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Give Me 5 : School funding protest Friday 5 July

Give Me 5 - Friday 5 July
Schools all over the country are being forced to close at lunchtime on Fridays in order to remain within their budgets.  Many schools that have not yet taken this drastic measure are being forced to consider it.  Could your school be next?
On 5 July, parents and children are joining forces to remind the government of their statutory obligation to fund schools properly.   Give Me 5!
Give Me 5:  descend on Westminster
On Friday 5 July,  parents and children will descend on Westminster to ask the question – who will educate my child on Friday afternoon?   Sympathetic MPs from all parties are going to meet us outside parliament and run activities for the children to keep them entertained. 
Will you join us?  Funding is available to support travel costs for parents and children.   Contact us at saveourschoolsbh@gmail.com for more info.
Give Me 5:  where you are and on social media

Take part in Give Me  5 where you are!   Children, parents, teachers, whole schools and politicians can join in the Give Me 5 action in your own creative way.

Some ideas: 
  • Share  5 things that happen in your school on a Friday afternoon
  • Ask your child to write their 5 favourite things about school on a large hand shape
  • Write your personal message on your hand
  • One prominent MP will be doing a running high five down a line of school children!!!

What will you do?    Film or photograph your action and share on social media on 5 July 2019     #GiveMe5 #SaveOurSchools

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Headteachers explain why they are marching for funding on Friday 28th Sept

Share this image or make your own headstand image to show your support for the headteachers’ march!  #headstandingwithheads #stillnotlistening #parentsteachersunite #saveourschools @DamianHinds @PhilHammondUK

On 28th September over 1,000 headteachers will march on Westminster to ask for more funding.    When headteachers revolt, things must be bad.    Here we share the letter that has gone out to tens of thousands of parents across the country in full.

We stand with all headteachers marching on Friday.     Show your support by sharing this image on social media or making your own – details on hashtags etc below.

But first, here’s that letter in full:

Dear Parent or Carer

Mass Headteacher Action – 28 September 2018

I am making contact to let you know that on Friday 28 September, I will be joining hundreds of other Headteachers from across the country in support of a mass event intended to gain much improved funding for all schools.

Headteachers will have the full support of their Governing Bodies/Trusts as we continue to champion the best possible funding for all our schools. I will remain steadfastly determined, relentlessly reasonable and act without any political bias. These have been the hallmarks of our campaign work to date.

You will be aware of the challenges that schools up and down the country are facing. A mixture of rising costs and stresses on other support services has meant that for many years we have been being asked “to do more with less”.

Under a challenging period of austerity for the Government we understand that there is not a bottomless pit of money. Accordingly, schools have played their part to work even harder and with greater efficiency on behalf of the children and families that we serve.

It is clear to all Headteachers, however, that matters are unsustainable. Frequently, we do not have enough money to meet the demands placed on our schools. On the ground, services and resources are cut to the bone and class sizes are increasing. At times, schools are even having to prop up our budgets with monies that should be targeted at those students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, or those that have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Under the umbrella of the campaign group ‘Worth Less?’, Headteachers have shone a light on the funding difficulties that we are facing. We acknowledge that the Government should be given credit for introducing a new National Funding Formula. Unfortunately, however, the formula itself is not adequately resourced/funded and therefore our budgets remain in an unacceptably poor state.

In July, the Institute for Fiscal Studies echoed what we have been saying for a long time and confirmed that, in real terms, school budgets have been slashed by 8% since 2010.
https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/13143

It is simply not good enough for the Government to state that “more money is spent on schools than ever before”, when independent evidence clearly states that in real terms, this is simply not the case.

Headteachers will gather at Downing Street to insist that the chancellor and his colleagues at the Department for Education use the upcoming autumn statement to invest properly in our schools and your child’s education. Many of the real terms cuts to our budgets should be reversed and urgent investment is required for SEND and post-16 budgets.

The support that we have enjoyed from parents and carers has been very welcome and we will continue to update you on all of our forthcoming actions. We are determined to campaign until a much better and fairer settlement is reached in order to support your child/children and the future prosperity of the country as a whole.

Yours faithfully,

Headteachers up and down the country

Its scary to hear, and  scary for heads to be taking this radical step.  Lets show our support.   Share the image above with the message below to show we are united in standing up for our children’s future.

