by Wandsworth Council » Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:53 am
Council calls for re-think on schools’ funding formula
Councillors in Wandsworth have called on ministers to rethink draft Government proposals on funding for schools.
The Government recently announced a consultation over its plans to reform the way schools are funded.
As they stand the draft proposals would mean some funding being transferred away from London to other towns, cities and rural areas across England which currently receive less cash per pupil than schools in the capital.
The official Government figures show that if the plans were to proceed 61 out of 66 schools in Wandsworth would see a 1.84 per cent reduction in funding by 2019. This equates to around £2m in total.
In contrast half of the borough’s secondary schools could each receive an extra £110,000 on average over the same period.
The council’s education spokesman Cllr Kathy Tracey said: “Our response to the consultation calls on ministers to have a serious re-think and come back with a revised set of proposals that do not penalise schools in London.
“Schools in the capital have received more funding per pupil than other parts of the country for many years but this simply reflects the higher costs of operating in London, where for example teacher’s wages need to reflect the extra costs associated with living and working in an expensive city.
“London’s schools have risen to the challenge and raised standards of teaching and learning. It is important the any changes to the funding formula do not jeopardise these achievements.”
According to the national education watchdog Ofsted, 95 per cent of Wandsworth schools are currently ranked good or outstanding, one of the best borough-wide quality ratings in the country.
[b]Council calls for re-think on schools’ funding formula [/b]
Councillors in Wandsworth have called on ministers to rethink draft Government proposals on funding for schools.
The Government recently announced a consultation over its plans to reform the way schools are funded.
As they stand the draft proposals would mean some funding being transferred away from London to other towns, cities and rural areas across England which currently receive less cash per pupil than schools in the capital.
The official Government figures show that if the plans were to proceed 61 out of 66 schools in Wandsworth would see a 1.84 per cent reduction in funding by 2019. This equates to around £2m in total.
In contrast half of the borough’s secondary schools could each receive an extra £110,000 on average over the same period.
The council’s education spokesman Cllr Kathy Tracey said: “Our response to the consultation calls on ministers to have a serious re-think and come back with a revised set of proposals that do not penalise schools in London.
“Schools in the capital have received more funding per pupil than other parts of the country for many years but this simply reflects the higher costs of operating in London, where for example teacher’s wages need to reflect the extra costs associated with living and working in an expensive city.
“London’s schools have risen to the challenge and raised standards of teaching and learning. It is important the any changes to the funding formula do not jeopardise these achievements.”
According to the national education watchdog Ofsted, 95 per cent of Wandsworth schools are currently ranked good or outstanding, one of the best borough-wide quality ratings in the country.
