Commenting as the government publishes the latest pupil number projections, showing that 400k fewer primary school children are expected in England by 2028, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“The impact of falling pupil numbers in the primary phase is a concern for many school leaders. We know that in certain parts of the country, including in some inner-cities, this is already beginning to have an effect on school budgets.

“Rather than allowing primary school budgets to simply contract, this is an excellent opportunity for government to maintain levels of funding so that schools can maintain existing staffing levels. Such an approach would allow schools to provide smaller class sizes and more targeted support for pupils, which is all the more important given the impact of the recent Covid and cost-of-living crises.

“Maintaining budgets would constitute a sensible and secure investment to support pupils’ recovery, and also support workload reduction for teachers and leaders. Reducing teacher and leadership attrition rates should be a key priority for government, as we know that experienced professionals have the greatest impact on outcomes for pupils.”