On 28th September, 1000 headteachers will march on Downing St to demand that 8 years of #schoolcuts are reversed . We stand with them.  Share this message or do a headstand of your own to show your support!!  #headstandingwithheads #stillnotlistening #parentsteachersunite #saveourschools @DamianHinds @PhilHammondUK

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New Junior School Class Loses Teaching Assistant

My daughter has just begun Junior School, and she is happy and excited in her lovely new uniform.  On Friday us parents were invited to a meet the teacher session which was overall very positive.  Unfortunately we also found out that my daughters class has absolutely no teaching assistant support at all.  Last term we were told that due to cuts we were only to have a TA once or twice a week.  Now nothing.  The other classes in her year are more in need.

The teacher asked if anyone would like to volunteer to read with children, or help them with handwriting, or show them an interesting new skill etc.  I am the class representative, and I am asking the other parents if there is anything they can do to help.  Which feels positive and supportive.

At the same time I am angry and upset because I think our children will now be in a class which has to be very tightly controlled, the emphasis will have to be on rules, boundaries and discipline because how else can one teacher manage thirty 7 – 8 year olds?

My daughter was 6 two weeks ago.  She is one of the youngest in her class and school exhausts her.  She is clever and sociable and so she is coping well, but I worry that she is showing signs of stress.  She’s only seven!  She is angry and withdrawn some afternoons after school.

I think this is a good opportunity for schools and parents to bond, and to show mutual support.  I really love our schools, I don’t want to feel angry like this.  I hope I can do something to help.

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Our school can’t afford swimming lessons

A few years ago the school community did an amazing thing.  They raised enough money to fix the little swimming pool and provide weekly lessons for the children.

Sadly, that pool closed last year because there isn’t enough money to fix it.  The local public swimming pools are full, so our kids can’t go there.

The school can’t afford to bus the kids out to the pools that do have capacity.

We are talking about what to do about this, because some children can’t swim, and they are not having access to a pool outside of school to learn.

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How can we survive?


As Chair of Governors of a small one-form entry primary school, I have just come back from a Finance & Premises sub-committee meeting, tearing my hair out and wondering how on earth I can make a difference to the appalling lack of funding for schools this government is providing.

2 years ago, as a new governor, with a brand new Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher, I oversaw a complete staffing restructure – actually make that 3 staffing restructures – in one academic year.  We had a forecast of being £750,000 in deficit within a 3-year period.  The reason being? A lot of children with SEND, equating to the need for more support staff, a lot of teaching staff that had been at the school for many years, all at the top of their pay scale and ever growing pension costs.  But most of all, while salaries, pensions and other costs increased, funding for schools remained static for very many years.  Indeed, two years ago, our staffing costs made up 96% of our total income.  The benchmark figure for schools is set at around 85%.

We took action.  We made many staff redundant.  We cut hours.  We restructured the timetable for teaching.  SEND children were not going to get the interventions that they needed but we, as a school, were not receiving funding for.  EHCP funding is a whole other issue.  We rescued our financial forecast, but there was blood, sweat and many tears along the way.

Today, right now, we have a balanced budget.  But lo and behold, the National Joint Council has just announced a 2% pay award for all teaching assistants which in turn increases the “on-costs”.  Also, we are to expect a compulsory 2% pay award increase for teachers from September.  Again, the increase in “on-costs” and an increase in pension costs all around.

Of course our educators absolutely deserve this… and more in fact.  But where is the money coming from to pay for it?

2 years on, looking at our 3 year forecast, we see that our staffing costs will be at 90% of income for the next year and 96% in three years time.  We are straight back where we started 2 years ago with NO further increase in funding and worse – it is reducing, due to the new “Fairer Funding Formula”.  Fair?

We have cut costs wherever we possibly can.  Parents are providing toys and equipment for children to play with at break times.  We are now going to ask parents to buy school stationery for us via an Amazon Wishlist.

I do not know how our school can survive right now.  In 3 years’ time, we’ll have another whopping deficit.  And apparently, we’re in a pretty good situation compared to other schools, due to the action we took previously.

The education system in the UK used to be acclaimed.  If action isn’t taken soon, I fear it will be infamous.

Surely we now all have to stand up, be counted and campaign for more educational funding?

I’m in.  Are you?

This story is from Brent. 

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TA support is being cut due to cuts.

