Dismore slams school funding cuts
Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden Andrew Dismore says new figures showing massive school funding cuts to Barnet and Camden are a “disgrace”. The National Education Union published details of cuts to school funding, which showed that the average funding per pupil in Camden had reduced by £610 between 2015/16 and 2020/21 and £380 in Barnet.
In a written answer to Mr Dismore, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that In August, he wrote to the Secretary of State for Education to highlight the £99 million in real terms cuts hitting London schools alone in 2018-19, urging him to make school and further education funding a priority. He said that he would continue to press London’s case on school funding with the new Government.
Mr Dismore said:
‘Every School in Barnet and Camden has a shortfall, and two thirds have further cuts to go. That means things will get even worse next year. The school funding promised in the election by the government is simply not enough and will not cover all the gaps, let alone provide additional funding for more support.’
Education campaigner and Barnet Councillor Anne Clarke added:
‘28% of Camden pupils and 13% of Barnet pupils are recipients of Free School Meals, so the government’s swingeing cuts to school funding is hitting the poorest pupils hardest. Camden’s Family of Schools provides a culturally rich, broad and balanced curriculum which enables pupils to go on to a range of carers. To remove investment in the next generation damages the life chances and opportunities to our future workers, employers and carers. We cannot balance the nation’s finances on the backs of our young like this.’
ENDS
Notes:
- Andrew Dismore is the Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden
- Cllr Anne Clarke is a school governor and Labour Councillor for Childs Hill Ward in Barnet.
- Data from the National Education Union (NEU) can be found here. Data on London can be found below:
| LA (name) | Change in per pupil funding 2015/16 to 2020/21 | Schools with funding shortfall 2019/20 | Schools with funding shortfall 2020/21 | Schools with more cuts in 2020/21 | PercentageFSM |
| Barking and Dagenham | -£342 | 98% | 98% | 82% | 17% |
| Barnet | -£380 | 100% | 99% | 66% | 13% |
| Bexley | -£312 | 100% | 99% | 23% | 13% |
| Brent | -£526 | 100% | 99% | 88% | 13% |
| Bromley | -£488 | 100% | 99% | 72% | 11% |
| Camden | -£610 | 100% | 100% | 69% | 28% |
| City of London | -£4,824 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 11% |
| Croydon | -£163 | 98% | 80% | 17% | 23% |
| Ealing | -£287 | 99% | 84% | 22% | 17% |
| Enfield | -£363 | 100% | 97% | 43% | 16% |
| Greenwich | -£307 | 95% | 94% | 86% | 18% |
| Hackney | -£704 | 100% | 99% | 86% | 30% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | -£709 | 100% | 98% | 85% | 23% |
| Haringey | -£556 | 99% | 100% | 87% | 18% |
| Harrow | -£444 | 98% | 96% | 52% | 10% |
| Havering | -£303 | 99% | 86% | 27% | 13% |
| Hillingdon | -£278 | 99% | 93% | 30% | 13% |
| Hounslow | -£409 | 100% | 99% | 12% | 17% |
| Islington | -£444 | 98% | 96% | 58% | 30% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | -£541 | 100% | 97% | 53% | 23% |
| Kingston upon Thames | -£273 | 98% | 96% | 33% | 9% |
| Lambeth | -£727 | 100% | 100% | 92% | 26% |
| Lewisham | -£501 | 99% | 99% | 71% | 17% |
| Merton | -£46 | 94% | 65% | 8% | 16% |
| Newham | -£475 | 74% | 79% | 79% | 19% |
| Redbridge | -£153 | 99% | 87% | 13% | 12% |
| Richmond upon Thames | -£242 | 98% | 83% | 17% | 9% |
| Southwark | -£706 | 100% | 100% | 90% | 25% |
| Sutton | -£284 | 100% | 96% | 44% | 13% |
| Tower Hamlets | -£735 | 100% | 100% | 87% | 33% |
| Waltham Forest | -£467 | 100% | 99% | 87% | 16% |
| Wandsworth | -£519 | 99% | 99% | 90% | 19% |
| Westminster | -£451 | 98% | 92% | 41% | 23% |
- Written answer from Sadiq Khan to Andrew Dismore AM on School funding below:
Question No: 2019/20893
Andrew Dismore
Have you lobbied the government to stress to them the deeply negative impact that school funding cuts are having on education and opportunities for young people in London?
School cuts
The Mayor
Last updated: 07 January, 2020
I have consistently lobbied government for extra funding for London’s schools. Most recently, in March this year, with the other Police and Crime Commissioners, I called on the former Prime Minister to reverse the damaging funding cuts and give schools the resources they need to deliver effective interventions and support London’s most vulnerable children and young people.
In August, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Education, shortly after his appointment, to highlight the £99 million in real terms cuts London schools faced in 2018-19 alone. I urged him to make school and further education funding a priority.
I will continue to press London’s case on school funding with the new Government.
