Responding to the findings of a new schools cost of living survey by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) which found that many are worried about the impact of rising costs on budgets, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“This report is a stark reminder that while the overall rate of inflation has eased, prices are still rising and schools and society more broadly are continuing to face severe challenges as a result.

“Schools face a twin challenge of juggling both their increased costs for things like energy and resources, and in supporting more children who may turn up hungry and not in a good place to learn. It’s now often harder for them and their families to access help from services like social care which have suffered from years of under-investment, meaning already stretched school staff are increasingly picking up the slack.

“School leaders are doing their utmost to minimise the impact of these cost pressures upon children’s education, but this is a real challenge, and particularly difficult for those in more disadvantaged areas or with higher numbers of pupils with special education needs and disabilities.

“These findings give the government notice that it must mitigate the impact of continuing inflation by offering the level of investment needed in schools in the autumn spending review in November.”