The school funding crisis is far from over

New national figures reveal that schools in Tower Hamlets have lost out on over £110m of funding between 2015 and 2020. This is the equivalent of £735 per pupil.

The new data also reveals that all 87 schools in the borough have suffered cuts to per pupil funding.

The data was compiled by the National Education Union based on the latest cash allocation figures published by the Department for Education and shows that across the UK, 16,523 schools will have less money per pupil in 2020 than they had in 2015 in real terms.

Education cuts have squeezed the budgets of schools, colleges and services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Last year Tower Hamlets received £49.7m from the Government for SEND funding, but it spent more than £56m on services.

Despite the Government’s announcements on education funding, many schools will have to make further cuts next year because they are receiving only an inflationary increase and school costs are rising above inflation.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs said: “These figures reveal just how serious the situation has become for our schools over the last five years, with no end in sight. Class sizes are soaring, school buildings are falling into disrepair and subjects are being dropped as school budgets are squeezed beyond belief. The Government has a duty and a responsibility to our schools and young people, and after years of underfunding it’s clear that they don’t take that responsibility seriously. We need a Labour government in place to reverse the years of damage the Conservatives have caused.”

Councillor Danny Hassell, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Young People, said: “The Tory Government has made a great deal of noise about investing in schools but the reality is that all their pledges in the Spending Review and the Queen’s Speech fall short of what our schools and our colleges need. Whether it’s funding for schools, colleges or special educational needs services, this Government is failing our young people.”|New national figures reveal that schools in Tower Hamlets have lost out on over £110m of funding between 2015 and 2020. This is the equivalent of £735 per pupil.

The new data also reveals that all 87 schools in the borough have suffered cuts to per pupil funding.

The data was compiled by the National Education Union based on the latest cash allocation figures published by the Department for Education and shows that across the UK, 16,523 schools will have less money per pupil in 2020 than they had in 2015 in real terms.

Education cuts have squeezed the budgets of schools, colleges and services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Last year Tower Hamlets received £49.7m from the Government for SEND funding, but it spent more than £56m on services.

Despite the Government’s announcements on education funding, many schools will have to make further cuts next year because they are receiving only an inflationary increase and school costs are rising above inflation.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs said: “These figures reveal just how serious the situation has become for our schools over the last five years, with no end in sight. Class sizes are soaring, school buildings are falling into disrepair and subjects are being dropped as school budgets are squeezed beyond belief. The Government has a duty and a responsibility to our schools and young people, and after years of underfunding it’s clear that they don’t take that responsibility seriously. We need a Labour government in place to reverse the years of damage the Conservatives have caused.”

Councillor Danny Hassell, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Young People, said: “The Tory Government has made a great deal of noise about investing in schools but the reality is that all their pledges in the Spending Review and the Queen’s Speech fall short of what our schools and our colleges need. Whether it’s funding for schools, colleges or special educational needs services, this Government is failing our young people.”