MORE than £2.9 million is set to be cut from primary schools in St Helens, new data shows.

Ahead of the government's autumn budget next week, 90% of English schools are facing huge funding cuts for the next academic year.

Analysing data from the government's 2021 Spending Review and taking inflation, rising costs, and decreased funding into account, volunteer organisation 'Stop School Cuts' states that more than 18,000 English schools will face cuts totalling £1bn in real terms.

St Helens Star: Stop School Cuts have analysed data to show estimated school cuts across the countryStop School Cuts have analysed data to show estimated school cuts across the country (Image: Stop School Cuts)

The hardest hit schools in St Helens

In St Helens, it is estimated that there will be funding cuts of £2.9 million across the borough's secondary and primary schools.

58 of the borough's 63 state schools are expected to face spending cuts in the next academic year, meaning that there may be cuts of around £117 per pupil from 2023-24.

The Hope Academy in Newton-le-Willows is facing the largest drop in funding, with £232,736 projected to be taken from their school budget.

In terms of spending cuts per pupil, Longton Lane Community Primary School in Rainhill is expected to be the hardest hit, with a loss of £326 per pupil.

Five of the borough's primary schools are set to have more funding next year; St Mary's Catholic Infant School, Rectory CofE Primary School, Willow Tree Primary School, Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, and St Theresa's Catholic Primary School.

 

Possible redundancies across St Helens schools

During the cost of living crisis, the proposed funding cuts are a real concern for school leaders across the borough.

They may mean that schools have to reduce the in-school and extra-curricular services that they provide, as well as a possible reduction in subject choices and larger class sizes.

It also may prove difficult to keep the same numbers of staff at schools, who may be forced into making redundancies for teaching and support staff.

 

This concern has been highlighted nationally, with a National Association of Head Teachers survey reporting that more than half of the 11,000 surveyed schools will look into reducing the number of teachers or teaching hours.

National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) general secretary Paul Whiteman said educators are being hit by a “perfect storm of costs” as they battle to balance budgets amid “eye-watering energy bills”, spiralling costs, and underfunding.

St Helens Star: Hope Academy is also facing huge spending cuts next yearHope Academy is also facing huge spending cuts next year (Image: Google Street View)

Catastrophic funding cuts

Mr Whiteman said: “With no fat left to cut following a decade of austerity, many thousands of schools are now looking at falling into deficit unless they make swingeing cuts.

“Schools are finding that they have no option but to make redundancies. A reduction in teaching assistants and teachers will be catastrophic, leading to larger class sizes and less support for children with the greatest needs.

"This cannot be allowed to happen.”

To look into the estimated funding cuts to your school, you can visit the Stop School Cuts website here.

To sign the 'Stop School Cuts' open letter to Rishi Sunak, calling to reverse the cuts facing schools, you can do so here.