Schools in Newbury face cuts of £1.8m next year

West Berkshire Liberal Democrats are calling on the Chancellor to protect education spending, as shocking new figures show that schools in the Newbury constituency face cuts in their spending power of £1.8m next year.

Liberal Democrats in Newbury have called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to make children and young people pay for the Conservatives’ botched Budget by cutting school and college funding further during next week’s Autumn Statement.

The figures, published today (8 November) by the ‘School Cuts’ campaign run by teaching unions, reveal that schools in Newbury will have £118 less to spend per pupil next year (2023/24) compared to this year (2022/23).

In total, 42 of Newbury’s 51 schools will see a reduction in their spending power next year compared to this year.

The figures estimate the true spending power that schools have after increases in teacher salaries, pensions, tax and non-staff costs have all been taken into account. It comes after the Government instructed council-run schools to give teachers a much-deserved pay rise of between 5% and 8.9% this year, but gave schools no extra money to pay for it, meaning that they had to make cuts elsewhere.

Overall, nine in ten schools across England will have less spending power next year compared to this year. More than two in three schools in England will have a lower spending power next year than in 2015.

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Portfolio Holder for Eduction, Young People and Culture on West Berkshire Council, Erik Pattenden, said:

“Under this Government, schools must choose between teaching children or heating classrooms. Headteachers are warning that they will have to cut teaching assistants, mental health support and school clubs in order to make ends meet.

“Liberal Democrats know that a fair deal for Newbury means investing in our chidren’s futures. Parents and teachers will be rightly angry if the Chancellor announces more cuts to schools and colleges next week.”

Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP added:

“The Conservatives are planning more public spending cuts to pay for their own economic incompetence. School trips are already being axed, teaching assistants are being laid off and urgent classroom repairs are being ignored.

“Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt must confirm urgently that they will not cut real-terms funding for schools and colleges during next week’s Autumn Statement. The Conservatives must not balance the books on the backs of our children and young people.”