My daughter is just finishing Infant school and has been brilliantly supported by a fantastic team of teachers and teaching assistants. The children in her class with SEN have had a fantastic designated TA and the class has had one for the mornings. My son is about to start the same school and while he will have a teacher and assistant in reception, due to cuts in Yr 1 and 2 they are now moving to have 2 assistants over 3 classes. I worry about the impact this will have on the support children get. I also worry that the previously well resourced nurture groups and extra support groups that my daughter and her friends have benefited from will no longer be funded. I know that one of the specialist reading support TAs who previously worked with children in small groups, will now be in reception as that is where full time roles are. This seems a waste of her training and a loss to children who need help.

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No money for basic communication

Parents at our school had been very happy at the recently introduced text alert system. It was a neat way of receiving messages from school, directly from the teacher or about events happening at school. Great! No more problems such as missing crucial information because your 4/5/6 year old had somehow lost the letter. Information flowed quickly and directly. It was more inclusive than using email or facebook, as most people have a mobile phone on them most of the time, but not everyone uses social media or email all the time.

Fast forward six months later and the school discovered that the texting system is not something they can afford. Text information flow has stopped immediately, and we are back to the ‘dark ages’ of letters and posters. Oh and did I tell you that at the same school use of paper, pens or the photocopier have been rationed for a while now? What kind of world do we live in? This is preposterous.

Well

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Stressed at School

For half an afternoon a week, I used to volunteer at daughter’s infant school. Whilst, I know that my daughter’s infant school is/was an “outstanding school” with dedicated, brilliant, hard-working teachers, I was nonetheless shocked to enter the classrooms and see how chaotic a room of 30 five-year olds was. Spending time, week after week in the classroom, I came to the realisation that there were simply too many children in that classroom. Thirty, five-year-old children in one classroom struggled to sit still for the time enough time required for the teacher to talk. Teaching was regularly interrupted, understandably by children needing water, the toilet or simply wanting to share their thoughts about the subject being discussed.  Many of the children seemed bored by the lengthy times spent having to sit on the carpet or at their desk, being talked at and their attention clearly waivered. With such large classrooms the learning seemed often to occur by rote with little time for questions or exploration of the subject.  It seemed to me the ‘real learning’ for most of the children occurred when teaching support staff, who took small groups out of the classroom in groups of 4 and 5 to concentrate on a specific area usually reading or maths. I myself, helped children with their reading and maths in small groups of up four which worked well. The environment was intense, noisy and physically cramped and I often came home feeling slightly overwhelmed, thinking it was a miracle, that the children learnt anything.

I was therefore horrified to hear that in my daughters very well-respected junior school, the class size would now be 32 in an even smaller classroom. When I investigated further, I found that class sizes of 32 are standard across the city. As parents we have come to accept this as a norm but from my experience, it is clear to me that this it is not a healthy environment for children or their learning or for the teachers.

 My daughter is now 8 and (like many I’m sure) she continues to be a very lively, boisterous thing. At home she never stops moving and/or singing. She ‘gets’ what needs to happen at school so complies, but when I pick her up from school, I can see that it has been a struggle to sit still, to hold it together, to stop talking, to concentrate and to try and learn. Being at school for her clearly requires lots of effort and it means when we get home she can often be quite emotional with lots of mixed up feelings. I can see she finds school stressful and I am certain it doesn’t have to be this way.

 I consider our family lucky. Her teachers are brilliant, the school is one of the best locally and very highly regarded. I still have lots of contact with the school and I can see everyone at school she encounters tries their hardest to to do their best by her. However, there is no getting away from the fact, I feel that her class is too big with too many children with different, competing and at times complex needs.  The fact that 2/3 of schools locally have had to reduce school support staff really worries me. I know that, it is these staff that have historically supported teachers to ensure learning can happen for all the children. The fact that my daughter learns anything is a testament to the hard work of her teachers and the support staff. If our school were to lose any more support staff, I am certain my daughter’s learning would grind to a complete halt.

Finally, I wish school could be more of a joyous experience for my daughter. I wish it could be an experience filled with a sense of wonder, pleasure and discovery, rather than an experience she simply must endure. It makes me sad for her and for the children of her time and I worry that collectively as parents we are allowing the government of the day to fail them.

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Begging for school supplies

All schools have mufti days. But at our school, instead asking for a small donation of £1 or so for a charity, mufti days for the last couple of years have been a bit different.

