Macclesfield: Schools face uncertain financial future as geographic discrepancies highlighted
By Belinda Ryan - Local Democracy Reporter 18th Feb 2023
Several schools in Cheshire East will go into the red next year unless the government increases their funding, headteachers have told councillors.
For many years Cheshire East has received less funding for its schools than other councils because it is seen as an affluent area, despite some wards having the highest levels of deprivation in the country.
Following a heated debate at the children and families committee, chair Kath Flavell (Sandbach, Lab) told councillors they had little option but to accept recommendations regarding the funding formula and distribution of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) which, she said, had been accepted by the schools forum.
"Of course it isn't enough," said Cllr Flavell.
"As Cllr [Carol] Bulman said, she and I have been visiting a number of schools this year and many of them are telling us that that they're managing this year, but next year they're going to go into the red. This has nothing to do with Cheshire East Council distributing the DSG, this is due to central government failing to support the schools.
"When you look at the rise that's projected for next year, it's nowhere near inflation – half a per cent. Unless we get significant investment in education, these schools are going to be struggling to buy pens and paper, which is what they've told us."
The national funding formula allocates money according to levels of deprivation.
The lowest allocated in Cheshire East is £5,750 for a high school pupil and the highest is £7,190, in terms of comparable schools.
Director of education Jacky Forster said: "If you have a particular cohort that has more children from a particular [deprived] ward or that have pupil premium, then your funding will go up," , adding the deprivation factor related to where the children live, not where the school is.
Cllr Rachel Bailey (Audlem, Con) asked why the committee hadn't been given details of the individual schools' funding.
She said she understood more funding always went to areas which didn't perform as well, 'however, having been contacted by a local school, my understanding is that this year the differential is significant'.
She added: "So if there is a huge differential, what will be the impact on those successful schools if they are penalised too much? "
Cllr Laura Smith (Lab), who led the fairer funding protests as a teacher and while serving as the former Crewe and Nantwich MP, said: "Why aren't we asking if our politicians, our MPs in the area, are making some of this representation on behalf of the council, because they have the power to be able to challenge the DfE?
"If we look at Cheshire East as a whole… it is absolutely wrong how we've been historically at the bottom for a very, very long time. But if we're going to start thinking that areas that are deprived in places like Crewe are living the life of Riley on this budget it certainly isn't, because the issues that those schools are also dealing with are incredibly complex.
"At the end of the day, the fact is, our schools are suffering because this government has cut the funding significantly over the last 12 years."
In response to Conservative councillors who interrupted and said her comments weren't relevant, Cllr Smith said: "I'm glad that you're upset about it because I hope that that, then, will take people back into their communities to challenge the politicians who actually have some weight."
The committee approved the recommendations which included a 0.5 per cent increase for schools across the board.
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