Seven in 10 schools across England have been hit by budget cuts and are no longer able to cover essential running costs as they were when the Conservatives came to power in 2010, a new analysis has found.
Around 13,000 schools across the country suffered cuts during this period, with the hardest hit being Dunraven Secondary School in Lambeth, which saw its real spending cut by a total of £4,093,473 this year compared to 2010. .
According to calculations by the National Education Union (NEU), hundreds of schools have lost more than £1m in real funding since 2010.
At an individual level, around 2,000 schools lost more than £1,000 per pupil in real budget under the Conservative government.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: Independent: “I wish Labour could promise to fix all this and fix it quickly if they win the next election, but they have to be honest about the scale of the challenge.
“We will invest cash immediately to end the tax breaks that private schools enjoy, but more than that, we need to grow the economy so we can invest more in public services.”
A Conservative spokesman said: “Under Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives, we are increasing school funding to its highest ever level in real terms per pupil, raising standards nationally from 68% of schools rated good or outstanding under Labor. Today, 90% of children in the UK are ranked ‘Best in the West’ for reading.”
Headteacher Claire works at a nursery in Milton Keynes. According to the NEU’s calculations, the school has lost £1,214 in real terms per pupil since 2010, a 13% drop.
Claire believes both parties are failing to address the budget problem.
“At a national level, I think we need to completely rethink funding for schools… I don't think it's on the agenda for this election at all. I don't think it's a priority for either major political party.”
The NEU created a single-issue social media campaign for the general election, School Cuts, which the union says has reached more than 7 million people. The union is encouraging letter-writing campaigns for local candidates.
The NEU sets the core budget and then outlines school spending each year, adjusting for inflation and other price shocks to calculate the real cuts to schools.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said the impact of Conservative education cuts on schools was evident.
“In fact, 14 years of government cuts have left education in crisis, and children are paying the price. We can all see the results: class sizes are getting bigger, exhausted teachers are leaving the profession, buildings are drying up. It's just collapsing.”
“The government is failing a generation of children,” he added.
Government funding cuts and a surge in the number of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools mean schools are having to make bold decisions about what they can offer their students.
Teachers like Claire know that a lack of resources is widening the gap between high- and low-income children, and that low-income children cannot have the same experiences, like school trips.
“What I’m really worried about is that if we can’t provide the resources and experiences for our children, that will impact their education. We won’t be able to bridge the gap in privilege between those who can and those who can’t. “The cycle just continues and repeats.”
The above map, based on NEU data, shows that schools across all regions of the country have been affected, with most schools in the North West and South East regions facing particularly tight budgets.
Schools in Slope, Bethnal Green and Stepney have lost close to £30m in real terms when comparing their 2023-24 levels to 2010-11 levels. Meanwhile, London boroughs top the list of constituencies hit hardest by cuts, with 17 boroughs losing an average of more than £1,000 per pupil.
These include constituencies such as Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Clapham and Brixton Hill, Tottenham, City of London and Westminster.
Clare's school in Milton Keynes is struggling financially on all fronts. The only way to cover major costs, such as leaks and asbestos inspections, is through the local council, which says it has no money.
“It’s basically like a brick wall,” she said.
With budgets so tight, schools can no longer afford to pay custodians. Now teachers and office staff empty trash cans, conduct health and safety checks, and pick up essential supplies after school.
Claire says the school relies on good will. For example, a volunteer group came to paint the building and the teacher's husband even made repairs when necessary.
“If you say it out loud, oh my goodness, just keep going,” Claire said.
In a recent report, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said: “It is historically unusual to have had no real increase in school spending per pupil for 14 years.”
During her 11 years at the school, Claire felt that resources and budgets had been reduced significantly, particularly for IT and school travel.
“When we first started, the ICT room was fully equipped with computers. The budget was in surplus. At the time we had undertaken an extension to one of our classrooms to make it larger. We had quite a bit of money, but we no longer have that luxury. “It just disappeared.”
Student-to-teacher ratios are also low, and faculty are being forced to wear multiple hats due to lack of pay and qualifications.
“There are a lot of children in schools who have significant difficulties with speech and language. There are no services on the NHS to support them. So we expect teaching assistants to act as speech and language therapists when they are not qualified.”
She added: “Schools and teachers are almost becoming social workers to support families living in poverty.”