Secondary schools 'could lose funding equivalent to six teachers'
Secondary schools could lose the equivalent of six teachers as a result of severe funding cuts, it has been suggested.
The average secondary in England is facing losses of almost £300,000, while primaries will lose out on tens of thousands of pounds, according to a new report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI).
It warns that growing financial pressures will mean that all state schools across the country are likely to see real terms cuts to per pupil funding in the next few years, with half of primaries and secondaries facing reductions of between 6% and 11% by 2019/20.
The average primary school will see a real terms drop in funding of £74,000 between 2016/17 and 2019/20, while the average secondary is set to lose out on £91,000.
These drops equate to the loss of two teachers for a primary school and six teachers for a secondary, it calculates.
The figures take into account financial pressures such as increases in pension and national insurance contributions, as well as cuts to a major education grant, and the impact of the government's plans to introduce a new national funding formula (NFF).
EPI executive director and report co-author Natalie Perera said: "While the NFF is broadly welcome, our research highlights that the wider financial pressures on schools mean that all schools in England are set to experience real terms per pupil cuts in spending over the next three years, even after the new formula is introduced.
"Our findings suggest this could mean an average primary school loses funding equivalent to two teachers, while the average secondary school loses the equivalent of six teachers."
Under government proposals to introduce a new national funding formula, schools will get basic funding per pupil and additional money based on factors such as deprivation, and low prior attainment of pupils.
Ministers have said the new system will be fairer for schools.
The EPI report says that even though the government is proposing to allocate more money to disadvantaged pupils as part of the formula, the overall impact of the reforms would be to shift funding away from the most disadvantaged youngsters towards those in the "just about managing" group.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "School funding is at its highest level on record at more than £40bn in 2016-17 and that is set to rise, as pupil numbers rise over the next two years to £42bn in 2019-20.
"Of course we recognise that schools are facing cost pressures, which is why we will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways.
"A recent report from the NAO outlines that schools should be able to make cost savings without affecting educational outcomes and our new School Buying Strategy is designed to help schools save over £1bn a year by 2019-20 on non-staff spend."
Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner accused the Conservatives of "breaking a manifesto promise" by reducing per-pupil funding.
"When they're talking about getting rid of teaching staff and reducing the subjects and curriculum on offer, then we all should be concerned." she said.