South Tyneside schools set to benefit from new funding formula

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has analysed the impact of the new National Funding Formula for schools nationwide.

The figures show the borough would receive £87,791,638, a rise of £2,717,752 on the current figure and the equivalent of a 3.2% rise.

Government consultation on the introduction of the new formula closes on March 22 and the EPI Policy Institute has looked at what the impact will be and who the winners and losers are.

The organisation says there are unlikely to be any schools in England which will avoid a real terms cut in per pupil funding by 2019-20, and up to half of primary schools and around half of secondary schools will be faced with significant real cuts in funding per pupil of between 6 and 11 per cent by 2019-20, the equivalent of losing almost two teachers across all primary schools and six across all secondary schools.

Coun Joan Atkinson, Lead Member for Children, Young People and Families at South Tyneside Council said: “The figures suggest that although the majority of South Tyneside schools will receive additional funding seven of our schools will still miss out.

“However, everyone loses out when you take into account school cost inflation. The real debate isn’t just what the latest funding formula is but how much money is in the system overall.

“The current information and data we have suggests that even though most of our schools appear to be better off with the implementation of the new funding formula than without it, unless inflation is added to future settlements, budgets will reduce in real terms

“Simply – the money in the system will go down at the same time that the number of pupils is going up.

“Despite demand and financial pressures placed on our schools by government they continue to deliver and that is testament to the hard work and determination of our teachers and school staff working on the front line to give the Borough’s children the best start in life.

“Since 2012 we have seen the percentage of our young people in good or outstanding schools rise by more than 30 points. In South Tyneside 95 per cent of Council-maintained schools are rated as good or outstanding - well above the national average.

“We remain committed to raising standards still further to make sure every single child in the Borough can attend a good or outstanding school despite the financial challenges they continue to face.”