For many years, NAHT has championed the role of small schools; they play a vital and irreplaceable role in our education system, and in our wider communities.

In our new report Under Pressure: The financial squeeze on small schools in England we share the results of our latest survey of leaders in small schools. Their responses paint an alarming picture and show that, despite some improvement in funding since our last report in 2019, many small schools continue to fear for their future.

These concerns are not restricted to funding alone, though for a large number funding remains the primary concern. But there is also a strong feeling that the current inspection framework doesn’t properly acknowledge the nature and reality of subject leadership in small schools, and senior leaders also report that they are having to increase their own teaching hours, putting significant additional pressure on the leadership capacity in small schools.

Read the full report here.