Anger as government cuts this year’s schools funding by £400,000
Schools in Brighton & Hove are set to miss out on nearly £400,000 of funding for their poorest pupils this year – because of a change in government funding rules.
Funding for disadvantaged pupils (known as pupil premium) for the next financial year starting on 1 April 2021 will now be linked to the numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals from October last year – instead of January this year, as was previously the case.
This excludes children who became eligible for free school meals due to the second Coronavirus lockdown between October and December. It means schools won’t receive funding for more than 250 pupils until April 2022.
The chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Children, Families and Schools committee, Councillor Hannah Clare, said: “I’m frustrated that the excellent work our schools are doing to make things better for their most disadvantaged pupils is being undermined in this way.
“Our schools have been working flat out to deliver a high standard of education during the exceptional difficulties they have faced during the Covid-19 crisis.
"The government should be pulling out all the stops to support our schools, rather than pulling the rug out from under them.
“We have an unacceptable gap between the average achievement for all pupils, compared to those eligible for free school meals.
“We have made it clear that addressing this is a priority. But it is not helpful when this work is hampered by government.
“This mean-spirited change undermines this work. It makes a mockery of any claims by the government to care about disadvantaged pupils.
“Sadly it comes as little surprise, following the amount of pressure that needed to be applied on Government to provide meals during school holidays – an arrangement which they still haven’t confirmed funding for in the longer term.
“I will be writing to the Secretary of State to ask him to withdraw this very damaging rule change and give our schools the support they so desperately need right now."