WE want to highlight the issue of educational funding, which we feel that everyone in the community should be aware of. This is something that will affect all of our schools significantly, not just in Chippenham and Malmesbury, but many up and down the country.

School funding for five to 16-year-olds has been maintained at flat cash levels over the duration of the current parliament, which has not allowed for inflationary increases or pay rises. In addition, schools with sixth forms have seen a reduction in funding over the past four years of in the region of 20 per cent for post-16 provision, which has already seen a number of schools reduce their curriculum offer, curriculum time, or both. Those who had successfully attracted large numbers to the sciences, maths and technology subjects have seen their funding reduced to a level approaching 25 per cent.

There are further and very significant rises in costs for the coming academic year, which will make it extremely difficult for schools to retain their current level of provision: a big jump in employers’ contributions towards teachers’ pensions and large increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions, both previously funded by central government, will see big proportions of schools’ budgets having to be diverted to pay these costs. This is something that schools have no control over.

Nationally agreed modest pay rises for teachers and support staff are also being unfunded, which will lead to a further drain on each school’s budget – and schools that are academies are also facing a funding cut with a reduction in their Education Services Grant of £53 per pupil.

A large secondary school with a budget of £8 million could be expected to have to find an additional £400,000. You can see from the sheer scale of this figure that this is likely to affect the opportunities schools are able to offer their students in all sorts of ways: bigger class sizes, fewer staff, fewer extra-curricular opportunities, with the inevitable impact on outcomes and experiences for children.

Schools have been lobbying local politicians, prospective parliamentary candidates, members of all political parties and the Minister of State for Schools. It is finally being talked about in the media, but as yet without any promise of addressing this dire situation. This is something that, if left unchallenged, will affect thousands of children in our communities in the years ahead – and which we feel needs bringing to everybody’s attention.

Headteachers NEIL SPURDELL, Sheldon School; JAN HATHERELL, Hardenhuish School; TIM GILSON, Malmesbury School