Responding to a new survey from the Sutton Trust which shows around half of senior leaders in secondary schools have had to cut back on teaching staff, teaching assistants and support staff this year, James Bowen, assistant general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Schools have been forced to make repeated cuts after more than a decade of austerity under the previous government - and it is projected that funding for this financial year will not come close to keeping pace with costs.

“We are continuing to hear from school leaders who are being forced to make redundancies as a result of budget deficits, including cuts to leadership roles, teachers, and support staff.

“Leaders and teachers are passionate about delivering the best possible education for pupils, but this is becoming more and more difficult in such challenging financial circumstances and most have made all the efficiencies they can without directly harming children’s learning. We’ve heard of schools having to fundraise for basics like paper, online learning resources and school trips – this can’t be right.

“We desperately need to see increased and sustained investment from the government in core funding, the pay awards needed to recruit and retain staff, the crisis in special educational needs provision, and the dire state of many school buildings. While public finances may be tight, it remains essential that children’s education and futures are prioritised, and it’s vital this is reflected in the three-year spending review in June.”