Teachers at Risk in Funding Crisis

Teachers’ jobs are under threat in the East Riding, where low funding is forcing cash-starved schools into making cuts.

Dozens of posts could go, with at least 20 schools thought to be looking at job cuts.

East Riding Council has confirmed as many as 30 teachers and 14 support staff could be facing redundancy.

Government funding, which is skewed in favour of inner cities and deprived areas, has left East Riding schools starved of cash.

The area is the fourth worst-funded out of 150 education authorities across the country.

East Riding schools received pounds3,534 per pupil in 2007-08 – half the amount awarded to top-funded authorities such as the City of London, which received pounds7,089.

If the East Riding had received the same as neighbouring Hull, at pounds3,998 per pupil, an additional pounds21m would have been shared among the county’s schools.

East Riding schools will receive their budgets for 2008-09 later this month.

But with 25 schools already in the red, many headteachers are looking at making further cutbacks.

Beverley Grammar School was forced to cut two teaching posts last year.

The boys’ school, which is the country’s oldest state secondary, is still pounds60,000 in the red, despite major cutbacks last year.

Headteacher Chris Goodwin said: "We are in a funding crisis, despite an increase in pupil numbers, which are up by 64 to 850."

National Union of Teachers (NUT) East Riding branch secretary Martin Reed said: "It’s another serious, desperate year for East Riding schools. Schools are being short-changed. They are under- funded and it is unacceptable."

Mr Reed is urging East Riding Council to work with the NUT in aTurn to Page 5

bid to redeploy teachers who face losing their posts.

He said: "We have to stop teachers losing their jobs. We will work with the local authority to avoid compulsory redundancies."

Headlands School in Bridlington, which is about pounds300,000 in the red, may be forced to shed eight teaching posts.

Headteacher Dr Steve Rogers said the town secondary school has been hit by under-funding, falling rolls and expensive costs for supply teachers to cover long-term absences.

Dr Rogers said: "We are looking to lose eight staff.

"It is part of a recovery programme over three years to get back into the black."

At Beverley Grammar School, Mr Goodwin said they could not rule out further staff cuts as a worst case scenario.

He said: "There is not enough money coming from central Government and there is not enough money coming from the local education authority.

"It would be a disaster at a time when pupil numbers are increasing to be even thinking of staff reductions."

Philip Holmes, assistant director of children and young people’s services at East Riding Council, said: "We have in place the necessary support for schools as they work their way through the redundancy process. We have a good track record of working with the professional associations and supporting staff who are at risk.

"While we are not yet at the stage where individuals have been identified for redundancy, nevertheless, part of our contribution in this process involves the local authority using its best efforts to place staff in other schools where there are vacancies."

Meanwhile a parent of a sixth-former at Headlands School said it was a difficult situation for the school.

The parent, who asked not to be named, said: "It’s a shame for the school because the fewer teachers they have, the less support there is for the kids.

"The school is in financial straits, and we can make our representations, but the problem lies county-wide.

"Losing teachers will mean less diversity in the curriculum, which doesn’t help.

"It is all down to funding, unfortunately, but it’s a shame the only way they can make the budget balance is to cut back on staff."

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