Once a term, children get to wear their own clothes to school in exchange for a donation of stationery supplies for the school office. They tell us in advance what they need, and everyone is supposed to get the same thing. Highlighter pens. Glue sticks. Last time, the ask was for a ream of paper each.

Imagine several hundred small children waddling into school, each struggling to carry a ream of paper bought by parents. And then an old trestle table by the front gate, creaking under the weight of dozens of packets of paper.

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Headteacher resigns over cuts

I was a teacher from September 1980 until August 2017, with two short breaks for maternity leave. Despite moving up though the ranks, becoming a Head in 2014, I never stopped teaching, with the quest for outstanding teaching and learning being my passion. In many ways, the 9 years I spent as an AST were the most fulfilling, but I succumbed to headship because I wanted to influence T&L across a whole school; I adopted Steve Covey’s, ‘The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing’, with T&L being that ‘main thing’.

Unfortunately, as soon as I picked up the reins, I could see that the school was heading towards financial difficulties in the next academic year, due to cuts in funding and rising costs. Many may not know this, but a stand-alone Academy cannot submit a deficit budget without the threat of being put into financial special measures by the Education Funding Agency (EFA), so I had no choice but to take evasive action.

Whilst it was my strong belief that I should devote my time to leading T&L, I had to put the ‘main thing’ to one side and become a financial strategist, which is hardly what I trained for. Staffing is easily the biggest financial outlay of a school, so that is where I had to start. I wrote a 12-page ‘staffing restructure and deficit reduction plan’, which was no mean feat, and whilst its contents are lengthy and probably not interesting to many, I detail it below, because you need to be aware of just how many cuts I had to make, and how serious and unpalatable they were:

•            The number of planning periods per teacher per cycle decreased by one

•            The number of teaching groups in Years 7 and 8 decreased by one (thus larger classes)

•            The ‘extra’ teaching groups in the core subjects in Years 10 and 11 removed

•            The disapplication groups in Year 10, except for SEN pupils, removed

•            VCert music removed as a GCSE option for Year 10

•            Food technology removed as a GCSE option for Year 10 and removed from KS3

•            AS French removed as an option for Year 12

•            Art and photography taught together in Years 12 and 13

•            Workskills Springboard removed from Year 12

•            Departmental capitation reduced by approximately 10%

•            CPD limited to training for the new exam specifications only

•            Stationery ordered centrally, not by department

•            Work experience removed for the majority of pupils in Year 11 (only remaining for the few who would really benefit)

•            Business & Enterprise budget reduced

•            Alternative curriculum reduced

•            The equivalent of one full time post removed from the SLT team, and the portfolio distributed amongst the remaining SLT members

•            One food technology teacher post removed

•            All 4 Lead Practitioner posts removed

•            The fourth post on the leadership spine not undertaking SLT responsibilities removed

•            The number of TLR points per subject leader, and the number of non-contact periods per subject leader, to be based solely on the number of teaching periods delivered by the department (thus leading to a reduction)

•            TLRs for Thinking skills, Data, Business & Enterprise and Work-related learning removed

•            The TLR for Alternative Curriculum reduced from TLR 2 to TLR 1

•            The TLR for Exams reduced from TLR 2 to TLR 1

•            One science technician post removed

•            One food technology technician post removed

•            The administrative roles of 1) Cover/attendance, 2) First Aid/Administrator, and 3) Educational Visits Coordinator amalgamated into two roles

I cannot begin to explain how upsetting and disagreeable I found these changes to be; they amounted to a saving of approximately £410,000 and yet by the end of the following academic year, it was clear that we would have to cut more subjects at A-level and more staff, and that is when I decided I could not and would not go on. I felt that I would be condoning the government’s regime of underfunding if I continued to hack away at the curriculum and staffing still further, just to balance the books, especially as it struck me that it was likely to become an annual occurrence.

I was coming up to 60 when I reached ‘enough is enough’, and in that sense I was more in a position to ‘go’ than a Head in their 30’s or 40’s say, but I had been a single parent for 21 years by then, my two daughters were saddled with huge student debt (after completing 5 university courses between them), and I had an interest-only mortgage, meaning I would have to sell my house to pay it off, so my decision wasn’t without its complications.

But personally, it’s the emotional toll, not the financial one, that I feel most acutely. I ‘went’ at least 5 years too early, with so much  left to give.