Schools in Rochdale Borough to lose £16million in Government funding

Schools in Rochdale Borough to lose £16 million in Government funding

Schools in the Borough of Rochdale are set to lose £16,057,783 in Government funding by 2019/20, according to figures from School Cuts.

The Government funding policy for schools means that schools in Rochdale will worse off by £16,057,783 worse off by 2019/20 than they were in 2015/16, with 384 teachers’ jobs threatened. School Cuts site average this to be a cut of £495 will affect each pupil.

This comes just days after Rochdale Online reported that Rochdale was the only Borough in Greater Manchester to hit the new secondary school targets:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/138/community-news/107739/rochdale-only-borough-in-greater-manchester-to-hit-new-secondary-school-standards

Councillor Donna Martin, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “The reduction in funding from central government will have very real consequences for our schools and their pupils and comes on top of huge cuts to funding for other services provided by the council. It will mean fewer teaching assistants for struggling classes, fewer GCSE options and fewer chances for our children to experience the extra-curricular activities that are so vital to a well-rounded education.

“Our borough is the only one in Greater Manchester whose secondary schools hit the new national education standard set by government. Reduced funding means it will be that much harder to maintain the fantastic work already being done to boost our pupils’ attainment.”

Rochdale Online has compiled a spreadsheet of each school within the Rochdale Borough, showing the cost of cuts per pupil, how many teachers this would be equivalent to, total cuts for the school and the percentage loss in funding.

The five worst affected schools (average cut per pupil) in the Borough are:

• St Anne’s Church of England Academy - £887 per pupil

• Stansfield Hall Church of England/Free Church Primary School - £866 per pupil

• Wardle Academy - £720 per pupil

• Hollingworth Academy - £710 per pupil

• Middleton Technology School - £694 per pupil

The School Cuts website, published by the NUT and other teacher's unions, compares each school’s funding in 2015/16 with the funding the Government predicts it will receive in 2019/20 under its proposed new National Funding Formula (NFF), adjusted for the impact of inflation and cost increases imposed on schools.

The NUT estimates that a combination of the new funding formula and cost increases means that 98% of schools will be worse off in 2019/20.

NUT Divisional Secretary Nick Wigmore said: “Under this Government’s funding policies, there are no winners, only losers. Rochdale schools are being forced to make decisions that no head teacher should have to make including reducing school staff and teachers, increasing class sizes, and reducing the range of subjects offered simply to balance the book.

“This is an unacceptable state of affairs The NUT and ATL will continue campaigning for additional funding, to protect schools and our children’s education.”

The National Audit Office has warned that schools will need to save £3 billion by the end of this Parliament and that they are ill equipped to do this. The latest DfE figures show that 60% of secondary schools are already in deficit.

See how your child’s school is affected:

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