Pendeen School faces funding cuts as second homes see pupil numbers dwindle
A small primary school in Cornwall says it is facing funding cuts as an increasing number of second home owners buy properties in its village.Pendeen School in West Penwith currently only has 79 pupils with capacity for 119.
It said as a result of fewer local children, it lost 17 pupils between the 2022 and 2023 academic years, which equates to a loss in funding of £100,000 from the Department for Education.Dr Jennifer Blunden, CEO of the Truro and Penwith Academy Trust which Pendeen School belongs to, said there is no immediate risk to the school, its pupils or its staff but the lack of uptake is indicative of a larger issue.She explained: "We have seen a shift as far as the number of pupils is concerned.
"Pendeen School has lost 17 pupils and with funding based on the number of pupils you have, that represents about £100,000 which is a huge amount for a little school."Pendeen is a lovely community and our school is brilliant and we are working hard to make sure the funding cut due to reduced pupil numbers does not impact on the education provision, but it does link to the shortage of low cost housing in the area which is not taken up with second home ownership or holiday lets."The drop in pupil numbers is due to less uptake, and a bigger Year Six group moving up to secondary school.
Dr Blunden said the issue of second homes and holiday lets goes beyond even the academy trust.
She added: "This may be the downside of living in a beautiful part of Cornwall, but the impact second homes and holiday lets have on the local housing market is certainly being felt.
"Local families are being squeezed out. While we make some budget changes to accommodate this shift, this cannot continue forever.
"The school is an essential part of village life and of the community but the lives of those who live there all year round are certainly being impacted by the housing crisis.
"We need to make sure that young families are still able to live here."She said the trust is working with the local parish council and Cornwall Council on ways to promote the local nursery school, Pendeen School and everything the village has to offer to young families.
She said: "We are doing all we can to make sure Pendeen School and the community remain as vibrant as possible for it is a positive place to be."Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in last week's Budget that a tax relief on holiday lets will be scrapped in a bid to increase the availability of long-term rental accommodation.
The growth of holiday rentals is said to have exacerbated the housing crisis in Cornwall, which currently has over 20,000 people on the housing list.Local St Just-in-Penwith town councillor Sue James said: "It is sad to see the continuing falling roll of Pendeen Primary school and the impact this has on their funding, due to the funding formula.
"It makes me reflect on the plea of the head last September when he spoke at my Mayor's Sunday event with a focus on celebrating our young people. He asked us all to have more children; it was amusing and sad in equal measure."The reasons are complicated but the lack of homes young families can afford is a significant factor.
"Also relevant is an increase in home education and local families choosing to send their children further afield for their own reasons and beliefs."I do believe Pendeen Primary is a good school that goes the extra mile to meet individual students needs. They have excellent outdoor spaces that they utilise in student education, hence at the same Mayor's Sunday event, the children chose to bring their small goat and speak about it."Cornwall councillor for the area Cllr Brian Clemens said: "I know how hard the trust works to deliver education in what are very challenging times as Jen said the housing market and holiday let situation does impact on the number of children."But the one thing that makes delivery of education and something that is mentioned time and time again at scrutiny committee is the funding formula used at national level is one of the biggest obstacles for rural communities.
"We receive far less funding per pupil than urban settings and until the formula issue is addressed the problems of the trusts and also local authority run education settings will remain a challenge."I know that the service director at Cornwall Council is constantly asking the local MPs to lobby the minister for a fairer funding formula and looking at all funding streams to aid better funding, but the only way we will get that is if the minister realises that we are at risk of losing schools."