Council lobbies government for fairer funding for schools

A group of officers and councillors have travelled to London to make the case to Government ministers for a better deal for Shropshire schools.

Funding reforms recently introduced by the Government have had knock-on effects for rural counties like Shropshire, and the delegation from Shropshire Council highlighted a series of concerns with the Schools Minister, David Laws.

Shropshire Council is a member of the “F40” group, which is made up of the 40 lowest funded councils in terms of school budgets, and the latest funding reforms have posed more challenges for schools.

The reforms mean that from April 2013 Government funding will be delegated directly to primary schools based on how many pupils they have.  That means councils will no longer be able to centrally retain funding which can then be redistributed to schools taking into account fluctuating costs from school to school, such as broadband and school meals.

Council officers are also concerned about the impact of SEN (special educational needs) formula changes, which will mean some schools will need to continue to provide support for pupils with less funding in future.

David Taylor, Shropshire Council corporate director, people, said:

“It’s important that we work with central Government and keep them informed of how funding reforms like this impact on schools many miles away from Westminster.  As has often been the case, it’s the rural and sparse nature of Shropshire that means our schools tend to be worse off than their more urban counterparts.

“One of the options we spoke to the Minister about is encouraging schools to look at the option of federating with their counterparts, which can help schools be more sustainable by working together.

“We were pleased to have the opportunity of discussing these important issues with the minister and we will continue to do so to ensure that Shropshire children are getting the best education opportunities possible.”