.sch.uk/school-funding-part-one/12930.html

And http://www.marplehall.stockport.sch.uk/school-funding-part-two/12941.html

[andy+kirsty]

I Think there will have to be monumental movement for our schools to be better off than they were before. The methodology is on the website but it uses all government figures. Let's be honest though, has anything improved under this Government? Schools were only protected for a few years and it didn't allow for increases to pensions and NI costs which schools have had to deliver.

What is also worrying is that Heads won't know how much they have to spend in September until the very last minute if the quote below is accurate. Imagine Joe at MHS trying to find a further quarter of a million, even if things improve and it is half that, another £125K, in cuts. It isn't going to mean more Teachers, TA's and better facilities is it?

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "This would appear to be irresponsible scaremongering, based on figures that are entirely speculative. As the NUT and ATL’s own report admits, they do not even reflect the government's proposed fairer funding formula for schools, which is yet to be published.
“In reality the schools budget has been protected and in 2016-17 totals over £40billion, the highest ever on record. The government's fairer funding proposals will ensure that areas with the highest need attract the most funding and end the historic unfairness in the system."

[sgk]

So what went wrong? The School Cuts web site says that 92% of schools will have their funding cut. That doesn't sound like a fairer redistribution, it just sounds like a cut!

Bear in mind it's being reported that School Cuts web site might not be entirely accurate.  I hope this is the case, otherwise it rather sounds a far cry from what our MP backed.  https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/funding-cuts-will-hit-schools-poorest-pupils-hardest.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "This would appear to be irresponsible scaremongering, based on figures that are entirely speculative. As the NUT and ATL’s own report admits, they do not even reflect the government's proposed fairer funding formula for schools, which is yet to be published.
“In reality the schools budget has been protected and in 2016-17 totals over £40billion, the highest ever on record. The government's fairer funding proposals will ensure that areas with the highest need attract the most funding and end the historic unfairness in the system."

[JMC]

Sadly this will happen if people vote Tory...

[admin]

Following the link and reading what's there it seems clear that @William Wragg MP believed that this would improve Stockport schools funding, not reduce it.

“This news will be welcome to schools throughout the Stockport local authority area, which has been traditionally underfunded, including in my Hazel Grove constituency.

So what went wrong? The School Cuts web site says that 92% of schools will have their funding cut. That doesn't sound like a fairer redistribution, it just sounds like a cut!

[andy+kirsty]

It looks like schools within Stockport are due to lose out almost 10 Million before 2020 thanks to the Government ‘fair funding’ formula. A formula supported by our MP.1

Have a look at the www.schoolcuts.org.uk website the figures look worrying and I don’t remember it being a manifesto commitment! ( Not that that seems to matter anymore)

MHS – £250K Reduction
Rose Hill - £75K Reduction
All Saints £50K Reduction
Mellor £63K Reduction
Ludworth £44K Reduction

That's certainly a sh*t load of committee teas. No doubt our Local Councillors will soon be along to protest at what the nasty Government are doing!


1 https://www.williamwragg.org.uk/news/fairer-funding