Schools in York could face cuts of £3.2millon next year

York’s Liberal Democrat councillors are calling on the Chancellor to protect education spending, as shocking new figures show that schools in York face cuts in their spending power of over £3million next year.

The figures, published recently by the ‘School Cuts’ campaign run by teaching unions, reveal that schools in York will have on average £138 less to spend per pupil next year (2023/24) compared to this year (2022/23).

In total, 51 of York’s 59 schools will see a reduction in their spending power next year compared to this year.

The figures estimate the true spending power that schools have after increases in teacher salaries, pensions, tax and non-staff costs have all been taken into account. It comes after the Government instructed council-run schools to give teachers an overdue pay rise of between 5% and 8.9% this year, but gave schools no extra money to pay for it, meaning that they have been forced to make cuts elsewhere.

Overall, nine in ten schools across England will have less spending power next year compared to this year. More than two in three schools in England will have a lower spending power next year than in 2015.

Liberal Democrats in York have called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to make children and young people pay for the Conservatives’ botched Budget by cutting school and college funding further during next week’s Autumn Statement.

Councillor Andrew Waller, Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, commented:

“Under this Government, schools are left to choose between teaching children or heating classrooms. Locally headteachers are already warning that they will have to cut teaching assistants, mental health support and school clubs in order to make ends meet.

“The Conservatives are planning more public spending cuts to pay for their own economic incompetence. It would be simply indefeasible to cut education spending when pupils are trying to catch-up on pandemic learning loss.  At this crucial moment we must invest in our chidren’s futures. Parents and teachers will be rightly angry if the Chancellor announces more cuts to schools and colleges next week.

“Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt must confirm urgently that they will not cut real-terms funding for schools and colleges during tomorrow’s Autumn Statement. The books must not be balanced at the expense of the future our children and young people.”