Walsall’s schools set to receive a £9.0m cut to spending power

– Walsall’s schools are set to be hit with a £9.0million cut to spending power in 2024/25

– The cut will equate to a £198 fall in funding per pupil in Walsall

– Walsall’s Liberal Democrats are calling for the Government to boost funding for local schools as they struggle to balance the books

Schools in Walsall are set to be hit with a £9.0million cut to spending power in 2024/25 data from the National Education Union (NEU) reveals.

It means that funding per pupil in Walsall will be cut by £198 in 2024/25 compared with 2023/24.

There are 103 schools in Walsall. 100 of which will have less spending power in 2024/25 as a result of these funding cuts.

For Primary schools in Walsall, there will be a £164 reduction in spending power per pupil over the next financial year, and in Secondary schools there will be a £260 fall in spending power per pupil.

Walsall’s Liberal Democrats have warned that the fall in spending power will push already stretched school budgets to the brink, with a worse educational experience for pupils and worse outcomes.

It comes as new data released today shows that this Conservative Government has cut the annual growth in funding in cash terms from 8% in 2023/4 to 3.1% in 2024/5.

The Lib Dems are calling for the Government to review school funding after the IFS has concluded that the purchasing power of school budgets in 2024 will still be about 4% lower than in 2010.

Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Walsall, Ian Shires said:

“This Conservative government has failed Walsall’s children. Parents in our community should not have to send their children to schools which have had their funding decimated by a Conservative government that has lost interest in providing high-quality education.

“Investing in education is investing in our future but this Conservative government has let school buildings crumble and overseen a severe shortage of teachers. Far from preparing the next generation for the future, Ministers have totally abandoned them.

“The Liberal Democrats know that investment in education boosts our children’s futures. The Treasury needs to urgently look at increasing school funding”.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The data from the NEU can be found here.

Government school funding statistics can be found here

IFS data is available here.

Published and promoted by Ian Shires on behalf of Willenhall Liberal Democrats, 23 Lynwood Close, Willenhall. WV12 5BW