That this Council:-
(a) notes that, through the Schools Fairer Funding Formula, the Government is imposing real term cuts on schools by freezing per-pupil funding while inflation and school costs, such as staff salary costs, employer pension and national insurance contributions, increase; which affect all schools and academies alike;
(b) notes that the ‘area cost adjustment’ will still apply and that this system perpetuates the inherent unfairness of the system and, as according to the Government’s own statistics, in Sheffield by 2019 there will be an average pupil funding decrease of approximately 10%, around £350 per pupil, and that, even with a new funding formula, 98% of schools will be worse off in real terms;
(c) notes that, eventually, schools funding will be distributed by national government, not through local authorities and the Schools Forum, removing any local discretion, influence or accountability;
(d) believes that these proposals create divisions between primary and secondary schools and pits local authorities, parts of our City and even neighbouring schools, against each other; at the same time as the Government is finding over £500m extra cash for its Free and Grammar School agenda - which this Council is totally opposed to;
(e) believes that the Government is continuing to penalise small schools and effectively forcing them to look for economies of scale by joining a Multi Academy Trust, pushing its Academy Policy;
(f) reaffirms its opposition to segregation and the creation of new grammar schools and believes that the evidence base for grammar schools improving social mobility is incredibly weak and the Government’s decision is derived more from ideology than evidence;
(g) believes that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that an excellent education is central to this, yet this Government’s Funding proposals will make it extremely difficult for schools to meet the increasing demand of pupil numbers or address the growing national crisis in teacher recruitment and retention; and
(h) urges all schools, governors, parents, carers and students to join with the NUT, Unison, GMBU and the Council to support the More Funding for all Sheffield Schools’ Campaign; fighting for more funding to be found for schools, not from the proposed redistribution of cash between local authorities or from taking money from primary schools to give to secondary schools, but from new money; and encourages them to write to their local MPs to support the Campaign and to the Secretary of State for Education for the Government to review these proposals and find more money for our schools.
Minutes:
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Schools Funding (1) |
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11.1 |
RESOLVED: On the Motion of Councillor Craig Gamble Pugh, seconded by Councillor Ben Miskell, that this Council:-
(a) notes that, through the Schools Fairer Funding Formula, the Government is imposing real term cuts on schools by freezing per-pupil funding while inflation and school costs, such as staff salary costs, employer pension and national insurance contributions, increase; which affect all schools and academies alike;
(b) notes that the ‘area cost adjustment’ will still apply and that this system perpetuates the inherent unfairness of the system and, as according to the Government’s own statistics, in Sheffield by 2019 there will be an average pupil funding decrease of approximately 10%, around £350 per pupil, and that, even with a new funding formula, 98% of schools will be worse off in real terms;
(c) notes that, eventually, schools funding will be distributed by national government, not through local authorities and the Schools Forum, removing any local discretion, influence or accountability;
(d) believes that these proposals create divisions between primary and secondary schools and pits local authorities, parts of our City and even neighbouring schools, against each other; at the same time as the Government is finding over £500m extra cash for its Free and Grammar School agenda - which this Council is totally opposed to;
(e) believes that the Government is continuing to penalise small schools and effectively forcing them to look for economies of scale by joining a Multi Academy Trust, pushing its Academy Policy;
(f) reaffirms its opposition to segregation and the creation of new grammar schools and believes that the evidence base for grammar schools improving social mobility is incredibly weak and the Government’s decision is derived more from ideology than evidence;
(g) believes that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that an excellent education is central to this, yet this Government’s Funding proposals will make it extremely difficult for schools to meet the increasing demand of pupil numbers or address the growing national crisis in teacher recruitment and retention; and
(h) urges all schools, governors, parents, carers and students to join with the NUT, Unison, GMBU and the Council to support the More Funding for all Sheffield Schools’ Campaign; fighting for more funding to be found for schools, not from the proposed redistribution of cash between local authorities or from taking money from primary schools to give to secondary schools, but from new money; and encourages them to write to their local MPs to support the Campaign and to the Secretary of State for Education for the Government to review these proposals and find more money for our schools.
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11.1.1 |
The votes on the Motion were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:- |
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For the Motion (50) |
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The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Anne Murphy) and Councillors Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Ian Saunders, Karen McGowan, Michelle Cook, Kieran Harpham, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Craig Gamble Pugh, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Andy Bainbridge, Steve Wilson, Abdul Khayum, Alan Law, Abtisam Mohamed, Lewis Dagnall, Cate McDonald, Chris Peace, Bob Johnson, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Lisa Banes, Terry Fox, Pat Midgley, David Barker, Tony Downing, Mohammad Maroof, Julie Dore, Ben Miskell, Jack Scott, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Peter Rippon, Dawn Dale, Peter Price, Garry Weatherall, Tony Damms, Jayne Dunn, Richard Crowther, Olivia Blake, Ben Curran, Neale Gibson, Adam Hurst, Zoe Sykes, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Paul Wood. |
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Against the Motion (0) |
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Nil |
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Abstained on the Motion (0) |
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Nil |