Agenda item

That this Council:-

(a)       regrets the phasing out of the Education Services Grant and its impact on schools and the Council;

(b)       notes the analysis by The Education Policy Institute which finds that all schools in England face real terms cuts in funding per pupil, and that half face reductions of between 6% and 11% by 2019-20 under the new National Funding Formula proposed by the Government;

(c)        condemns the Government’s choice to spend almost £1 billion on what this Council believes to be an ideological crusade to expand free schools and grammars which will only help the privileged few, whilst elsewhere schools are facing real terms cuts to spending;

(d)       recognises that many of Sheffield’s schools are already struggling and that the financial outlook for Sheffield schools is likely to deteriorate as cost pressures increase and funding is cut further;

(e)       calls upon HM Government to increase the schools budget in order to prevent a serious detrimental impact on class sizes, support for pupils with special needs or valuable extra-curricular activities;

(f)        calls upon HM Government to ensure Pupil Premium is protected from these cuts;

(g)       asks the Leader of the Council to write to all Sheffield MPs, urging them to raise the Council's concerns with the Secretary of State for Education; and

(h)       resolves to support a cross-party campaign to raise awareness amongst parents, teaching professionals, governing bodies and teaching unions to urge the Government to reverse these cuts.