Schools don’t have enough money to keep children safe or provide the statutory level of education, governors have warned in a bombshell letter to Education Minister Jeremy Miles. Vale of Glamorgan Governors Association claims the low level of funding from Welsh Government may be unlawful, education will suffer and schools will have no choice but to make staff redundant.
“We have strong concerns about the pupils at our schools when we do not have sufficient finance to provide the statutory level of education and to keep the learners in our care safe,” the letter, signed by association chair Martin Price says. It adds that with no more cash to cut “in many cases any recovery plan would require such levels of staff reductions to make the schools unviable”.
Demanding an urgent meeting with the minister the governors say most schools in the Vale of Glamorgan are “in the position of setting unsustainable deficit budgets for 2023/2024” with one secondary forecasting a positive carry forward of £140,000 for 2022/23, but then a budgeted loss of £312,000 for 2023/24 to follow. Several primary schools are forecasting deficits in excess of £200,000, the letter, signed by association chair Martin Prices adds.
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There is nothing left to cut from dwindling resources and the situation schools find themselves in “is wholly down to the level of funding provided to the Vale of Glamorgan by the Welsh Government”, the letter claims. Governors believe the level of funding to schools may be unlawful as “it does not meet Welsh Ministers’ obligations under section 10 of the Education Act 1996 to provide education to children”.
Mr Price said governors have a legitimate expectation that ministers will fund schools at a level where they are able to provide education and keep pupils safe. The recent decision to agree an enhanced pay package for teachers, following last term’s strike, had not led to an increase in school funding which “seems unlawful and irrational” and was agreed outside the budget consultation processes, the letter, sent on March 31, adds.
Today Mr Price, who is also vice chair of governors at St Richard Gwyn Catholic High in Barry, said governors felt they had no choice but to send the letter because the situation has reached crisis point. He said outdated funding formulas based on population and deprivation had left schools in the Vale short of cash for more than two decades.
“This whole issue is going to impact heavily on the level of education provided to children in the Vale, which has been provided on a shoestring for the last 20 years. I want to make clear we have a very good relationship with the Vale Council, our issue is with Welsh Government.”
.Vale of Glamorgan Council and Welsh Government respond
Cllr Lis Burnett, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “The public sector is under significant financial strain, and the funding challenges faced by local government are particularly acute.
“Our budget strategy for the Vale of Glamorgan is to protect and prioritise spending on education and support for the most vulnerable in our communities. Alongside this our Learning and Skills team work with schools and governing bodies to support them in managing their finances.
“It is important that all branches of the education sector work together to help children and young people achieve their potential. As Council Leader I recently held a very constructive meeting with the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language and set out the huge challenges our schools currently face.
"The Council is committed to continuing to make the case for schools in the Vale and to doing so in a spirit of collaboration and partnership with colleagues at all levels.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We will respond to the letter in due course.”
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